Thanks to both of you for the thoughts/tips

I'm trying to let the algae run it's course as the LR can't leach forever
Don't forget, the tank is still maturing and things will change

I'll keep the ideas in mind just in case :smile:

Boring updates ...

The sea hare is still poopin', so I'm not worried anymore about it starving
The turbos have finally started to move around
The urchins have been on the move for a couple of days, even during the day, and are also poopin', so all is lookin' A OK for now
The new peppermints are settling in alright. They haven't eaten the aiptasia yet, but I'll give them another 5 or 6 days before I worry about feeding them

I installed a new dryside today, so now both MP10s have new motors and I have them turned up to 75% with virtually no noise :smile:

Just over 2 weeks to go, and the first batch of fishies go into the DT :smile:
I'm going to start trying them on different foods now
Tonight is going to be an experiment with freeze-dried SW plankton soaked in DT water and a touch of GarlicPower
Next time I'm out I'll see if I can find some live clams and maybe some scallops
If they don't like the scallops, I know Donna and I will :razz:

Skimmer is pulling out dark, dark stuff
Even wet, it looks kinda like bad coffee
I'm off to clean the cup and we'll see what happens next ...

Glad to see someone's still lookin' :lol:

OK, nevermind the plankton idea
Nobody wanted it .... I'll save it for when they're bigger

I've decided to go with a bud's thoughts ...

I'm going to keep the lights on their regular schedule so the SPS don't pale and let the algae run it's course that much faster

Mostly posting this just to document it :smile:

Any new pics?

Nothing worth posting, but thanks for asking
Everyone has seen the recent critters I added ...

Once the corals grow a bit more I'll post some growth shots

Until then, unless something extraordinary happens, like I catch the crab, move along, nothing to see here :mrgreen:

Well, the crab killed the sea hare :sad:

Hare was MIA on Saturday and we had to go out, so I spent little time looking for it
Sunday I found it ...

In the 'ceiling' area of the big swim-through, crammed against the rocks ... what was left of it anyway
I first spotted it with a hermit having lunch

After determining it was really dead, I tried to remove it with my fingers to no avail
I had to pry it off the rocks as it's butt end was half stuffed into a hole
When I pried more, as it came out, claws came with it and then let go

I'll assume the crab grabbed it as it slid over the opening in the LR
No way it died first as it was against the 'ceiling' of the swim-through

Poor little dude
He was doing really well too - nice, dark poops and roaming all over

I am currently trying to trap the little bugger as he has also tried to eat a margarita snail. I saved the snail and am using raw shrimp for bait
He's been smart enough that when I spotted his main opening with a flashlight, he covered it with some rubble :surprise:

Success :mrgreen:

This is my crab trap. Raw shrimp on a piece of rubble with a couple wraps of string. 2 nights of rotting meat proved to be too tempting :lol:

http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC01255.jpg

Hard to believe, but this is the hairy-legged little bugger that killed my 3" sea hare

http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC01270.jpg
http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC01273.jpg

I suspect it also ate all my bristle worms and brittle stars, if that's possible, as I've not seen any since I put that new LR in
I'm going to introduce Mr Crab to Mr Mantis @ J&L :twised:

I picked up a used Tunze ATO for the QT from Bblinks. The tank goes through a couple litres a day :surprise:

While I was @ Rich's, I saw an absolutely stunning frag that I just couldn't pass up
A branch broke off and it fell in a hole, never to be found again, otherwise I would have glued it

Thanks for an awesome piece Bud !!

http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/x...d/DSC01284.jpg

Too bad for the hare and its good you got the little bugger.

I'm just in the process of upgrading my 34 AIO cube to a 75g and boy does it take forever to fill this thing up with water...
Also if you can try a strawberry top hat snail for algae :)

Glad you caught the little bugger. I will give that contraption a try this weekend see if I'll get lucky and catch a crab or two myself.

Glad you like the green birdsnest, there will be more coming your way.:wink:

I have a half dozen Astrea snails. Aren't they the same ?
I also have a half dozen Turbos