Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
I have a little digging problem that is going to be a pain to fix. I have two pistol shrimp (that was a problem already) they are digging machines and as they get older, they seem to think they are building the New York City water tunnels. They make hills about 8" high, then after a week or so, get bored and build another one someplace else. The gobies in the tank take turns living with the shrimp, it is all to modern for me.
A few months ago I removed a good quantity of rock, pushed down their mountains and moved all the rockwork to the back. They kept digging until the rocks were once again hitting the front glass.
And I don't have any small rocks, I either collected all my rock or built it.
Some of them weigh about ten lbs. Then a couple of weeks ago, I did it again so I could clean the glass and I removed a lot of rock.
This morning I see that a large rock is laying up against the front glass and the montipora coral on it broke off.
I tried harsh language on these shrimp, but that didn't seem to work. Maybe I don't speak "shrimp".
I figured out how to fix the problem but it requires a lot of re doing of the tank, not something I want to do right now as I am to busy getting ready for winter. The boat needs to be winterized, tomato plants need to be pulled out, winter cleaning and everything that everyone on here has to do.
But what I need to do is remove the rock and corals on one side of the 6' tank, remove that gravel and put the bases of the rocks down right up to the UG filter. All of my rock is on homemade "rock" platforms that have flat acrylic bases on them. By putting them under the gravel, the shrimp will not be able to get under them to topple anything. Then when that side is done, I will do the other side.
Before I do this I need to decide if I am going to make more base column's to raise the rockwork on or do what I have been wanting to do for years, and that is to build a platform that will look like very thin Tonga rock and build the rocks on top of that. That platform will be suspended off the gravel by stainless steel cables about an inch and not be seen from the front of the tank. The entire reef would be able to be lifted up about 5" off the gravel by the pulleys on the cables. This odd configuration will give me the ability to raise the rocks to either clean or look for an animal that I can't find. I should also be able to spot eggs that I find it hard to see.
Of course this is not something that is needed, just a cool idea that is rather a pain to implement. If I do this, I would not need to remove the gravel to plant the rocks below it. So I am in a quandary. :wave:
Here is a video of the shrimps tunneling their way into the hearts of millions.
A few months ago I removed a good quantity of rock, pushed down their mountains and moved all the rockwork to the back. They kept digging until the rocks were once again hitting the front glass.
And I don't have any small rocks, I either collected all my rock or built it.
Some of them weigh about ten lbs. Then a couple of weeks ago, I did it again so I could clean the glass and I removed a lot of rock.
This morning I see that a large rock is laying up against the front glass and the montipora coral on it broke off.
I tried harsh language on these shrimp, but that didn't seem to work. Maybe I don't speak "shrimp".
I figured out how to fix the problem but it requires a lot of re doing of the tank, not something I want to do right now as I am to busy getting ready for winter. The boat needs to be winterized, tomato plants need to be pulled out, winter cleaning and everything that everyone on here has to do.
But what I need to do is remove the rock and corals on one side of the 6' tank, remove that gravel and put the bases of the rocks down right up to the UG filter. All of my rock is on homemade "rock" platforms that have flat acrylic bases on them. By putting them under the gravel, the shrimp will not be able to get under them to topple anything. Then when that side is done, I will do the other side.
Before I do this I need to decide if I am going to make more base column's to raise the rockwork on or do what I have been wanting to do for years, and that is to build a platform that will look like very thin Tonga rock and build the rocks on top of that. That platform will be suspended off the gravel by stainless steel cables about an inch and not be seen from the front of the tank. The entire reef would be able to be lifted up about 5" off the gravel by the pulleys on the cables. This odd configuration will give me the ability to raise the rocks to either clean or look for an animal that I can't find. I should also be able to spot eggs that I find it hard to see.
Of course this is not something that is needed, just a cool idea that is rather a pain to implement. If I do this, I would not need to remove the gravel to plant the rocks below it. So I am in a quandary. :wave:
Here is a video of the shrimps tunneling their way into the hearts of millions.
