A WHOLE OTHER WORLD

In the early part of June, my cousin started converting my first small aquarium to a saltwater aquarium. About 20 gallons in size, it initially housed freshwater fish; namely African Cichlids. For most of my adult life I was fascinated with aquariums but never ventured into the hobby but refrained because of ..... intimidation. I'd always figured they were lots of work.

Long story shortened, I eventually replaced the small tank with a much larger tank which now showcases nothing but cichlids... some of my original fish are residing there to this day. That caused the small 20 gallon tank to remain empty and beckoning for another underwater landscape. Thus it became the saltwater tank which is currently being populated and "broken in". I think the correct term is cured, but I'm such a newbie at this I'm not sure.

Mike started by adding saltwater and an old filter that used to be part of the bigger tank. A live rock was added to begin the process of building the biologics necessary to maintain a living environment for whatever critters were to be added later. The intent is to keep some soft corals and maybe one fish. the tank is too small for much else, but at least it had been started.

After a couple weeks.... and a sewing project of making filter bags for filtering materials (charcoal).... a few more live rocks were added. One rock already had two growths of xenia on them; a purple feather-like creature with "fingers" that wave in the current. I stared at those daily before and after work. I thought they were beautiful.

Wonders of wonders!!! Life started emerging from the rocks. It seems every day I find something new emerging from the rocks. Bristle worms, feather duster worms, small anemones, snails, amphipods, even a brittle star!

 Glass Anemone? (Aiptasia)

Xenia (Waving Hand Coral) 

 Brittle Star (growing 3 new legs)

I've no clue what this is... 

This is a mushroom with its mouth protruding after a spine of the pencil urchin crossed over the top of its surface. 

The orange dot is actually the head of a tube worm protruding from its hiding place 

Looking closely you can see a fern-like frond of some sort. Again, no clue as to what it is. 

Some kind of sponge? I hope so! 

Bristle Worm 

This critter is practically clear. Looks like a delicate, glass flower. 

Some sort of blue sponge???  

A snail! A huge surprise.  

Again, the orange speck is the mouth of a worm. 

This was the first thing I found growing in the tank several weeks ago. Could be the head of a worm, although it never retracts into its hole. Perhaps something else.  

At the very tip of the rock (very center) there is a tiny snail of a different variety. 

Some kind of mushrooms growing on a rock.  

Close up of mushroom. They open and close at will it seems. Shining direct light on the edges reveals green... almost like chlorophyll inside the tissue.

 

Pencil Urchin. Fascinating creature. Mouth is on the bottom and he "poops" out the top of his head!! (Sorry, but that intrigues me greatly since he does it so often. It's as though he is spitting out fragments of rock).





Added more live rock today. It will be a few days to a week before I see newly emerging critters. Can't wait!!

 

Until further developments......