Strange Things that Happen
A strange thing happened to me last night, while looking under my display tank for a dry food product I hadn’t used in a long time. I was digging through a box, when all of the sudden I felt a sharp, syringe-like prick in my forearm. The pain was sharp, I instictively shook my arm, to dislodge whatever it was and brushed away at it with my other hand. I felt nothing with my hand, saw nothing on my arm or on the floor where something ‘should’ have been brushed off, but my forearm now started to throb.
I recoiled, frustrated, my mind going a mile a minute trying to ‘place’ the sensation, when finally it hit me….bee sting….”but it’s December 7th, and 30 degrees outside” I kept thinking. Sure enough, as I walked away, my wife noticed a yellow-jacket wasp clinging to the side of my shirt (the side to which I had brushed, in a spinal reflex arc).
I’ve been stung by electricity and the nematocysts of hydrozoans on live rock–but those were somewhat expected. Now, I can add to the list, an angry wasp, apparently nesting for the winter among my fish stuff.
Ironically, the yellow-jacket’s defense behavior actually precipitated it’s own demise. He who lives by the stinger dies by the Raid can.
Do you have any strange aquarium stories? Please comment and let me know.
2 Responses to “Strange Things that Happen”
Comment from admin
Time January 17, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Melita, thanks for the post. Glad you found the information helpful. Sounds like your list of first fish is off to a great start. Be sure to add fish slowly, as it will take some time for your tank to get established.
I would like to caution you against the cleaner wrasse and the Mandarins for at least a year, as they are both prone to starvation in captivity. I’ve heard of more success with mandarins than cleaner wrasse. The key will be to get your natural copepod population up…and it will probably involve specific, targeted feeding of live foods to keep the mandarin healthy. To feed the cleaner wrasse, your fish need to have parasites…which you don’t really want…so they’re doomed to fail. See my post on 5 fish to avoid….
Regarding equipment, two must-haves. 1)quarantine tank (there’s a post for that too) and 2) protein skimmer.
If you plan on keeping coral, you’ll need to invest light.
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Comment from Melita
Time January 17, 2010 at 3:40 am
Hi I just found this site and i was happy to see so much information for beginners just what i need .
I had just made up a list of possible fish for my future tank and i am pleased to say not far of from this site suggestions a pair of clowns a few Chromis one dwarf Flame angle, Royal gramma
The cardinal i had not included but will now .
later on maybe a Cleaner warsasse and a pair of Mandarins once the tank is will established.
Any suggestions on equipment .
I want a live rock and fish thinking of a 75 gal or 100 not sure just yet .