New Sightings

While feeding the tank a mysis cube today, I noticed what looked like a piece of detritus on a small rock up close to the tank.  It was moving a little, but in slow, stop-start movements.  The power filter was off due to feeding, so I figured the weak movement was due to the power head flow from the opposite end of the tank.

I looked around the side of the tank to maybe get a better perspective, but I lost it.  I think the chaeto ball was blocking it.  So I kept an eye out...just in case.

A short while later I noticed two small elongated "pieces of detritus" on the rock.  So I watched.  They approached each other and did a full circle on the rock as if they were dancing.  Whoah.  That's not poop.

I then saw another one of these things "cliff dive" off the same rock, only to disappear over the lip of the ledge it ran at.

Then I notice something lime green twirling around in the chaeto.  I then see even more of these small creamy critters moving about at the perimeter of the chaeto.  I've never seen a copepod in person, but I'm wondering if that's what those are.  I don't have a clue as to what that lime green thing could be, though.  All these critters are pin head or two pin heads in size.

I also noticed the starfish caught some of the krill today.  He switched corners for the day and ended up near the dead spot in the tank.  I noticed him working the krill up his leg toward his body.  Eat well, my friend.

Still planning on vacuuming the tank today as soon as I get an hour free.  I'm also still planning to do something with the chaeto to reform it.  Since there are critters in it, I'm wondering if I should just flatten it out instead of breaking it up into smaller balls.

I was thinking last night what my next milestone will be.  It has to be a "free" milestone, so getting a live sump hooked up isn't on the list.  I think perhaps "zero nitrates/phosphates" followed by "coraline growth" will be considered my next milestones, unless my newness to the hobby is clouding what is actually yet to be.

I'll get some pics up later after the water change.