Must be doing something right

[guitarest]

Well today the tank is crystal clean, and in about a hour or so a few of the blue crabs are going for a ride to the local bayou on Calwin (haven't seen any oil there) to be released and say a quick goodbye and good luck. When I first caught these guys they might have been no larger than 1/4 or a little larger and it was OK how much and how threating is a Blue Crab that big? He isn't and most did not survive the bull minnows of even the puffer has a taste for blues when they show a weakness. Those blues that did survive have done really well and most are at least 3.5 inches or so and they are super aggressive and are always hungry. I will be releasing around 6 blues and hope they are not too dependent on humans for food but they have been in the tank majority of their short lives.

On a super great side note I am doing something right because the big Bull Minnow and the smaller female Bull Minnow have a nest on the plant side of the tank. They have cleared a area and they both spend time there protecting that area even from the blue crabs. The male (the huge Bull) has got some of the most beautiful shiny speckles on his tail from his pelvic fin to the tail fin. Although he has speckles from the gills back it really visible on his hind quarters. He has also developed a very pretty yellow coloration on the lower jaw, throughout to his pelvic fins and he also does this cool little dance for the female. I have another male bull but he is for sure not the alpha in the bull minnow school which is 3 fish. They all hang out except in the cleared area. I took pictures but my camera just does not show the really pretty colors on this male fish. The female is rather bland in color compared to the male.

I will try to take a few pics and hopefully a movie.

Thanks again Gerwin and Robert for your help.

[Gerwin]

thats good news,
crabs are survivors I have no doubt they will be just fine released