The highly anticipated day has dawned, marked by the introduction of new inhabitants into the aquarium. Stealing the spotlight is none other than Poseidon, a magnificent Cleaner Shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis. The mere presence of this vibrant creature has ignited a wave of enthusiasm among the students. Poseidon and turbo snails have assumed the crucial role of guardians in this underwater haven. Their primary task involves maintaining the delicate balance within the ecosystem by meticulously tending to the proliferation of algae. As natural cleaners, they play an invaluable role in preserving the pristine beauty of the aquatic environment.

Week 9

Poseidon has arrived! This is what we call our new shrimp. He is very pretty and has long whiskers. We also got two turbo snails. They will help to clean the algae. The tank looks alive now but you need to go very close to see it. On the rocks there are tiny barnacles and we spotted little white things (looking like tiny jellyfish) on the glass. Sir said that they are called Hydrozoa (he spelled it for us) and it shows that the water quality is good. We also discovered that two of the corals have survived the holiday and are still alive! From now on we need to feed the animals. We will take turns and write down in the book if we have given them food so they don’t get too much. It is also our task to top up the water in the aquarium when it evaporates. It was interesting to hear that we need to use freshwater to top it up, as the salt remains in the water (it doesn’t evaporate).