I feel like so much happened

seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
Man that was the longest break ever, or so it felt!

I've been busy with the tank(s).

Currently I have a 5g, 10g, and 29g I'm working on.
The 5g is currently housing 4 large nerite snails that I didn't want to put in the main tank for fear the hermits would kill them for their shells since they are so big. It is also housing a mean looking xanthid crab.

I've been redoing a cheap 10g that I started with that developed a leak. I took it apart and resealed it and made it rimless. It cured for about 5 days or so and is now holding water to test for leaks. So far so good.

In the 29g just before the break my Current Orbit Marine LED arrived and I'm really loving it. Everyone seems happy with it. I put some reef saver dry rock in the tank and it is now blooming pink and green!
I've now got my 2 Thin Stripe hermits and a teeny tiny blue leg that came in with my snail order. I have 3 small nerite, about a dozen zigzag periwinkle, a dozen nassarius, half dozen dwarf planaxis, and a crapload of dwarf and Florida ceriths.
I'm now seeing lots of pods on the glass, rocks, sand, etc!

And it turns out C1 is a girl as she laid eggs! But that was a week or so ago and I'm guessing they weren't fertilized, so either C2 is also a girl or it didn't happen, because I think C1 released them as I no longer see them in her shell and I saw C2 munching on something in the sand that looked like it may have been the cluster.

Still working on creating a stable tank and getting the right equipment.
I'm considering building a sump, but I just don't know. Right now there is so much crap in my main tank that I feel like I'm running out of room. But I feel like adding a sump is going to be costly even if I build it myself.

I'm probably forgetting some things. Hope everyone else had a productive break, but I missed this place.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
That's an awful lot of snails for a 29g tank... I hope you have enough algae to keep them from starving. Use your 10g as a sump, the only real cost is a return pump. use flex hose, and a PVC pipe for the return. Cheap. don't you like fish? it sounds like all you have are CUC (clean up crew) critters.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
I supplement them with algae tabs and fish flakes. I ordered from reefcleaners and they sent more than I ordered.
I've had them 17 days and not a single one has died that I have found, so I think all is well.

I still have like 2 months before I can add a fish. I'm worried some live rock I got at ***** might have carried ich. I don't know for sure but I've heard bad news about ***** purchases. I returned the rock the next day to them and ordered dry rock instead.

Dry rock has been in almost 3 weeks and turning lovely colors now.

As for the sump. I still need a skimmer as well. I actually need the 10g for growing the dry rock that is currently in the 5. It is too cramped and not growing well. I was thinking of using the 5 as the sump. Would that be too small?

Though I'm just not sure I need a sump or skimmer. Maybe I just need to do much more frequent water changes off the top.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
Yes I've got 2 more growing in the 5/10g

At the time I got 20lbs and I felt like my tank was too weak to handle all 20 at once so I split it in half and am growing it in another tank and will move it when it is cured.

I had some issues with that rock. A severe diatoms bloom I think and the rock had algae on the side facing the window that was nearly black.

Might not have been the smart move but at the time it made sense. It'll be a while before I can move that rock into the main tank as I'm dealing with the dark algae growth now.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
In the 29g I have about 23lbs of rock and 30lbs of mixed substrate. None of my substrate was live when I bought it.
 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
good the rock will provide more to looke at and your crabs will have mofe to eat and have stuff to clime on.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
They like to climb up the silicone... They are insane!

I put a mesh breeder box in the tank with some macro algae sometimes and C1 climbs all the way up the silicone and to the box and stays there for hours. She apparently likes to eat macro as well...

 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
seecrabrun said:
They like to climb up the silicone... They are insane!

I put a mesh breeder box in the tank with some macro algae sometimes and C1 climbs all the way up the silicone and to the box and stays there for hours. She apparently likes to eat macro as well...
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yep thats hermits. those hermits you got from the beach are fish eaters to so dont be saprised when one day one of your fish are missing lol.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
trigger40 said:
yep thats hermits. those hermits you got from the beach are fish eaters to so dont be saprised when one day one of your fish are missing lol.
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Yup. It's one reason I'm not in a hurry to get a fish though I figure if I keep them well fed they should be fine.

Plus I want a damsel, should be able to fend for itself right?
 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
yes a damsel would be a good choice or a dwarf lion fish would be cool or a pair of clowns. thes are all good options but damzels are the meanest.
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
I may just get 1. I've wondered if a sixline and damsel could live together, but seems like that would be a hit or miss and depend on their exact personality.
 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
yes they are
seecrabrun said:
Are they less aggressive damsels?

What about a velvet?
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yes they are less agressive and they will live with other fish unlike all other damsels. unless you have triggers, groupers, or eels any damsel besides the yellow tail will not work. so its a no on the velvet unless you just want damsels.
 
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