brand new 20g setup

rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
I am glad I could be of help. :) just a few tips. Please please make sure you have enough pods everywhere. and when you think you have enough, get more. I have what are called tiger pods. He really likes them. Also, provide a bit more rock. Firstly so the pods have some very narrow places to reside, but also for places for your mandarin to hide. He will be out and about when hunting. But he does like to hide a bit. :) let us know how he goes!!!
 
aquaguy24

aquaguy24

Active Member
The reasn a mandarn is not recommended for a 20g is not the size of the fish its cuz a 20g cannot hold enough live rock to support the amount of pods needed to keep a mandarin fish happy. Unless u plan on a fuge I would not get a mandarin. Keepin a mandarin alive in a small tank for a year is not called success. But it's ur tank so it's ur choice if u want to try it.
 
jon_fiasco

jon_fiasco

Member
i am thinking of getting a lil bit more rocks just to fill in the hole in the middle so that i could have two small path ways instead of just one big one...
if all goes as planned i will be getting my cuc and first fish this weekend... ill keep you guys posted..
 
jon_fiasco

jon_fiasco

Member
ok so i just tested my water, and everything came out perfect, my ph is a lil low 8.0 should i leave it like this or should i add marine buffer to balance out the ph.....
nitrite=0
nitrate=0
ammonia=0
ive heard that fish waste on its own will bring up the ph level, reason im asking is because i do plan on going tomorrow and picking up my cuc and first fish...
ne advice would be great, thanks in advance...
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
I don't know about leaving it and putting fish in it. but I do know that PH buffer don't fix the problem, only masks it. After my cycle finished, mine were a bit low too and I progressed. Now they are up to par and I was told to never use a PH buffer.... What fish and CUC members are you picking up tomorrow?
 
jon_fiasco

jon_fiasco

Member
well i no its pretty damn late but heres a quick update.... i wasnt able o pick up ne fish to day at my lfs but did hop on a cuc...
5 turbo sails
5 blue leg hermit crabs
2 emerald crabs
im panning on getting two nemos this weekend, aslong as my water doesnt go crazy on me, my lfs told me that ph buffer is a great lil tool if the ph in my tank is lil low, ive only used it once so far but after about a week of using it i noticed that my ph level did decrease as mentioned before, would should i do to fix this problem...?
also, i got home tonight and noticed that one of my emerald crabs was eating so type of white fleshy meat, he also happened to be posted up right behinde one of my snails..... does that mean that i now have four instead of five???
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
LOL...well tomorrow if only 4 shells move ...then yes....Do you have anything for all those turbos to eat? In a new 20G? Plus 2 emeralds? Watch them and see...
 
jon_fiasco

jon_fiasco

Member
ill try to post up some pics tomorrow afternoon of my new homies....

after 4 weeks it gets boring of stairing at rocks...!!!!!
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
The emeralds will eat the hermits. I have seen this with my own. The emeralds do like sea weed. You can get it cheap and offer them chunks a little bigger than a nickel. They will gobble it up. Mine have never eaten snails though. But I have snails that mostly have a trap door or something else for protection.
 
nissan577

nissan577

Active Member
true. astrea snails have a hard bottom. well to me its hard. and as for emeralds i really dont know. hopefully they dont.
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
Did you get s'more LR? I would put that next on the list. If you want that mandarin, you'll need to get that rock and more pods ASAP so he can have something to eat.
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
IMHO, I don't believe the HOB refug is necessary. I have my mandarin in my 45 and I have about 30 or lbs of LR with lots of crevasses and holes. He has been fat and happy for a while. I don't have a sump, or a refug. If there is enough rock, those pods reproduce like mad!
 
nissan577

nissan577

Active Member
true but remember the scooters and or mandarin keep eating the whole time. they never stop. so IMO i think the pods will soon have to bought so they can produce again.
 
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