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Unread 09/20/2008, 10:43 AM   #1
chrisgil10
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: fl
Posts: 18
question or 2

so my tank is doing fine as far as I can tell
I have
3 diff sponges all looking good
1 flower anenome
1 condy anenome
a large feather duster
1 mound coral
a couple cup corals
another unidetified coral
lots of tiny brittle stars
1 big serpent star
a domino damsel
a blue damsel
a small clown
some sea squirts
lots of hermit crabs
a few porcelean crabs(sp?)
1 flame scallop


I had a huge gorilla crab but I have not seen him in a week and i am wondering where he my be??? all my barnacles are not looking alive and all my snails are gone I have no idea where they went either.

also I dont seem to be growing any of that colorful algea I here everyone talking about
I got the 2nd part of the rock in late july. am I doing someting wrong
amonia 0
ph 8.0
nitrites 0
nitrates 0

I have a 10 gallon package that I decided to put in a 55 gallon tank with a protein skimmer 2 heaters and a penguin bio wheel fitler

it all seemed 2 much for a small 10 gallon tank

i have 2 Aqua Rays Fresh/Saltwater and 1 Aqua Rays Saltwater Blue lights on from about 8 am to about 9 pm every day

we feed kents micro vert 2 to 3 x's weekly mysis shrimp daily
and fresh food for the anenomes 1 sometimes 2 times a week


so what so you think should i change any thing ?


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Unread 09/20/2008, 01:15 PM   #2
HowardW
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Aurora, IL
Posts: 1,763
a) Get that gorilla crab outa there, use about a 4-5" tall glass tilited up against the rock he's near and place a piece of fresh shrimp in, do this about 1/2 hr. after lights out, the crab will go into the glass and not be able to get out.

b) What brand and size skimmer? I would ditch the bio-wheel part of your filter and just run a top quality carbon like Seachem or Rox 0.8 along with mechanical filtration to catch detritus and change it at least weekly.

c) pH is a bit low (shoot for 8.2 - 8.3) and what is your alkalinity, Ca, Mg, etc?

d) 13 hrs. a day of light is not really necessary, try 8-10 hrs. a day. What type of lighting is that.....standard flourescent, HO, VHO, T5's, if those are just standard low watt flourescents they will not be enough for anemones or anything photosynthetic that requires good PAR.

e) IMO the Kent Micro-vert stuff does not much more then pollute your tank as will most of these bottled invert type foods. You could try using live phytoplankton 1-2 times a week or a fresh frozen type food blended up really good like Rod's Food or make your own.

f) What kind of flow do you have, the TBS rock likes good flow.


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Unread 09/20/2008, 03:00 PM   #3
chrisgil10
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: fl
Posts: 18
hmmm

the lights are the compact flourescent made for saltwater tanks,
two are the reg which state "Supports the growth of freshwater plants needing high light levels and sustains coral and other marine invertebrate growth in saltwater aquariums"

the other is a blue spectrum wich states"Strong emphasis on the blue area of the light spectrum helps bring alive the colors of marine fish, corals, and decorations. Pair with GE Aqua Rays Fresh/Saltwater Fluorescents for optimal lighting conditions for your saltwater aquariums"

that is why I chose them. I do intend on getting a more advaced light system in the futur but ... one step at a time.

the Visi-Jet Protein Skimmer is what i am using it got great reviews on the site I purchased it from and it says for up to 70 gal.


I do not test more than amonia,ph, nitrates and nitrites right now and i guess those kits will have to be my new additions.

while I agree getting the crabs out I must say it is way harder thank you discribed. we have tried all the ideas we read online except to actually purchase a trap specifically sold for the capture of these pain in the bleeeeep!... lol none have worked it is like they know the drill you know...lol. any way the big sucker is gone cant find it. when i fed the tank last (expecting him to come out and steal the food from my serpent star0 was absent. there are some little ones but we catch them when they go to my trick rock.
I have one rock not touching any other rock if they go under it I just have my dear hubby pick it staight up (not out of water) and i put the net right under it. as it looks for a hide out i knock it into the net wiht a wooden skewer and walla a new addition to my 10 gallon qt tank.

I use the micro vert cause I am so scared my fire scallop my starve and I could not bear that kind of murder.
and my water flow well every thing sways in it on the side of the tank my rock is on straight down to the substrate. the other side is has less movement but some.


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Unread 09/20/2008, 03:22 PM   #4
HowardW
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Aurora, IL
Posts: 1,763
Once your tank cycles there is no real need to test for ammonia or nitrites and longer and you now want to test for salinity, pH, alk, Ca, and maybe Mg depending on which salt you use. If you run those PC bulbs you should have at least 3 watts per gal. and maybe closer to 5-6 WPG for some stuff.

No offense but that Visi-Jet skimmer is like bottom of the line and will not support a 55g tank no matter what reviews or others say, especially a tank with fish. I would definately upgrade your skimmer to something much better quality and performance, either a good hang on back or in sump model.

I doubt your scallop is getting much if any useful nutrition from your Microvert as they are primarily live phyto feeders and need to be spot fed nearly daily and even then they are hard to keep long term. Try a product like DT's live phyto or similar.


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