so..within the next week i am gettin a new 29g tank that im gonna set up in my room...cant wait! ill be getting the tank and stand on this monday, and as the weeks go on and i accumilate money..ill get the stuff for it, sand, filters, powerheads...that kinda stuff...ill post pics of my progress.... :agree:

That's great! Ask lots of questions and let us know how we can help you.

what room though, if its the bedroom, although the gentle waterfall sounds & the background hum are great at first, can be enough to drive you nuts if your systems are loud enough. Sleep next to the fridge for a week..lol
Tanks work best in high populated areas, or else sometimes we neglect them.
Unless of course you have a garage like Danamckmeasandwich thats cooler than the house:o

yea it is gonna be in my bedroom...it isnt gonna bother me at all cause we already have one 39g freshwater up here and its completley silent except for that air pump which vibrates when moved the wrong way. lol. but since i wont havee an air pump, it wont make any noise... i have my one saltwater tank here as well..and it makes that waterfall noise when the water evaporates beneath the brim of the filter bottom....but it doesnt bother me...

i cant wait...im getting it on monday... =]

ok. so....after much thought and re-reconsideration...ive decided im not going to get a 29 gallon tank...instead, i am going to get a 55 pre-drilled tank w. overflow. the lfs around the corner where i get all my stuff from has it for 239. and the stand for 119...snce my b-day is coming in a week..i figured ill take the money that i was going to put towards the 29 and all my birthday money towards this one. this way, ill be able to set up a nice reef aquarium.
and im not going to rush the process this time like i did with my first tank.

Cool Deal!.

IMO, the 55-60 tanks are ideal. I had a 37g and dream of having a 180, but my current 60g is perfect. Its large enough where you can have a nice variety of live stock but small enough you can really get up close and personal look at the growth and changes in the tank.

Take your time and have fun.

Good luck!

John

good stuff dude, keep us posted:up:

yea. so, it seems as thouh the ich problem i have in my tank at the moment killed one of my regals....possibly both. =[ i found one dead in the front of my tank when i turned on the light. i havnt seen the other one all morning...im oping hees still alive, and even if hees not, maybe the eel took care of the dead body so i dont have to rip apart my tank in search of it. and also i had to flush my serpent star last night. he was like...slowly falling apart, and when i spotted him last night, i noticed that he only had one arm and no top skin piece....i could see right thru his mouth. i think this was because my nitrites have been too high from the ich cure. and also what could be stressing out my fish..keeping the ich around for so long. so right now im not worried about the ich, im more worried about not stressing my fish so much with the nitrites, and getting rid of that, and once that is lowered to a decent level. ill start back on the ich medication,

bah, its been a horrible past week with these guys.

wow...its been a whilwe since the last update.......nothing new...the only inhabitants in my tank now are the puffer, eel, and blenny....plus the misc hermits in there, the flame scallop and a red shrrrimp...the cyano is still there...i got this red slime remover stuff...it better be worth the 20$ i paid for it....anyone ever use this before?

well, IMHO, the tank that you are trying to keep all of these fish in is way to small. 2 hippo tangs, and the puffer were all going to be WAY to big for a 55. keeping them all in a smaller tank, like a 55, is a BIG no no. the tangs cover many many miles of reefs in the wild when the are searching for food. they need at least a 6' long tank, again in my opinion. the stress from the smaller tank was probably keeping the tangs and puffer stressed, and the stress weakens their immune system, leaving the vulnerable to disease.

how long has this tank been up and running and what are the water parameters ??

I have used red slime remover, it works great for red slime.

The red slime remover works but it will come back if you have not corrected the problem. It is an antibiotic so that means that kills other things that you don't want to kill. But, I did use it once when no matter what I did I couldn't get rid of the cyano.

ok..well im glad that i am hearing sucess stories about the red slime remover...it seems to be working for me too...i dont see any more red slime and i havnt seen any in the past day or 2 so im guessing it worked well...also i believe my tank had finished cycling....which could also have been a cause of my fish's deaths...cause i just checked the water params and the pH was at 8.0, no ammomia, no nitrates or nitrites. so i think its finally done cycling... also..today i am getting my first fish since the puffer...about a month ago...my lfs recieved a moorish idol in randomly and i know how they are finikey eaters....but this one actually eats the flakes they were feeding it..i watched it eat 2ce. i thought it was amazing. lol

anyway...since my water params are up to par. and my tank has been finally stabalized for the past few days..(no more ich or any other weird things going on w. it...) i am going to get the idol and house him w. the puffer until after the new year when i have my other tank up, running and fully cycled. i believe that this is a once in a lifetime opprotunity to get one of these fish that actually accept food so willingly. since i have heard that they rarely eat in captivity. so im gona get it and the same exact food that the lfs is feeding him.

how do you think i should cycle my tank? ive heard many different options...im not gonna go with the damsels again. cause the one striped damsel was starting to piss me off.....so im done w. them... should i do the raw shrimp idea or maybe even a silverside? i also have other misc frozen fish goods in my freezer..from what i feed the eel...kalamari, salmon, and scallops... and i also heard that using uncured live rock is a good way to cycle the tank...but i dont want anything in there that is going to be bad for the tank...

any ideas?

thanks =]

so. i went to go get the idol a few minutes ago. and i went to the tank that he was in when i first saw him and he wasnt in there. and i was looking around and found that they put him in a different tank off to the side..and when i saw him he was on his side and breathing extremley fast. :eek: i was really looking foreward to getting him and i am extrmely dissapointed that they moved him to another tank and stressed him out like that. i really hope he will be ok, but im sure it will probably die now. which makes me really upset. and that just pretty much ruined my whole day. cause i really did want him.

:cry:

if the Idol did that there ... imagine what it would have done going to a completely new system. he might have lasted a day. why do you keep trying to get all of these fish that are going to be to big for it ?? the moorish idol, because its a schooling fish naturally and its size ... they need at least 125 gallons. the problems that you have been having are probably directly related to the fish that you are choosing for A TANK THAT IS TO SMALL.

this is ONE of the fish, IMO, that should be left in the ocean. not to mention that they will probably eat polyps and corals.

i wasnt planning on having any corals or anything in the tank...it was just going to be the idol and live rock....but that idea went down the drain...and the lps put it from a 30 gallon to a little 2.5 gallon tank....i highly doubt they acclimated it to the tank..and its even wrong for them to put him in that smalll ass tank. im really dissapointed.

and the problem i had w. my tank were the nitrites...they were off the wall....and now theyre stable...and everything has been going alright...all of the fish that died on me was kust a leson learned...im not gonna stuff like 8 fish in this tank again...

and an 80gallon tank (65 main, 15 sump) isnt really that small...to me anyway........excuse me for not being mr. rich uncle pennybags and being able to afford a 300gallon tank and having a place to put it. im trying to make due with what i can afford. =[

I dont think he is accusing you of anything he is just looking out for the animals. People here dont want others to buy animals that wont work well in their systems. 1. people who buy animals that dont well in their tanks often get soured to the hobby and quit, we dont want that. 2. LFS dont always have the fish or owners best interests at heart and just want cash in hand. 3. We dont want animals dieing, as fish owners it is our job to only buy what we can take care of. (I learned this the expensive hard way). If you cant ethically keep a fish you shouldnt buy the fish...dont try to squeeze more or to big of fish into to small of a tank. There are plenty of pretty fish that will fit in your system. Also in figuring the size of your system to determine what type of livestock to get should only include your display tank. It has to do with quibic footage of swim area not necessarily total gallons.

thanks John, that is exactly what i was saying.

i was not trying to bash you at all !! the high nitrates were PROBABLY for having those certain fish in a smaller tank, such as yours. fish that are going to be big, usually have nasty eating habits and poop a lot. causing high nitrate issues. i would suggest sticking to smallish fish. i bet you natrates would go way down and the problems would go away. another thing would be to add the fish slowly. this will give the bacteria time to catch up tp the biological load of the tank.

yea. im sorry bout the snap bak at u..it was just cuse seeing that idol in that teeny tiny tank almost die...i felt really bad for it....i think it had to do w. the cycling also since ive only had this tank set up for about 2 moths...but since the other fish have been out of my yank and only the puffer...everything has been alright. i think im just gona gow with a second porcupine puffer in the new tank when its done.... i saw an adorable little one about 1" and it had the biggest eyes ever...it was soo cute! lol im such a dork... ::sigh::

and my porcupine i have now poofed up for the first time today , since i had him and it was adorable...he poofed up to aboit the size of a tennis ball.....i knew somthing was bothering him...he has been acting odd all day, he eas just sitting behind a rock where he usually sleeps....but after he poofed, he took a jinormous poo and now he flutters up and down the corner of my tank like usual....so hees feeling better now.. =]

Please don't take offense when we tell you that a fish is not suited to your tank. What PhotoJohn said is absolutely correct. We try hard here at TR to give you the best advice to help you succeed.

If you go to Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Moorish Idol (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=371) you will find that the minimum aquarium size is 125. This is not a made up number just because someone has a tank that size, it is because that is what size of tank you need in order to have a ghost of a chance of keeping this fish alive.

You will also see that the care level for this fish is "Expert Only". I don't know what expert means to each and every one of us here at TR but I can tell you that I don't consider myself an expert.

If you look up other fish at LiveAquaria you will find that most fish don't have this large of a minimum tank size or as high of a level of care. For instance take a look at Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=242&N=3) and you will see that it gets bigger than a Moorish Idol, has a 50 gallon minimum tank size and the care level is easy.

BTW, saying a fish needs a so many gallon tank is a little mis-leading. I have a 54 corner tank and there are many fish that can go in a rectangular 55 gallon tank that I can not keep in my tank. Most any tang that you can keep in a 55 is in this category.

well...its been a while since my last update...i got the stand for my bday, last month, and we finished the flooring...also for xmas i got some money, and i bought the water and salt....soooo..now its filled and running. =] its kinda louder than i expected.but im hoping that once i get a glass canopy over it, it will be a wee bit quieter...in my overflow kit, theres a syphon break hole on the return pipe,right at the waters surface and that is what is making all of the noise... theres water being pushed out of it....i dont even know if thats normal...does anyone know anythign about that?

anywhoo..i got some pics and ill finally post em up soon....

Hello Pvtdonut. :rotfl: Congrats on getting your new tank set up. I know you must be very excited. Being very patient and acting very slowly when starting to establish a new tank is a very hard thing to do. :agree: There's so much to think about and planning is everything. Stick to your main objective and don't get side tracked with impulsive purchases with live stock. I have a 90g myself, and believe I have done my homework, or least I hope so. I am sure there are many mistakes I will still make in the future. We all live and learn from our mistakes. :roll: I have a volitan lion fish, who when becomes an adult, will be quite large and one dwarf angel fish that is reef safe and will safely get along with my deadly friend. :agree: Do your homework as the LFS will tell you anything to make a sell and you could sadly find yourself with fish and livestock that are inappropriate for the size of your tank or other inhabitants. It'll be like throwing a cat, a dog and a bird into a crate and wondering why they aren't happy. I find it truly fascinating on how all living things have personalities, and preferences to continue their well being.

I am so happy for your new tank. Can't wait to see all your wonderful plans and would love to see some pics! I ran into all kinds of problems with my tank being set up and the wonderful folks here at TR have given me valuable ideas and information. Information that is only derived from an actual marine hobbiest.

PS- Please don't put any of the live stock out of your previous tank (the one with the ick issues) into your new set-up, until they have been quaranteened and you are 110% sure they are clean and disease/parasite free or I am afraid you will infect your new system.

The siphon break is on the return and not the overflow?

Donut, welcome back bud.

im surprised the siphon hole is directly at the waters surface, usually about an inch or so below. im assuming this is an aftermarket kit of sorts that you retro fit yourself, hang on for lack of a better word. Interesting to see how its plumbed bud, throw up a pic,......... well dont "throw up" a pic unless you swallowed it, but you get the idea..lol

actually its the kit that came w. my tank. its from marineland...and ill uploaad the pics now while i eat breakfast...lol

ok. heres the moment you all been waiting for....(im sure.....) lol. heres some pics. starting with the very first ones to most recent.....

heres the flooring. the gf is quite handy...lol

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04645.jpg

the trim of the floor.. very time consuming and tedious work. lol

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04646.jpg

the stand w/ tank and sump..gf made the sump for me... it works well. =]

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04649.jpg

heres some of the sump that u can actually see whn u open the cabinet door...its a 15g

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04665.jpg

and heres the tank as it is now.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04663.jpg

i need to get a heater pretty soon. the temp in there is 63* lol

lemme know what everyone thinks. :D

these are the lil' ones that are gonna go in there.

my snowflake,
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04636.jpg

poofski,
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04630.jpg

and koosh
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04658.jpg

this is wherre they are now....hopefully only for another couple months tho.... =]
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04659.jpg

Your GF is very handy! The floor is beautiful and the tank looks nice. I DEFINITELY recommend a heater! :lol:

Can you post a picture of the return plumbing and the siphon break?

Wow! You're burn'n and churn'n. :D Things look great. Lucky you that you have help with your project. :mrgreen: Floor looks very nice and is water spill friendly. Keep up the great work. Can't wait to see updates.

i REALLY hate to say this, but i REALLY need to ...

that tank is going to be way to small for those puffers !! they will get very big in a fairly short period of time. unless you are getting another new tank (bigger) i would suggest trading them in or giving them away (to someone with a suitable tank).

everything else looks great though.

lol, down bobby....down! :tongue2:

He might be fattening them up for an exclusive japanese dish & they wont be there long anyways!!! LOL, j/k , he did mentioned they will only be there a few months

lol v. they def still got time before they get too big for this tank. i have them in my 16g atm. and when they are sleeping at night, i have trouble finding em...they blend well w/ my rockwork...lol and as for the return like, i got the best pic that i could....

this is behind the overflow box.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04667.jpg

and obviously...in front.. lol :P

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04666.jpg

if u look close enough under where the white pvc ends, u can see the water that is being shot out of the break.

ill throw my cam in underwater case and let it go swimming...maybe i can get some better pics of it from underwater

yea...the pics of the puffers...those are in my 16 gallon...not the tank that im setting up...lol the one im setting up is a 65....i am gonna keep them in the 16 until i get the tank cycled...which is what im workin on now..lol

the 29 is what i am saying is to small for them. i am not trying to offend anyone or bash anyone for anything, just looking out for the well being of the fish. a small tank will likely cause stress to them and stress can cause all kinds of other unwanted problems with the tank. these fish can reach lengths of 10" - 11" in captivity (i have seen them) ...

The Porcupine Puffer - Diodon nicthemerus (http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=marine&uid=default&ID=0048&view_records=1)

this one is at a friends house and is over 12" long ... granted it is an old fish, but ...

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n75/lReef_lKeeper/porcupinepuffer.jpg

that is all i am going to say about this.

yea...its not a 29...if u read it....its a 65 gallon....lol

Did I miss something? The thread is about a 29 gallon...right? :D

In either case, I believe a 65 will eventually be too crowded for two puffers and an eel. It may take a little while, but it will happen. JMO though.

thats what i thought too poppin !!

OK, I can't see the siphon break but I really don't see why you would need one on the return. The water will only siphon back into the sump until it gets to the edge of the return. Just make sure your sump is able to handle the overflow and you will be fine. I have lines on my sump that show where it should be filled to both when the return is running and off.

well..with the sump, when i had my pump off....i was going to get a cap for the pvc pipe so that i could stop water from coming into the sump..and then unplug my pump, stopping the water from overflowing my tank.

and yea, the thread WAS about a 29...but a couple days later i decided to get a 65 instead...sorry about the confusion...lol ill find a way to edit the post....if i can....

Ok Carmie and pvtdonut...here is why the siphon break is on the return.

The return line is designed mostly, to be a closed pipe, that is, the water is pumped from the pump, straight to the outlet(s). The problem is that water has this nasty habit of following the path of least resistance and it likes itself, so it will follow itself down...see also, siphon. The easiest way to stop it is to interrupt the flow, either by plugging it off, or allowing it to suck in some air.

The manufacturer places a small hole in the 90 degree elbow of the return to act as a break for the siphon. They place it there because its almost the highest point in the system. Technically, the highest point is the top of the elbow, but the water would shoot up and out of the tank and you would be mad, therefore, they point it down, If they didn't do this, and you had those return hoses pointed down, the siphon continue until the water level drained down to the end of them to the point it finally sucked air. Those hoses are long and this could be MANY gallons of water. With that little hole in the elbow (above the water line) the siphon can never form... unless it gets plugged for some reason.

The cap idea is ok, until the power goes out and your not home to cover the pipe. The better thing to do is make sure your sump can handle the extra water contained in the pipes. I would find the maximum point the sump can be filled normally, yet still hold the extra, and mark it so I know the working limit.

great advice buddy !!

Thanks Bobby. I dont know squat about SPS, but I am a serious equipment/hardware geek and I try to help when and where I can.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up. Basically it is a fail safe. :)

thanks for that. =] pretty interesting.

how should i tell if my sump can hold the extra water? should iturn off my return pump and see what happens?

yes, just turn it off and let the water flow back to the sump. be ready to turn it back on if it starts to overflow.

I have 2 lines on my sump. The blue line shows the water level when the pump is off and the black, right at the water line, is when it is on.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/CarmieJo/DSC_8284.jpg

that sump still looks AWFULLY dirty, girl !! i though you said that you were going to clean it out like a month ago !!?? lol

lol. ill have to do that w, the lines. ill prob check it first thing tomorrow morning...im about to go to sleep now...its been a long day.. bah. and happy new year to everyone as well...lol

that sump still looks AWFULLY dirty, girl !! i though you said that you were going to clean it out like a month ago !!?? lol
Yeah, that is on my list along with installing powerheads in my nano. On the bright side, my DIBS snails love all the film algae in the sump. :)

volume peoples, pure volume. Turn it off & see what falls, :rotfl: thats cheating. you know what your pipework diameter is & the length, so perform your 10th grade maths.:shout: & negate the first 3 inchs from the top of your sump to know what level your aiming for.

back siphon without getting scientific & without a check system will always be the lowest entry point, however with Donuts modular tubing, i wouldn't have thought it would penetrate the water to great depth, hence a few gal absolute max.

well...yesterday was a tragic day.... my baby puffr died unexpectedly...the night before, i fed him...he accepted about 2 small pieces of chopped calamari, and then later that night he took another 2 bay scallops. he was fine, still swimming around, still begging for food, acting completley normal. then at around 5 AM, i woke up, still saw him swimming normally under the moonlight of my tank, and then when i got up at 630, i noticed him just laying on the floor, still breathing and then all of a sudden he stopped breathing. =[

latley i have been noticing my tank has been getting foggy and i could never figurre out why..... like a.t.m. its really bad, i have a 16g bowfront, and im sure u all kow that really isnt that wide of a tank....well...looking thru the frot of it, i cant even see to the back wall, i cant see the heater that is suction cupped to the back, or the filter.....the water is greeeeeeeeeen. bleh. so im guessing its contaminated..

i took the other puffer, the eel and the blenny and xfered them to my bigger tank, as much as i didnt want to, and i know you are all going to hate me for it....but i dont really have any monet to fix this tank, and i was going to take it down anyway...so i dont see the point in spending the money for nothing. the only thing i have to do is clean off the liverock (and i mean scrub the hey outta it) and the sand so i can put that in there....right now i was only able to put like 2 cups of sand in....just enough for my blenny to forage for some algae until u get my rock in there...and i have a ton and a half of faith in my guys to make it thru the cycle cause they all have survived high nitrates and high nitrites in the smaller tank...and the eel has survived everything so far with no problem....including jumping out of my acclimation bucket last night and slithering around my room. that was creepy.....lol

but anyway... yesterday was a horrible day. =\

and the puffer looks so tiny in this tank....i swear he shrunk....lol

heres a quick question for whoever can answer it.....i have my wisper filter still going in my 16g tank....if i take the little black spongey piece out of it, (for anyone who knows wisper filters, the sponge that goes infront of the filter pad....)if i take that and put t in my sump will it benefit at all? since it has that beneficial bacteria on it...or is that not a good idea since it is coming from contaminated water..... please get bak to me asap on that.

thanks =]

pvtdonut, sorry to hear about your loss.

Honestly, I think having two puffers and an eel in such a small tank was a recipe for disaster. I think what you're seeing is what happens when a tank is overstocked. The water gets all gunky and the fish get stressed out.

As far as your other fish surviving the cycle, perhaps they will. But health and wellness encompass more than whether a creature is dead or alive. You could live if I put you in a closet and shoved the minmum amount of food in daily. There is a difference between living and existence.

I notice that a lot of your concerns and decisions are based on the amount of money that you have available to spend. If money is tight for you, then you really can't afford to not do the requsite research and planning to set up a saltwater tank properly.

Part of the fun of all this is watching you plans develop slowly over time and being successful.

yea. i know. i would have had more of a chance at saving him but my job cut my hrs from like 35 down to 14..and has been doing so for the past couple of weeks....

i just got done cleaning all of the live rock and everything and put it in there...i am going to clean the sand tomorrow and put that in there...i have it sitting in the old tank in about 3in of the salrwatre....so it should be alright till then...i was more concerned about my eel today and having him a place to go in and out of...i put my rock in about 5 mins ago..and i already cant find him..lol and the puffer ate a fish no problem today when i fed him. so hes doin good in this tank....so far...and he doesnt have ich..so thts a really good thing,....when i first got him and put him in my tank he got ich within about 5 mins....and ythis time he didnt get it at all.....so thats good... =]

ill post some pics tomorro after the sand..

so today i went to my lfs and i bought somethin neat for my tank.....

a giant hermit crab...about 5" when hees stretched out...and also it has a lil anemone on his shell...which is pretty niftay. so far hees been scuttling back and forth in the rear side of the tank....and he dug a hole and is now chillin in it...and the anemone opened up a few min ago...pretty cool. =]

Hello PVT. Sorry about your puffer passing on. It is good that they will be moving into a larger tank. I just wish that the tank had already completed it's initial cycle as I'm afraid that the friends that survived are stressed and perhaps are not at their best health. The hermit crab sounds neat also. I just hope you are not adding him to this tank that is going to be cycling as he would be a "Dead Crab Walking" if you get my meaning. Invertabrates can not tolerate any toxic levels of amonia, nitrate and nitrite as those will be associated with a cycle in your tank being started. They are very sensitive to these things. Hopefully you will have a quick initial cycle and not much die off moving the live rock and sand. You will have to start over with the bateria built up in the sand tho as when it is exposed to the open air, those colonies will die. Please hold off on adding any more friends to your tank until your cycle completes as fish get stressed by newcomers until they get use to their presence. Look forward to seeing some new pics of the tank set up that you've been working on. Keep us posted. Stay out of the candy store until you get your check up at the dentist. ;)

...man i knew those sweets were a bad idea! =P

yea i know what u mean..on the live rock, i dont think i had any die-off cause i completley took evreything off of it...and the sad also...i bought one bag of live sand so far...and i got some of thaat bio-spira....which i hope is helping the least bit....im gonna get a couple more pouches of it when i have a chance....


and this hermit crab was eating a huge piece of salmon a minute ago....and i dont even see it in my tank anymore.....lol ::runs away in fear::

anyone know where i can get some big enough shells for this guy to move around from?
am i gonna have to take the conch shell off my living room table and put it in here for him? haha

PVT make sure you have your skimmer running. You will have some die off on your live rock, perhaps not much. Just make sure you don't overfeed and/or leave any uneaten food in your tank. Hmmmmmmm? Do you have a little QT set up? If you did, you could put the hermit in there until your tank did the initial cycle. The anenome hitchiker will not make it through a cycle I'm afraid. He'll need good lighting, great water quality and a happy compadre to stay with you for any period of time. I bet he's pretty cool looking and I'd hate to see you lose him. Especially since you just got him. How does the puffer and eel look this morning? Please use your test kits every day from today on, if you haven't already started doing so. This way you can see for yourself, exactly what your tank is doing and where it is at in it's cycle. It will help you determine if you need to do any emergency actions in regards to your livestock. Also, please monitor your tank temp at least 3 times a day and make sure that it is stable and not fluctuating. All of these things add up to the volume of stress in there. I really don't know much about eels, but they are pretty cool. I thought they ate invertabrates? I guess I'll have to look at some charts and check on compatability. I'm still in the learning process myself.

hehe yea.the eel does eat inverts..but i never had a problem with him eating any....he attempted to creep up to the hermit and eat him but the hermits claw alone is like 2ce the size of the eels head...lmao...so he retreated when he saw him coming out of his shell.

this morning i woke up to the puffer laying on the floor. idk if it was actually stress or not...i think it was a depression thing..kinda like seahorses..cause i had the other puffer with him. and he was happy...latley after the other puffer died, he wasnt out much, just lounged around in a rock all day...wouldnt really eat...and didnt really eat anything for the past week...since i had him in the tank and since the other fish died...i have a bottle of DT that im gonna feed the anemone today...since i dont have much free floating microalgae in my tank at the moment....and i also dont have a skimmer yet...that is going to be my next investment...as soon as i get my car insurance payed...im goin to buy one...im going to get the coralife super skimmer 65......anyone know about this one? i read reviews that people like its performance and its inexpensive.

i just got bak fro my lfs....with some of that chaeto stuff...i bought 3 nice softball sized clumps of it for 15$ total..to try and suck up some of my nitrates..at the moment i have it in my main tank only because i dont have a light in my sump... =[ but i heard this should help with some of my cycling problems. so ill check my water tomorrow and see. also it seems like these clumps have coralline growing on the strands...pretty cool. may help me grow some in my tank.. and ill post pics too here...

i also did a 5g. water change to try to get rid of some of the nitrites and nitrates..........its not much but its all i wanted to put in therre at the moment.....im still trying to get my salt right....its at like...1.028...i put some R/O-uv sterilyzed water in for the water...and if i notice my salt balancing out to where its supposed to be then ill change another 5 gallons....



heres some pics. =]

heres the hermit crab.....nxt to him, on the left is a turbo snail shell....just for comparison for you guys.....it was my last hermit crabs home...after a conch shell...that hermit is somewhere in my sump now..lol

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04682.jpg

heres the 3 clumps of chaeto..

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04687.jpg

and my tank...currently.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04685.jpg

i have to get legs for the light on the left. lol

comments are always welcome. =]

and ill also try to get a pic of the hermit crab when hees stretched out of his shell.....when hees waving to me like he was when i woke up this morning...lol hees def. a good 5-6 inches :O

PVT, Thanks for the pics. Please be very careful bringing down your salinity. Do it over a span of several days in increments. Drastic changes in salinity kills, especially for Mr Hermit. He's pretty cool looking. What exactly is the readings on your water? (Amonia, Nitrite, Nitrate) I don't know what else to tell you as I am limited in my knowledge base and experience. Perhaps others can access your tank at the present moment and give you helpful ideas on how to proceed from here.

i have been slowly bringng down the salinity....i been putting a gallon or so of R/O water in about 2ce a week only....im letting it go down somewhat naturally...

my ph is 8.4 (i had put 2 of those balance blocks in my tank...i wasnt sure if one would be good enough, so i put one in my tank and one in my sump.)
Alk - im not sure. ill test it for you after i eat dinner.
Ammonia- between 0-.25 (its not exactly off-white color, but its not that lime green color at .25.
nitrates- 160.
nitrites- 5

yea..my nitrites and nitrates are way up there...im in the middle of my cycle...but thats good....cause i know its doing its job..and should go away hopefully in the next day...im going to test my water tomorrow and ill let you know if the chaeto did its job and brought down the nitrates like it was supposed to.

so aftre adding the cheato yesterday, i have noticed a slight decrease in my nitrates.... i tested it before i put it in, and it was dark red. then i tested it last night, and it was slightly lighter. and then i tested it this morning......still red but its going to an orange now. =] its working well i suppose. =]

Hi donut,

The salinity in your tank will not naturally go down it will go up. When water evaporates the salt stays behind and raises the salinity. What you need to do is top the tank off, remove 1/2 - 3/4 gallon of saltwater and then replace it with fresh water. Do this over a series of days until you reach your target and then make sure to top off daily as you will have a lot of evaporation this time of year.

yeaa...i notice that my water has been evaporating a lot lately. since i been adding extra water, none has been salt water. for the past week or 2 i have only been adding the fresh water. i have like 3 gallons left from when i last got the water...if the salt is still up there ill do a 10 g water change..and slowly try to even it out with that...

You should only top off with fresh water not with with saltwater. Salt does not evaporate so if you top off with saltwater the salinity of your tank will get higher and higher.

for the past week or 2 i have only been adding the fresh water. i have like 3 gallons left from when i last got the water...if the salt is still up there ill do a 10 g water change..and slowly try to even it out with that...

Salt can be exported in small quantities with Protein Skimmers, salt creep, but as Carmie says will not typically fall in any noticable amount for some time. Your nitrate levels will fall over time as your biological filtration catches up, but it could take a long time depending upon your specific bio loading.

Doing a water change is always a good thing, especially after a few weeks. The key with lowering salinity is to do it slowly otherwise you risk shocking what livestock you have and risking potential fatalities of your tanks inhabitants. I accidentally raised my SG from 1025 to 1028/1029 on my tank when I did some work on it over Xmas. We introduced a larger sump and when we filled it up again (using the old water) we ran out. I had not taken into account evaporation, and that the tank was running a little low, so we topped it all off with saltwater. It has taken me 3 weeks already to get it down from 1029/1029 back to 1025/1026, almost back to where I started!

Good luck!
Warm Regards,

You should only top off with fresh water not with with saltwater. Salt does not evaporate so if you top off with saltwater the salinity of your tank will get higher and higher.

yea...i made that mistake with my old 16g...i always topped it off with salt water..which was a horrible idea..when i put the hydrometer in there it shot instanttly to the top..

on a better note, in the past 4 days, my nitrates have gone down from 160 to 20...which is great. =] that means that in about 3 more days it should be down to 0. and also, my hermit crab is doing well, he is a great excavator...lol if u look at my tank, theres little holes and burrows everywhere.... and he even buried the anemone in the sand he was digging...lol ...i wwasnt sure if the anemone would be ok when he got up to move, but that is also doing well. it was out, eeven after my lights were out.

heres a couple of questions for whoever can help........i plan to breed clownfish in this tank....if i do this, and am successful in having them lay eggs, what are the chances of my eel eating them? would it do such a thing? and same with seahorses.....i wanted to breed them in the same tank...if the clown babys hatched, would the seahorses know the diff between the live brine shrimp and the clown fry?

i know seahorses are slow eaters but i have a feeling i can have them live together w. the clowns succesfully by fatching my own brine shrimp and leaving them in my tank...cause theres no way 4 clown fish are going to eat 5 bajillion (i know its really not that many, lol.) brine shrimps before 2 seahorses get a chance to even eat 10.....and if i go about this, what should i add first? the seahorses? so that there is no territorial problems?


thanks =]

For some reason the notion of a snowflake eel together with sea horses sets off alarm bells in my head. I took a look at liveaquaria compatibility table, not necessarily gospel but a good starting place. It shows the eel as not compatible with both clownfish and seahorses! Marine Compatability Chart (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm).

The snowflake may be ok with the clownfish (not sure the fish would like it!) so long as they are large enough not to fit into his mouth and be eaten! If I was a clownfish, I doubt I would want to spawn with a slender predator lurking nearby! Sea horses usually have dedicated tanks and environments specific to their needs, e.g. tall, low flow, high nutrient, sea grasses or macro algae for them to attach to.

It seems like you have a nice tank there but perhaps want to include too many types of different things that really don't belong together. A sea horse tank, a tank for breeding clowns and/or raising the fry and a predator tank perhaps ! This hobby is a wonderful thing. We all start out with a single tank, usually small, years later, the house is overrun with our projects, tanks! The infamous words to a partner, "Honest, it's only one more tank, I won't get anymore! well, except for the sump, but that's not really a tank, the fuge, we all know we need one... perhaps a frag tank... er... why are you stalking towards me and is that a large blunt object in your hand? !!!!"

lmao. yea..i know what ur sayin....i had clownfish before w.. the eel...never bothered any of em..i keep my eel well fed w. frozen kalamari, bay scallops, salmon...all that stuff u can find at the local seafood dept...lol when i would start to see him on the move for food then i know to hurry and feed him. hes a good eel. hasnt bothered anything since i had him these past 2-3months..

and yea. the seahorse thing i can understand...i have current in there at the surface..idk how well it is down below near the sandbed...the only thing i have in there to produce the flow is the spout from my overflow and a aquaclear 20 powerhead....would that be too much? maybe if i aquascaped it so that it was ideal for both the clowns and seahorses... o_O hmmm...just an idea..


idk..i still got time before i buy anyting to put in there...

I don't think that you will be able to provide the proper conditions for both. I am not a pony keeper, they are too much work for me. But, I believe that seahorses require a cooler temperature than clowns are going to be happy at.

Hello PVT :) I just read the threads since I was last here and I feel that Dcone has given you very good advice. I whole-heartedly feel that if you would take a look at the compatibility chart, pulled up some information on seahorses and then breeding clowns, you would have a clearer understanding of what species you can put together, the tank environment that they have to have in order to live a productive, healthy, long life. I don't mean to discourage you as all those types of tank projects are exciting, but alot of hard work, educating yourself and dedication to the project. It's sort of like a couple going to the adoptive agency and requesting to adopt a newborn baby. They fill out the paperwork and it reveals that the couple does not know the first thing about infants, childcare or any of the other issues and concerns in regards to this new responsibility that they want to take on. They have a boa constrictor, an iguana, 5 cats and 3 dogs all living inside the house. Of course I am exagerating so you can draw a comical mental picture. This is not an environment that would support a newborn being raised in, especially since the caregivers have no previous experience with newborns or childrearing. With the stage set as it is, it is only a matter of time before a tradegy will happen. If they wanted to successfully have a chance of raising this baby, they could:
1- Educate themselves by reading informational books, articles, etc. to find out if they are up to meeting the needs and challenges that will come with taking on the responsibility. They may change their mind because it revealed alot of things they were not willing to do or compromise with.
2-Changing the environment. Moving the pets they have from the main dwelling area, house.
3-Creating an environment specifically for the baby, whom will be growing, changing constantly in his/her needs. A baby male is only about 21"L at birth and at adulthood can be as tall as 6`. His personality changes 100% as does his likes and dislikes. He can't sleep in a crib forever.

We have been given the priveledge to be stewards of all living things having dominion over them. We must be responsible, educating ourselves constantly as we are their protectors and their voice. They are a living thing. They hurt, feel contentment, feel pain, suffer disease and are totally powerless to help themselves. When they thrive, are content,and healthy, they bring us much joy and happiness. Such is the circle of life.

i dont think the boa would go over too well w/ the kid...lol

im thinking im just going to stick with a few clowns and nothing else... ive spent a lot of money in this hobby all ready. i dont want to go all out and have another disaster occur... =[

i dont think the boa would go over too well w/ the kid...lol

im thinking im just going to stick with a few clowns and nothing else... ive spent a lot of money in this hobby all ready. i dont want to go all out and have another disaster occur... =[
I think this would be a wise decision. The you can start planning your next tank!

Hello PVT! I'm glad you enjoyed my fable. Sometimes I like to tell parables to help people have a better understanding of what I am trying to say. I enjoy them myself, because I can listen to them and understand and see things I didn't see or understand before. I have found myself shaking my head and thinking to myself, "Good grief! Why could I not see that before!" A true friend will always tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not. And I consider you a tank buddy. :cool: And you are quite right! A boa would definately be a bad idea to have around a baby. :agree: And I can understand spending lots of money on your tank. Marine tanks are the most expensive tank a person can start and keep spending to maintain. That's why I want you to become a detective of sorts. It can be alot of fun if you want it to be. I am always surfing the web for articles and information on the plans I have set in stone for my tank. Having the money resources to properly start up a tank and maintain it the way it is suppose to be can be darn expensive. I remember you saying that your hours had been cut back temporarily and that you have other expenses. I have had alot of unexpected expenses myself, which has caused me to not be able to come up with the necessary funds to purchase the light system I want. But I must make myself just sit, wait, be patient, avoiding buying spur of the moment purchases for my tank. Those things will only side track you and complicate the math equation that you have taken alot of time and research to figure out. I do not want you to become side tracked. No candy for me or PVT! :shout: I am proud of you. You have got your new tank set up. LR, sand and water in a tank cycling. You're almost done with the initial cycle. I understand that you have a snowflake eel, a puffer and a hermit crab w/ an anenome. From what you have told me, they are making the best of it and hanging in there with you. I surely hope so, as you are their life line. You are like their father, they depend on you for every single basic need that they have, just like that baby I was telling you about. I am glad that you enjoy feeding them and watching them eat. You have stated that you would like to try something new, the clownfish. They are quite beautiful and fascinating to watch. The clowns sound like a good idea for you, but you must ------->>>>LOOK<------ at the compatibility chart and see what you can keep with them, if you are not going to keep them in a tank by themselves. ;) I am thinking that you would need to find the eel and the puffer a new home BEFORE you purchased the clowns. That is, if you were going to put them in the new tank you have just set up. If it is clown you want.... by gosh, I want you to have them!!!!!!!! But you must do your homework just like that couple getting the baby! :rotfl: If that is what you want. I can't wait for you to research and learn everything there is about clown fish. I want you so excited and you so successful at keeping clown fish that I have to say to myself "Good grief! Look at those pics PVT posted. He is doing a heck of a job! Man, if I had enough room, I'd set up another tank for clown fish too!" I encourage you to finish letting your tank do it's initial cycle and enjoy your tank buddies that you have at the moment. Use this time to decide what you would really like to have in your tank. You get an idea.... look it up... learn all you can abou it....... a mathmetician cannot figurine out a problem unless they have all the steps in the equation. And..... how about some more pics! I really have enjoyed looking at your process PVT. We all have to take a step or two back to move forward a few spaces. Such is life. ;)

thanks a bunch skurvy. =) kind words indeed.

i have researched the clowns a lot as far as compatibility between the different types, maroon, ocallaris, percula, etc..
i know they dont go with puffers too well since the puffer looks at it as food, ive had it happen before with my last clown....it was dying, and i took it out of the tank temporarily to see if i could help it any, and when i put it back in the tank with the puffer, it immediatly ate it. pretty sad experience. =(
but! i dont have the puffer anymore. it had died about a week ago. i dont know if it was depression, due to the death of his friend, or just the fact of being in a new tank. when i put him in there, all he did was sit behind the rocks all day, would nver come out. he was always out in the smaller tank. (you think he would enjoy the extra....fin room...lol.........leg room....fin room....get it? ha ha ha... ::sigh::) but yea, all i have in thrre is the eel and hermit-zilla with the anemone. which both seem to be doing well.

i know the clowns will be alright with them, unless one day the hermit crab decides to learn to swim and eats them....lol

good newws though. my eel has eaten for the first time in about a week and a half...every time i trid to feed him, he never ate it. he would just look at it, steal it from my tongs, and take it under a rock..then stick his head back out. within like 3 seconds...idk if he would later on go and eat it. or not.... bt today he took it from me and actually ate it...it took him like 20 seconds to stick his head out....i think it may have a link with the nitrates....because looking at my test resulyts of todays test, they are down to either 5 or 10..i cant tell exactly which 0ne it is...but yay. =)

anyway...thus ends my morning rant..lol im off to go watch my hermit crab forage for food.....i also got a nice pic of him stretched out when he was trying to escape...or so it looked like...lol.

ill post it

here ya go

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04694.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04693.jpg


let me remind you...this tank is about 2 and a half feet tall....look at his erm....claw span..lol
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04695.jpg

Great shots of your crab! What camera are you using? I would just let my tank mature and rest for a while until I added anything else. I am not sure that I would co with clowns with your eel. Although your it is baby now and may not bother a clown it will get big enough that many clownfish will be seen as a snack.
:eat:

haha nice smiley carmie.... my cam is a Sony Cybershot...pretty old...its a good camera tho. i also have an underwater casing for it....one of these days ill put the cam in there and get some good underwater pics of my tank for evryone...i did it with my moms pond and the pics came out amazing. =)

as for the eel. yea, hes not that old, hes still pretty small. in a thin way, not lengthwise...i just saw him swimming around the tank, and hes about a foot long maybe? =O

i also discovered coralline algae growing on a piece of liverock!!!!! IM SO HAPPY! in my 16g i NEVER had any coralline grow.. =\ only hair algae. but theres a rock on the right (looking at the pic, its the roundish one right under the purple one and right above the crabs top leg.) it has a new spot of purple growing on it!!!!! woohoo! lol


aaaaand one last thing, nitrates are finally down to nothing. (and another WOO HOO!!)

lol ok ill be quiet now.

ah so i got a couple more pics of my slightly hilarious herm-zilla for all of you...

this is what i walked into my room looking at last night, when i got home...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04696.jpg

lets zoom that in some...shall we?

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04697.jpg

and jussst a bit more...lol ... look! he has an anemo-hat =P

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04698.jpg


lmao...no i did not place him there..it was like he was waiting for me to walk through my door...lol. i kinda want to name him Pierre now, after looking at these pics...

LOL, yep, a little anemone top hat!

Better call him King Pierre seeing as he is playing king of the mountain!

so...heres a couple more pics from the eel's dinner..lol (cause i know EVERYONE loves to see pics. =P )

i was feeding them bay scallops....purchased at the local supermarket. heres "king" pierre. he stole the first scallop off the floor, no later than 4 seconds...lol

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04709.jpg

my eel got one....

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04710.jpg

heres a size comparison.... left, eel.... right, herm-zilla.... (duh, as if you couldnt tell....lol)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04708.jpg

and i just thought tis pic came out cool..

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04707.jpg

heres a couple more...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04704.jpg


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04706.jpg

lol so, as i was about to feed my eel a piece of food, i noticeed him swimmin around and he was heading towards my overflow...and he stuck his head in where the return line was...its a good thing the syphon hole is in there blowing water through...lol or i think he would have fell into my overflow....

that would have been bad...i dont even kno how i would get him ouut of there...i cat reach that far back...lol

Good morning PVT! :kewlpics: I really liked the pics. The hermit is quite beautiful and gosh look at your snowflake eel. He has beautiful color markings and patterns. I didn't realize he was as big as he was. I guess because he always stays hidden in the rocks. Are you doing your research and how is that coming along? If you need some help with informational articles I can help you and CarmieJo is a walking reference book. :love!: The reason I say this is because Mr Eel is growing every day and is very aware that Piere is there and exactly what he is, a promised future lobster dinner if you will. Your two friends are very photogenic and you took some great shots. Hows the nitrate concentrations coming along?

hello skurvey. =)

yea, ive see the el try to sneak up on the hermit before....he will never be able to get him . even at full size, he will never be able to fit him in his mouth.... i think the hermit crab has a better shot at hunting the eel before the eel gets him...lol

thanks for the pic comments... i am gonna go to the lfs tday and gettin a new critter, either a fish, starfish, or some snals and hermit crabs...im not sure yet...

as for the nitrates, they are down to 0. =]

and also yesterday during feeding, my eel actually came completley out of the rick to gey his food and was wrestling with it in mid tank...it was pretty cool to see him twistin and turnin in the middle of the tank...hes never done that before.....

and also yesterday during feeding, my eel actually came completley out of the rick to gey his food and was wrestling with it in mid tank...it was pretty cool to see him twistin and turnin in the middle of the tank...hes never done that before.....

Very cool! That does mean that you have to be even more careful about what you put with him. You don't want to give him an expensive dinner. :) Nor do you want to get a fish that will outgrow your tank in short order.

i dont really feel like dealing with the bigger species of fish in this tank...cause thatr usually means that u need to feed them larger meaty foods....which leads to a messy tank....i dont wanna deal with that again cause that is partially what crashed my last tank....my mom overfeeding everyone... =\

i bought my perculas today...i got a pair.... they have amazing color to them, very thick black bands, and a very deep orange color. look really good. =)

as far as other species i am favoring latley for this tank are as follows

red or purple firefish. (they look neat....although i am aware they are jumpers....i need to get a canopy for my tank....ill prob order one next week when i get paid.... believe me, its on my to get list...lol)

mandarin goby

watchman blenny..... since my last one died in the cycle of this tank.....i havnt been able to find another one a the fish store....

copperband butterfly (i am researching them right now, and its saying they are difficult to keep, but then other pages say that they are fairly easy to keep, so im gonna keep lookin around about em...)

Chocolate chip starfish

serpent starfish

maybe some emerald crabs once i find them again.

blood shrimp (red shrimp.....not sure on the name.... but i had one..and it became puffer food right before the transfer.... =\ )

cleaner shrimp. ( also had one, became puffer food a couple months ago.)

and last but not least , a red banded coral shrimp....they are by far the neatest looking shrimp that ive ever seen. im waiting for my lfs to get one in that actually has both of its claws...for some reason they are always missing one... =( )


but yea.....lemme know what you all think about that lineup...lol

and any suggestions on anything else that may go good in my tank... =)

hi pvt,

I know from previous posts and suggestions we suggested that the eel may not be a suitable tank mate for your clownfish. I hope they do not become an expensive eel snack! Your hermit crab looks farily large as well and, if he can get his claws on your livestock, is likely to eat them as well !

I would strongly advise against the mandarin goby, unless you have a very mature tank, with plenty of copepods for it to snack upon and/or a fuge large enough to supply a constant resupply (50-75g fuge). The mandarin also is a timid non-aggressive fish and is highly likely to end up being eaten by your eel.

Red/purple firefish, indeed, are jumpers and a canopy would be wise with them. Again, these are a very timid, easily frightened fish that does not do well with aggressive tank mates - your eel and huge hermit would be considered aggresive tankmates!

I actually do have a copper banded butterfly, however imho these can be very demanding to keep, are fragile shippers, prone to stress and disease easily. I could not recommend one of these for a beginner! Out of the 7 copper banded's I have been involved with over a year, only 1 survived - not a great success rate, 4/7 actually perished in QT at the LFS before I even got them. I would recommend ensuring your LFS keeps any CBB you desire for a few weeks first, before you even consider getting them. Make sure it is accepting food before you get it, mine eats mysis_pe with gusto!

Chocolate chip starfish could be ok.

Serpent starfish, watch out of the "infamous" olive brittle star, they grow quite large and are fond of eating slow moving fish or other tank inhabitants. I have one, nicknamed "Set", he has eaten a few fish and is now relegated to life in my fuge where he cannot cause more harm. He is great though!

Emerald crabs could fall victim to your huge hermit and become hermit food!

Blood shrimp, cleaner shrimp, may actually be ok, so long as the eel considers them cleaning aids and not bite sized eel snacks!

Banded Coral Shrimp can grow quite large and aggressive, I have heard of them doing great in tanks and also becoming claw'd monsters that snip and grab anything that passes by to eat - especially if not well fed ! .

Virtually all of your livestock list would be great, but sadly, not with your eel and your monster hermit ! Those two pretty predators are really imho not suitable for the majority of passive tank mates...You really are limiting yourself seriously on what inhabitants you can keep safely with them.

Of course, your eel may be a model citizen and not consider any of the above list as food, but, is it worth the risk?

Warm Regards,

indeed Dkone...i understand what you are saying about the eel....im hoping he is actually a model citizen of my tank....lol (i like that term) i have had the clowns in there since about 5pm....its now 11:15pm....my eel has been out and about for some time....i fed him a piece of scallop... he seems to be watching the clownfish, but isnt making a move towards them...hes seems more curious than hungry for them...he has swam out in the "open waters" through and around the clownfish, but never lunged at them directly, and he has been swimming throughout my tank for the past hour or so...which is normal behaviour for him....(omg..i spelled "behavior" the non american way....o gosh...whats that about...lol)

the clowns do seem to enjoy each others company though. they have been glued together since they been in the tank, swimming back and fourth all night....lol thats a good thing....

i have watched my hermit crab dig himself into a hole....which i am going to have to do something about that to help him out....my sand is only about 1" deep he seems like he wants to bury himself completley....it just barley comes above the black brim on the bottom of my tank in some spots.....i found a 40lb bag of aragonite sand for like 30$ at a lfs....i think i am going to get that and pour it in there so that he has more sand to play with and excavate...lol

as for the copperband..im thinking on passing on that for now..i dont feel like having any more fish that are going to pass on me within 2 weeks to a month.... not worth the money..... =\

the mandarin ill wait on.....the lfs has this "reefpod" stuff, i guess its a starter colony and you pour it into your sump or fuge...and its supposed to cultivate them...it comes in a little jar...i was thinking about getting it and pouring it into my sump....but then im not sure on how that would make it to my tank......would the colony get stuck in my filter sponge on its way up to my display? or even get chopped in the impeller of my return pump? someone wanna explain to me how that would work? or would i just pour the contents right into my display tank? plz get back to me on that one....thanks...

well..before i buy anymore livestock though....the main things on my agenda for my tank are...

a skimmer (coralife super skimmer 65) i can probably get it next week...depending on my paychecks for the next two weeks....

a canopy (for obvious suicidal fish tendencies...and to keep the salt from spewing up to my lights...... i just cleaned them off today, and the plastic cover was quite salty...and i think the salt actually sealed the sliding plastic piece shut...i need to find a way to get it opened.... =( )

and the bag of sand...

also, not as important, but still need one........a light for my sump....

they have a coralife 8" long light that i want to get for it.

but anyway...hopefully i will have this stuff soon...i need to just take care of a few bills before i can actually get majority of the stuff i need....

...damn credit cards...lol

also i want to get an urchin...but im not sure what kind i want yet...i really like the long spine ones....but theyre poisonous..and i dont want to deal with the risk of venom again (previous lionfish owner) i always have my hands in my tank....espicially since i have to feed the eel.

The pods in a bottle can be used as a starter culture or as a food source for picky eaters. If you have LR you already have some. They are really tiny, think grain of salt. When you add them to your sump/fuge with rubble rock and/or macro algae they will live and breed there. When they leave the haven of the rock or macro and enter the water column some will get sent to the DT via the return pump. I am sure that some of them get chopped up going through the pump but most of them make it fine.

If you are using them as food I would add most or all of them to the DT. Often, fish such as mandarins and blennys will not accept prepared foods and will need a constant supply of pods so they don't starve to death. Buying the ones in a bottle gets pricey which is why most people who keep these fish don't add them until their refuguim has been running for a year or so.

ah ok

well the ones that my lfs has is only a tiny bottle, and thats like 16$....i also saw a large bag online at some website that says it contains 200 pods...for 15$.....atm, i dont have anything that would eat them if wast to get that....so could i set up a little place with rubble in the corner of my display tank maybe and pour them around that area so that they can reproduce in there? or will the hermit crab go straight to there and possibly eat them? also i wanted to do the live brine shrimp for my clowns....i wanted to cultivate them in my display....and allow them to be eaten at the clowns ane everyone elses leisure.... is that a good idea? or will that lead to a horrible ammonia spike if they are not in proper conditions and they start dying off? im assuming they would eat the pods....so i would need them before i get the brine shrimp... no?

what i want to do for these clowns is to make their home as natural to a reef as possible....like...i did research a little while ago on how people want to set up a reef setting environment and try to set their live rock similar to that or a reef....but nobody ever does it properly...they way they set up their rocks is nowhere near an actual reef....so what i want to do is have the little edible species for the clownfish to be able to munch on, and the other organisms in there to make it as lifelike as possible...and as soon as i have all my sand in the tank, i will re-arrange the rock after doing research on how it actually is in a real ocean reef.

thanks for the info carmie =]

I think that if you were just dumping pods straight into a tank that they would be fish food really quickly. Adult brine shrimp have almost zero nutritional value so I would avoid feeding them. Baby brine shrimp (within 24 hours of hatching) are nutritious but are mostly hatched for feeding fry.

They have a boa constrictor, an iguana, 5 cats and 3 dogs all living inside the house.

RAAAAAHHH !!

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n75/lReef_lKeeper/18burmese.jpg

but my only kid is 14 now and the snake (18' burmese python) is gone (cancer)... :no:

That is an armful!

Good Grief Bobby... you scared the John Brown out of me! That's not a snake, it's a giant sea serpent. :shout: Whew! Now that the initial scare is over..... sorry about you losing her. I'm afraid of snakes myself, but my oldest daughter adores them. She is 10x the size I was envisioning when I told my lil story. ;) Thanks for your quick thinking!

my eel could totally take em......lmao =P

thats a shame. sorry about your loss....how old was it? 18' long, i would imagine well over 10 years?


who needs a dog when you have an 18' python guarding your house....lol

well....this sucks......i woke up this morning and im lookin around in my tank, and theres a lot of orange going on, but no white and yellow.....so i look around and look around...aaaaaaaand...my snowflake isnt in there anymore i dont think....i looked for a good 10 minutes and even put a piece of food in there.....no luck... i have a feeling he jumped out....i checked in the overflow box...not in there..and i checked in the sump....not in there either..... maaaaaaaaan...this sucks....i had him since my first setup.... =[ never had a canopy on ANY of my tanks....and now he decides to take a plunge.... i hope hees just well hidden under a rock.... =(

Check your inlet/outlet tubes (unless they are clear and you could see him in there). You may also want to check all the room where the tank is, an eel is quite mobile, even when out of water - he may have crawled who knows where in the search for more water! I hope he's hidden as well, im sorry he is missing in action!

well...if he somehow got into my overflow, the only place for him to go from there is into my sump...through the pvc piping....its a half inch pipe....he could easily slide through there if he was to go in there...but it goes straight down into my sump....no turns or anything...so he would be sittin in the first chamber in my sump if he was to do that.....which he's not.....and from in the sump, theres absolutely no way for him to get back into the tank..from the return pipe....i have a filter pad in my sump inbetween the two chambers which there is no way anything can get past it, and even if he miraculously found a way, theres a prefilter on my return pump....sooo...yea.. hes not in there... =( it really sucks that i now have to tear my room apart to find him if he really did jump out...and im not moving any rock in my tank to find him due to the fact i dont want to bother my clowns at all..


atleast now they dont have to worry about being eel food if hes not in there... lol

This is true, the clowns perhaps will no longer have to worry about becoming eel fodder. It is always possible the clowns "gank'ed" your eel - they are DAMNsel's in disguise after all and can be highly territorial. They may have hounded the eel into deciding that life in the tank was not worth the constant stress of the clowns!

The eel could still be in there, give it a few days, perhaps look for him with a flash light once the lights go off. It's only been a few hours - that long slithering predator could still be there. Of course, if you start smelling decay and stench in your fish room you are going to have to go looking for his corpse! Lets hope he's still in the tank! Keep an eye on your monster hermit as well, if the eel is still in the tank, perished, that hermit will head for the remains, if he can get to them, to consume them!

Kind Regards,

lmao the clowns chasing him out was an idea that pooed into my mind mind...them chasing him out into the tank....lol

unless hes under my 90$ piece of live rock.... thts right...i paid 90$ for one single piece of live rock...lol if hees under there..then yea that would be ok.... but other than that, normally i can see a part of his body when i look in my tank...where ever he may be......i dont see him anywhere...

::sigh::

If you see the clowns putting on their party hats, getting our some ice-cream and celebrating, it probably does not bode well for Mr. Eel !

well i walked into my room tonight and looked in my tank...i saw some , what appeared to be confetti on the tank floor....haha...

still no sign of the eel....

Did you look under all of the furniture? They can crawl a long distance out of water.

not yet....i wanted to give it a day or so before i started tearin my bedroom apart trying to look for him.......im off tomorrow so i can do it then......hopefully he will be under my desk and not like....behind my dresser...because i cant exactly move my dresser....it has my gf's 29g f/w tank on top of it....lol

Hello PVT Very disturbing to hear your eel is missing. I sure hope he is hiding out in your tank, but if not, he is in dire straits. Please get a flashlight if you have one and take just 5 more minutes, for me please, and look for him again. Please. Get on your hands and knees and look everywhere in the vacinity arount your tank. Behind/under objects. If he did get out of the tank, he probably went in search of a place to hide for protection. Just 5 minutes is all I'm asking. Thanks.

so today..i went to the lfs and added new creatures to my tank since the clowns........i got 2 turbo snails and a lettuce nudibranch. ill post a pic of the nudi when i got a chance.

=]

my eel could totally take em......lmao =P

thats a shame. sorry about your loss....how old was it? 18' long, i would imagine well over 10 years?


who needs a dog when you have an 18' python guarding your house....lol

sorry it took so long to respond ... duty calls around the house though.

i had that girl since she was 24" long !! i had her for almost 11 years, and i miss that big girl every day. when i had her put down she was 18' 3" long and weighed 135lbs. of course she was very well fed or she would not have gotten that big that fast. you can kind of see her cage in the background of the pic ... i would LITERALLY get inside the cage and lay down on the floor with her for hours (before i got into this hobby of course), and she would just ball up around me (using my body heat to keep warm) and catch some ZZZs.

you should have seen some of the looks i would get when we took her out in public !!

omg if i saw that snake in public, i would freak! did you turn her cage into a fish tank? it seems like it could be a mighty big one.... lol or is it one of those reptile tanks with the holes drilled in it for the vents?

well..my hermit crab is a monster....lol when i put the snails in, he immediatly rean over to them and attacked them...so i chsed him away with my net....and then my nudibranch was hiding in a rock and the hermin found him and attacked him...luckily i saw it in time....and i was able to scoop him yp quick enough.....it looks like he gave him a little cut though. i took him and put him on the glass where i have a veggie clip w/ seaweed on....hees been therre since.....

and whats with my turbo snails laying on their backs with their feet sticking out? lol do they know how to flip themselves back over? or are they not talented enough like their freshwater brethren? lol

Your hermit crab is what he is. If I'm not mistaken he is of the Dardanus sp. which is very aggressive, not reef safe, which lives off of tube worms, mollusks, algea, fish and any other living thing he can get his claws on that is not of an aggressive nature themselves. Introducing any non aggressive species to your tank will ultimately lead into a fatality eventually. He did well with the eel, due to the eels small size at the time because the eel was aggressive also. Clowns, snails, nudibranch are non aggressive species.

well..he hsant bothered anything else latley...i think it was that.."oh. new thing in the tank, lets find out what it is..." so he has that first instinct to jump on top of it and observe it.....he attacked the snail, but then he let it go once he realized that he wasnt food.... and he hasnt bothered it since....so..thats good....they been on the floor all day too...im hopin he learned his lesson after i chased him away....

if anythign....theres always a sump he can go in...haha like a time out sort of thing.... =P

I am glad you are keeping a close watch on him and keep him content with feeding him. I am glad you have a back up plan in place if he continues to aggressive.

yea...i knew the sump would come in handy at some point....(if it comes down to that....) the only thing that is keeping me from putting him in there is the anemone.... i dont have any form of light down there atm.. and yes...it is still alive...lol which is awsome.

I just have a curly CF bulb in a clip on aluminum fixture for my sump/fuge. Besides allowing me to grow macro it is wonderful to always have a light there when you stick your head inside the cabinet!

yea...well right now, theres very little light that shines down there, either from my tank display lights, cause the sand is not that deep and the hermit may have dug a hole...or the light is shining off of my wall and into the tank from the back. thats my only light source right now. maybe i should get one of those light, theyre not that expensie

and my hermit just made a mess with a seaweed strip... gosh....now theres seaweed floating around everywhere... :\

Hey again pvt !

As mentioned in a previous post that monster hermit of yours, is just being a hermit ! Hermit crabs are scavengers and and predators. If they can catch it, hold onto it, they will eat it from algae to snails to other crabs and fish. I fear that whilst your monster may for now have left your other crabs and snails in peace, they are destined to become Mr. Monster Hermit fodder!

I used to keep the smaller scarlet and blue legged hermits for years in my reef tank(s). However they need larger shells often and my various cleaning crew of snails inevitably became prey for them. Having gotten tired of replacing snails, due to hermit predation, I finally put my remaining little hermits in the sump. I have now noted a longer survival rate in my snail population! Also my corals are now happier without hermits crawling across them causing them to close up.

If you are going to continue to keep Mr. Monster Hermit do remember he will grow and at a future point probably want a larger shell & home to climb into. You will need to find some suitable shells that he can acquire and move into down the road. You may want to proactively put him in the sump before he eats yer more of your precious livestock and wreaks havoc on your tank and anything you put in there!

Warm Regards,

yeap. ur exactly right dkone... i had just happened to wake up this morning at around 4AM because my water lever in my sump is low...and the pump was vibrating..... and i looked in the tank, and i see strands of bubbles everywhere...im pretty sure the nudibranch was attacked,....again... i know he survived the attack though because hes now towards the top of my tank....so...i dont think he would have gotten up there if he was dead..... im glad hes not. but now i need to find a way to get rid of all t he strands of slime that are stuck to my rocks.... and also i think my clownfish was sleeping on the sand bed this morning also and i saw the hermit literally running towards him, so i hurried up and got my net and scooped him up before he got to him and put him in my sump....where his happy home will be from now on....i need a light though..or else that anemone will die.....i wish i could like..pull it off his shell and put it in my display.... =[

as for other creatures in my sump.....the ones i had in there......im sure theyre gone by now...lol i had a couple blue-leg hermits in there and a bumblebee snail that i had for like...EVER...lol i want to hurry and find him befoer he gets to him...and put him in my display....

well....i was just in my sump, lookin for the bb snail...i found him,..he was unharmed..., i was looking for a smaller hermit to put in there...maybe to get the pellets from the clown's food off the floor. didnt find one. . but, i did find something else while my hand was in there...








MY EEL!


FIJ:LDK:RGROGH"OIVJ"OEI@!!!!@!!!!!!!

he almost bit my finger off.....lol at first i picked up a random snail shell that is in there...and then after that i dropped it to the floor of the sump, and i saw something white move...and then he stuck his head out..... =D

awsome!


i fed him..he ate a small piece of scallop...idk when the last time he ate was...lol hes been missing for like 4-5 days....

i guess he must have swam over the overflow box, where the return pipe goes through into the tank....and he must have took a ride down the pvc express....lol then from there, jump over the piece of glass into the middle section w. all the live rock..and make home there...lol thats coooooooool. idk if i want to keep him down there..or put him back in top just yet.....lol.

....mainly because i dont want to have to take all the rocks out and try to scoop him up.....lol

and i dont want to risk my clowns if he decides hees hungry when he gets back up to the top.
a 30$ dinner is not my idea of a good time for the eel...lol


oh..and my turbo snails both died too.... =[ they smelled horrendous lol.

Great news that the snowflake is alive! I would strongly recommend fixing some type of lid to the top of your sump (if there is not one already) so Mr. Snowflake escape artist does not end up on the floor. If he can get out of the sump, he will, it is only a matter of time! At least Mr. Snowflake and Monster Huge Hermit are now back together!

Sorry to hear about the loss of the turbo's - those snails are pretty hardy most of the time though can and will starve to death if no food is available. Both dying at the same time is a bit suspicious though - did you say something else had died in your tank before the snails perished ? have you run an ammonia test recently ?

Warm Regards,

yea....i need to get a lid over my sump..or he will prob jump out..even though there is a good 2 inches between the water level and the tank rim... as for the snails, the hermit crab attacked them while they were snailing around on the sandbed....and he jumped on em....thats what caused their death....

i had the puffer die in there a while back....never contaminated anything tho...i did testing yesterday and everything was up to par....so nothing is wrong w. the water....

ahhhh, so it was, "DEATH" by Mr. "Monster Hermit Crab" - MHC Death Syndrome :)

I am sure that if there is anyhing in your sump now, except for the snowflake, it also will go to feed Mr. MHC !

yea...i had like 1 little hermit in there...tht was all....i took out my bumblebee snail cause i knew he was still alive and i wanted him in my display....so hopefully he can get a lil bigger than what he is now...... as for feeding mr. MHC. lol ill throw some food and him and the eel can share....lol

Good news about the eel. Do cover that sump ASAP, you don't want him to go missing again.

yea....i need to do somethin about it...idk if i should get a reg canopy cause i would have to drill it out...and i wouldnt exactly be able to fit it on very easily cause the plumbing and whatnot....but i woke up this mornin and i was watching my clowns...and all of a sudden i heard something that sounded like a rock hitting the glass....so i looked in the sump and i see my hermit sitting in the first chamber of my sump....and im like...how the eff did he get in there!? he must have found a way to climb up the silicone or something.....idk....but i had my feeding tongs and i pushed him back up the wall ito the second chamber....(main one where the eel is) and i exposed him to the air a little bit...and when i put him in the water, he started floating...and he was like trying to swim his way back down.... it was hilarious...lol

heres a couple of updated pics.

my bumblebee that i rescued from my hermit..lol

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04731.jpg

eel in his new home

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04727.jpg

and my nudibranch posing for my camera. lol

this was taken with my underwater housing on my cam

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/DSC04737.jpg

Hello PVT! I am glad you found the eel and that he is alive and well. I'm also glad that Pierre is out of your DT. You do need a cover for that sump of yours and the quickest, cheapest method that I know of to suggest to you is to get you some egg crate and cut it to fit the top of the sump. I'm sure you can think of some way to secure it on there also. Push come to shove, you could get you some of that velcro and use that to secure it. That way it's easy off, easy on. Nice pics. Glad things are starting to move in a positive direction.

i never thought of the egg crate....thats a good idea...i should go pick some up.....where would i get it from?

home depot or lowes sells it. it is called light diffuser and is for florescent lighting so it would be in that department. be sure to get the white one. the chrome or painted ones will not hold up to the saltcreep.

:up: WTG! Very easy to work with.... it's a snap.

neat. ok. ill have to go pick up a sheet of it.... i also need to get a light.....for the sump...that might help a bit too....lol

As far as lighting goes for the fuge, i wouldnt go any lower than Metal Halides... :)

Just kidding :)

I, along with many other reefers i have seen use simple shop lights. The lights that run 60w bulbs that are just the fixture and the shroud. Let me tell you, i spent virtually no money on those......well i actually stole them from my dads garage.... teehee.

But they are only about $20 and will grow any type of Macro Algae you throw in there. I have 3 diff types going myself :) Bubble caulerpa, Chaeto, and red chaeto type algae.

Definitely a better alternative to buying a whole set of pc's or flourescents for some simple algaes.

Hope this helps

By the way, page 6 of this thread is very cool, i've had exams this month so i've been catching up tonight :p Gonna go back and read the rest now.

also. my clownfish seems to like to swim vertically in the corner......she has been doin it since like..3 days ago. i font think its a swim bladder disease cause she can swim just fine, no rapid breathing, or not being able to keep balance.... she just likes to sit in the corner vertically and float there...i was reading that maybe she is hosting the corner....and thats why shes doing that...idk..its weird.... anyone ever heard of this?

Hello PVT :p I'm not familiar with clown behaviors, but know CJo is. She should be along soon and hopefully give you some insight to what you're seeing with your clown. :up:

Yep, mine do all kinds of weird things! That is why they are clowns. :) Who knows whether this is hosting behavior or not. My one clown swims up and down the corner and has never tried to host the frogspawn as is very common.

BTW, clowns do not need an anemone, they are just fine without one. Even when provided with an anemone there is no guarantee that they will host. Some dive right in and others never host.

yea..my last clowns didnt host one...i didnt have one for them to host.... they would have rarely gone into my torch coral every once in a while..but that was it....i may get an anemone for them if these guys actually do well in this tank and once i have a good copepod community started up....then maybe ill get an anemone for them...lol

also ,
i had an idea....and that was to try to introduce a hippo tang to my tank......once i am able to find a baby one. maybe about .5 to an inch in size. do you think the 65 would be suitable for a tang this size? i dont see why not....i was looking around at different sites and they all said different tank minimums...some were saying 120...all the way down to 40.... i know the 40 one is total b.s. but ill ignore that one....but i also saw one that said 70g....i think that if that is a real minimum, he would be happy in my tank for some time. ya?

i just figured id throw that one out there....lol

im sure people have kept tangs in a 65g before and had them live a nice life.

As per your clowns, i find them to be very odd. During the first three weeks of introduction, my clowns stayed at the fron pain of glass, never going into, or near the rocks. They just swam up and down.

After a period of about 6 months, they have started to host a frogspawn that has been in there for about 5 months. What does this say about clowns? They are simply unpredictable, you never know what they'll do. Thats why we love em.


IMHO, a baby tang is only a baby for a couple months. It will grow a couple inches in mere months, at which point it is not a baby, it is a fish that needs 100 gallons or more of freedom.

The most readily accepted "minimum tank size" is 75.
however, tangs are a more horizantally active fish (side to side, not really up and down). In this light, a tang will not do great in a 8 foot TALL 2 foot wide tank crammed with rock. Sure, it may be like 200 gallons, but that doesnt mean they have 200 gallons to swim in; or, they will not utilize the full 200 gallons.

So therefore, "Minimum" should not be measure in size, but length if anything. For an adult tang, they need a good 5 or 6 feet of horizontal swimming room to be happy.Im not sure the dimesions of your tank, but unless you wish to give up your tang after 2 or 3 months, i urge you not to buy this kind of fish.

So all in all, you must ask yourself, do you want the fish to survive, to just squeak by? Or do you want your fish to be healthy and happy?
If your answer is the latter, you will wait til you have a larger tank, or leave the fish to someone who does. Just my two cents on that topic.


As per your clowns, i find them to be very odd. During the first three weeks of introduction, my clowns stayed at the fron pain of glass, never going into, or near the rocks. They just swam up and down.

After a period of about 6 months, they have started to host a frogspawn that has been in there for about 5 months. What does this say about clowns? They are simply unpredictable, you never know what they'll do. Thats why we love em.

Heya Pvt !

Hope Mr. MHC and Snowflake are doing well.

re: Tangs.

I honestly would not put a tang in your tank, of any kind. Whilst the tank may be fine for a juvenille, they grow, can grow quickly and your tang would only end up becoming stressed. I have a 6ft long tank and sometimes wish I had an 8ft -- and that is only for a single yellow tang who is now about 5" long.

Warm Regards,

ok. i just wanted to hear opinions before i did anything...that stinks...i would really like to get one...but all well...ill get over it....

im just thrying to think of livestock to give my tank more life and movement....my clowns only sit in the back corner...lol so i want to get something a bit more active to go in there.... i bee doin my research on a b/w heni. they seem like a neat fish.

any other suggestions

well... today, spontaneous purchasing got the better of me.. =)

lol

i bought a hatian pink tip anemone at the pet store a lil while ago. it looks gorgeous. i couldnt pass it up.
also, i bought a green brittle star to take care of my sandbed cleaning. i am probably going to get a serpent star as well...

i saw an amazing looking red fire fish there too. it had such nice deep colors, it really caught my eye. if i had a canopy over my tank, i totally would have gotten it. =(

the only thing i dont like is where the anemone decided to plop its foot. its all the way to the right of the tank. i was hoping he would put his foot on the rock with the coralline all over it, higher up to the light and near the middle of my tank. maybe ill move him....or maybe he will walk his way over there. ill get over it. lol

ill post pics when i have a chance to.

and i just got back from another lfs and picked up a couple of more things.

i got a coral banded shrimp and 2 ....i dont remember what they were called.....but theyre the snails that burrow under the sandbed and come up when they sense the food on the ground. ummm...dang. i dont remember...lol

the anemone.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/100_2125.jpg

the shrimp

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/100_2118.jpg

and for some reason, the shrimp likes to take the starfish and hold on to him...lol it did it 2ce within the last hour...doesnt seem to be causing any harm to it..but its just weird to see. lol

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/100_2128.jpg

i think you are talking about Nassarius snails.

Heya Pvt !

You certainly do seem to like your predators, infact, you have two fine examples of them there.

The Corral Banded will, much like Mr. MHC on a smaller scale, eat anything he can get ahold of, though is less likely to devour all his tank mates but has been known to snap at fish, rip open corals for their food. You would only want to keep 1 Corral Banded in a tank at once lest it fight to death with a tank mate of the same speciest. It probably likes the "smell" of your starfish, though I am quesiton if it wants to "clean" it, perhaps wanted to grab any food particles from the starfish it could catch! They often like to live in caves, clinging upside down to the cave's ceiling - they defend their territory vigorously.

The Green Olive Serpent Star is one of my favorites, I have had them in my aquariums for almost a decade. During this time, different ones have eaten a variety of my livestock! Again, if they can catch it, they will eat it. These particular stars have a fascinating way of capturing fish, especially at night. They stand up on the end of their legs, forming a cave beneath, with "bars", their legs. Then, if a fish swims inside, they slowly lower themselves, enclosing the trap, and eating the fish if it cannot escape! My current Olive Serpent Star has been moved to the sump. He gets fed once or twice every few weeks a full piece of table shrimp - eating a piece as large as his central disk. He is called "Set", after the evil Egyptian god, who tried to slay his brother Ra, then sun god.

The anemone looks nice. He will of course wander around the tank until he finds a spot he prefers. Just because you may want him in a certain spot is no guarantee he will stay there. Do be careful that any powerhead intakes, overflows etc, are well protected/screened, lest you end up with anemone sushi!

...grats on the new livestock....

Warm Regards,

thank you for the great info dkone. really do appreciate it. =] =]

yea, with the anemone, i read that when you first introduce it to a tank, to turn off any form of intake or currents until it plants its foot. so that it doesnt get sucked up and injured...i was smart to do it this time. lol in my smaller tank, i had an anemone and it got sucked into the powerhead..it survived for about 2 days after that and then died. =(

this one is much bigger than the last one, by like 7times..lol this one planted its foot right away when i set it in there. and moved a little bit, but then later on i move dhim to where he is now..he hasnt really moved that spot since.... i have a good current flowing around him. i have the return pipe flowing from one direction and then the powerhead aimed down towards it. and its on the second highest rock in my tank, so that hes pretty well close to the light.

heres a full tank shot

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/100_2120.jpg


and one of my clown infront of it, though it was actually pretty far from it...lol i hope this brings them out of the corner...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/pvt7donut/100_2135.jpg


also, i already fed the anemone a silverside head....im guessing he ate it since its nowhere to be found...it is pretty interesting how it gobbled it up so fast lol it was already gone when it wrapped its tentacles around it...lol

pretty crazy. =)

my next project for this tank is to start building up my copepod colony. i am going to either get a bag of 200 copes or a bunch of caulerpa that has about 200 copepods colonized in it. that one is a little bit more expensive, considering it comes with the caulerpa. i am also going to finally get a light for my sump. so that i can put them in there instead of in my display tank...even though it would probably be safer to put them in my tank, since i dont have a fuge. idk. ill figure something out.....lol maybe i could even do it in my overflow box? any ideas?

Your anemone will like some flow but I wouldn't aim a powerhead right at it. Keeping him up towards the light is a good thing and anemone's do enjoy light ! Good to hear he's eating silversides. Unless you want a caulerpa display tank (see other recent threads for the end result of caulerpa take-over of your display) then I wouldn't put it in your display tank. In the sump sounds like a wise idea with a light.

Warm Regards,

yea i dont want a takeover in my tank..lol..i thought i would have one of chaeto in my display, but it ended up disinegrating ad shrinking down to about a quarter of the size that i got it... =\

as for the anemone, i have a poweread aimed down towards it, but its not strong enough to blow directly onto him....like the air bubbles start floating back up at about 4 inches above him....so i dont know think much direct flow is actually hitting him.... he seems happy, even at night...hes got his tentacles out nice and far and all...lol

and also, my green brittle hsant moved ALL night...is that ok? lol i thought they forage for food at night....

yep...it died... =(

Ouch ! I am sorry the Brittle Star died.

They can be very sensitive to acclimitisation and need to be acclimitised slowly, very slowy, when first introduced to your tank. A sudden salinity change, temperature change all can cause many stars and other inverts to perish soon after introduction. However, once acclimitised, those stars are pretty bullet proof !!! Sounds like your new mini-Monster Corral Banded could sense the death of the Brittle Star approaching and was heading in