Post
by Guest » Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:31 pm
A 10g is a fine tank, all the marine tanks I've kept have been nanos, they just need a bit more care and maintenance then a big tank.
Yup aragonite is a perfect sand to use.
Powerheads are basically internal filters without the actual filter part, their just pumps that circulate water, their are many different brands and sizes. To go with the HOB filter I would get two power heads that circulate 50g/ph each, the g/ph rating will be listed on the box, you should be able to pick them up fairly cheaply. You'll need to aim them at the liverock, or at any areas in the tank where dirt and muck collect once set up, your aiming to keep all the debris in the water so that the HOB filter picks it up.
Oh and while I'm on the topic of HOB filters what media are you using? Carbon, sponges and floss are fine, just make sure the cartridges don't have the ammonia reducing rocks in them, they do not react well with saltwater.
A lot of people don't register hermit crabs as living things and see a few deaths as nothing to worry about, hence the range of times you've found. My suggestion would be to first allow the tank to cycle. This will occur when you add the LR if its spent any amount of time out of water. Basically the ammonia will begin to rise, then slowly drop and the nitrite will rise and slowly drop, eventually leaving nitrate. This can take anywhere from a week to a month and you monitor it with a test kit. You can add living things a few days after ammonia and nitrite are both reading 0, I'd also recommend a 5g water change then as well, to bring the nitrate down. Though nitrate levels are nowhere near as toxic as ammonia or nitrite they can still be harmful and really need to be kept below 10ppm.
Also with water changes, the water must be premixed and preheated, you need an extra powerhead, size doesn't matter and a small heater, and you need to mix the saltwater at least a day before you use it, and heat it to the same temp as the water, I usually use 2.5g buckets to mix it, but you can also mix big batches and store it. The water changes themselves should equal 25% a month, so whether you do that by changing 25% once a month, or change 6% every week is up to you. Though the more water changes you do the better.
I'd say separate them when the molt, MHC's are a lot more predatory then LHC's that in tank Fuge looks good, but a bit expensive my suggestion would be to get a small container, remove the lid flip upside down puncture small holes all around it and add a weight on top, and just place over a hermit if you see them molting. Or one of those floating breeding traps for platies, guppies and mollies would do the trick as well and be much cheaper.
Oh one last thing, I didn't see a heater in that list of things you bought, if you haven't got one I'd get a 50w one just to ensure the temp stays stable.
. i'm so excited! i managed to get free shipping from also purchasing (as avalon-princess recommended) the API master test kit, two 50 W heaters, and a powerhead).