New Solana Aquariuum
- Thread starter Caige
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
roka64
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Messages
- 13,858
Good link. I find more frequent PWCs are a great "quick cure" for quite a number of ailments in SW.
I did a 20% water change (about 6-7gallons) and also sucked out most of them. This was last night. Now today some of them (but not most) are back... My testing looks good
Temp - 80
PH -8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20
KH - 161.1
I'm going to buy a "cleaning crew tomorrow" and hoping that will also help.
Temp - 80
PH -8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20
KH - 161.1
I'm going to buy a "cleaning crew tomorrow" and hoping that will also help.
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
SNAILS:
Nassarius Snails - Nassarius spp. They mostly stay in the sand, but will sometimes make short trips up the glass. They are mainly detritus eaters and do an excellent job cleaning and shifting the sand. These are also some of the most hardy snails available. They can flip themselves upright very easily. They are fun to watch as they come bursting out of the sand bed at feeding time.
Onyx Nassarius -Ilyanassa spp. (Black Mud Snail, Black Nassarius Snail ) snails are very good at keeping sand beds completely clean of algae as well as other organics. They may occasionally strip a sand bed of enough nutrients that there will be none left to support copepod or amphipod populations. If you keep dragonets (e.g. Mandarins) that rely on healthy populations of copepods and amphipods do not get these.
Cerith Snails-Cerithium spp. (Cortez) - Good algae and detritus eaters that forage rock, glass, and sand. Some can pick themselves up and some cant.
Cerith Snails (White)- Good algae and detritus eaters that seem to stay in the sand more than the cortez, but can be found on the rock and glass. Once again, some can pick themselves up and others cant. These are good sand bed snails.
Astrea Snails -Astraea tecta: Most common of all saltwater tank snails. They are excellent algae eaters and will forage all over the rock, sand, and glass. These guys fall very easily, can not right themselves, and then die.
Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus. (Stomatella Limpet Snail, Pearl Snail, Little Margarite Snail, Pearly Topped Snail ) Another snail to add to the algae eating aresnal. Will cruise around on the rock and glass.
Fighting Conchs - Strombus gibberulus. Little vacuum cleaners. One per 2 sq. ft. of sand. They'll eat diatoms and, sometimes, cyano. Get one per 2 sq. feet of tank is what was recommened to me. They tend to disappear behind the rocks for a few days then come back around to the front again.
Nerite Snails - Nerita spp. Mostly a rock and glass snail that are all about the algae. They may crawl above the water line of your tank as they often become exposed in the wild during low tide. Mine usually end up in the sump where they can get above the water line and come back down when they want to.
Turbo Snails : They are big and clumsy. They'll knock over or move anything that isn't glued/nailed down. Actually I had one knock a coral frag that was glued to a a plug right off the plug. But, they will attack hair algea. Mine are now escargot size.
Banded Trochus - Trochus spp. (Tiger Trochus Snail, Banded Trochus Snail, Black and White Snail, Spiral-Top Snail ) Algae eating machines. Ideal size, won't knock over corals/rock, and can move very fast. Will also eat hair algae.
Nassarius Snails - Nassarius spp. They mostly stay in the sand, but will sometimes make short trips up the glass. They are mainly detritus eaters and do an excellent job cleaning and shifting the sand. These are also some of the most hardy snails available. They can flip themselves upright very easily. They are fun to watch as they come bursting out of the sand bed at feeding time.
Onyx Nassarius -Ilyanassa spp. (Black Mud Snail, Black Nassarius Snail ) snails are very good at keeping sand beds completely clean of algae as well as other organics. They may occasionally strip a sand bed of enough nutrients that there will be none left to support copepod or amphipod populations. If you keep dragonets (e.g. Mandarins) that rely on healthy populations of copepods and amphipods do not get these.
Cerith Snails-Cerithium spp. (Cortez) - Good algae and detritus eaters that forage rock, glass, and sand. Some can pick themselves up and some cant.
Cerith Snails (White)- Good algae and detritus eaters that seem to stay in the sand more than the cortez, but can be found on the rock and glass. Once again, some can pick themselves up and others cant. These are good sand bed snails.
Astrea Snails -Astraea tecta: Most common of all saltwater tank snails. They are excellent algae eaters and will forage all over the rock, sand, and glass. These guys fall very easily, can not right themselves, and then die.
Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus. (Stomatella Limpet Snail, Pearl Snail, Little Margarite Snail, Pearly Topped Snail ) Another snail to add to the algae eating aresnal. Will cruise around on the rock and glass.
Fighting Conchs - Strombus gibberulus. Little vacuum cleaners. One per 2 sq. ft. of sand. They'll eat diatoms and, sometimes, cyano. Get one per 2 sq. feet of tank is what was recommened to me. They tend to disappear behind the rocks for a few days then come back around to the front again.
Nerite Snails - Nerita spp. Mostly a rock and glass snail that are all about the algae. They may crawl above the water line of your tank as they often become exposed in the wild during low tide. Mine usually end up in the sump where they can get above the water line and come back down when they want to.
Turbo Snails : They are big and clumsy. They'll knock over or move anything that isn't glued/nailed down. Actually I had one knock a coral frag that was glued to a a plug right off the plug. But, they will attack hair algea. Mine are now escargot size.
Banded Trochus - Trochus spp. (Tiger Trochus Snail, Banded Trochus Snail, Black and White Snail, Spiral-Top Snail ) Algae eating machines. Ideal size, won't knock over corals/rock, and can move very fast. Will also eat hair algae.
roka64
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Messages
- 13,858
Wow, Cmor, your list has gained a few more critters! Awesome post!
Wow that is great information. Thank you so much! I'm reading for snails you should get 1 for every gallon, is that correct?
I'm thinking (just thinking right now.. will have to sleep on it). that I will get
- 1 fighting conch
- 15 Nassarius Snails
- 10 Astrea snails
- 5 banded trochus
So when a snail die's... do I have to find it and take out of the tank or just let nature take it's course?
I'm thinking (just thinking right now.. will have to sleep on it). that I will get
- 1 fighting conch
- 15 Nassarius Snails
- 10 Astrea snails
- 5 banded trochus
So when a snail die's... do I have to find it and take out of the tank or just let nature take it's course?
usmcmarc
Aquarium Advice FINatic
From what I'm reading you have a temperature problem.... Pacificcoastimports.com has a CL-Mini Chiller that works great on your size tank (I have a 20Gal Biocube with this chiller) and it's not extremely expensive. Around $270. You might want to look into it.
i will check out that chiller but only want to spend $ on one if it's 100% necessary. I don't have my fan set up yet so i'm hoping that drops the temp 4deg. if it does I will run about 79. I should be getting the fan today... it's a set of 4 4'' fans that clip on the back.
Hmmm, maybe ebay even has a used chiller like the one you mentioned - i'm going to check that out too.
Hmmm, maybe ebay even has a used chiller like the one you mentioned - i'm going to check that out too.
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
1 snail per gallon is about right, and I like your list of snails.
Are you still having a temp problem. You need to get that under control before adding livestock. 78 -82 is tolerable but you really want to maintain temp within 2 degrees (+/- 1)
Are you still having a temp problem. You need to get that under control before adding livestock. 78 -82 is tolerable but you really want to maintain temp within 2 degrees (+/- 1)
Here is the thing. I have my HQI 150watt off and only the white Lunar lights on... like that my tank is constant 78.2-79.2. When I turn the Halide lamp on is when it ups it about 4deg.
Will a cleaning crew be okay without the halide on for 2days?
Will a cleaning crew be okay without the halide on for 2days?
roka64
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Messages
- 13,858
They will be fine. Have you tried running a fan when your MH is on. I bet you will see it become more stable.
Hey all... I acclimated
- 3 emerald crabs
- 5 mexican hermit crabs
- 8 florida turbo's (Astrea)
- 10 Nassarius
- 3 pepperment shrimp.
All seem to be doing well expect for 3 Florida turbo whom are stuck together. I know they are alive because when I touch with stick they move. However, I am nervous they will die since only one is upright... is this normal? do I just sit and wait?
- 3 emerald crabs
- 5 mexican hermit crabs
- 8 florida turbo's (Astrea)
- 10 Nassarius
- 3 pepperment shrimp.
All seem to be doing well expect for 3 Florida turbo whom are stuck together. I know they are alive because when I touch with stick they move. However, I am nervous they will die since only one is upright... is this normal? do I just sit and wait?
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Tip them back over. Upside down snails will die. (Although your crabs won't mind!)
LOL.. thanks Kurt. I understand that. What I was saying is that the Turbos are stuck together and not all of them "stuck together" are upright. All last night I was watching and no change.. .but this mornng they are all separated and looking good. I could count everything I purchased except for all the Nassarius's - which i'm sure are under the sand bed.
Looks like a success on my first acclimating
Thanks everyone for your help!
Looks like a success on my first acclimating
Thanks everyone for your help!
fijiwigi
Aquarium Advice Addict
very good thread this is AA at its best. after reading just curious about a few things. Did you buy a fan? was the temperature issue resolved before adding the inverts? And how are you doing with mixing Saltwater 24hours in advance? What are you keeping your specific gravity at when tested with the refractometer? And what plans or idea's do you have for your tank long term?
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
You should see the nassarius POP out of the sand when you feed the tank.
Yeah, i'm having a lot of fun with this. I don't have a fan yet but purchased the following on ebay and just waiting for it to arrive:
- aquatek cooling fan. AQT-F06 .. it has 6 fans together that clip to tank and is supposed to reduce temp up to 7degrees! was 49.99 + shipping
So since I don't have the fans yet I am only putting my Halide on 2hrs a day. The other 5hrs I am putting the "white lunar lights" on and then at night switching to the Blue lunar lights. When I get my fan i'm hoping to extend my Halide for a total of 7hrs a day.
I'm not mixing my water yet. I am purchasing from my local LFS at $1.49 a gallon. It is "red sea" water. I also ordered a refractometer from ebay and am waiting for that to come in. I haven't made up my mind if i'm going to make my own water yet or not -- since I only have a 34gallon tank and am doing 15% water chances (hopefully ever 2weeks when established)... it's only going to cost me like $10 each time...
Long Term and when I purchased this set up I always had plans for a bunch of corals, anemone's and just a few fish. Haven't settled on any specifics of each yet. I'm still about 2-3weeks away from purchasing so I need to start my research!
- aquatek cooling fan. AQT-F06 .. it has 6 fans together that clip to tank and is supposed to reduce temp up to 7degrees! was 49.99 + shipping
So since I don't have the fans yet I am only putting my Halide on 2hrs a day. The other 5hrs I am putting the "white lunar lights" on and then at night switching to the Blue lunar lights. When I get my fan i'm hoping to extend my Halide for a total of 7hrs a day.
I'm not mixing my water yet. I am purchasing from my local LFS at $1.49 a gallon. It is "red sea" water. I also ordered a refractometer from ebay and am waiting for that to come in. I haven't made up my mind if i'm going to make my own water yet or not -- since I only have a 34gallon tank and am doing 15% water chances (hopefully ever 2weeks when established)... it's only going to cost me like $10 each time...
Long Term and when I purchased this set up I always had plans for a bunch of corals, anemone's and just a few fish. Haven't settled on any specifics of each yet. I'm still about 2-3weeks away from purchasing so I need to start my research!
Oh, so my temp is steady each day from 79.0 to 80.0
The food my LFS recommended was "tetra microcrabs - cyclop-eeze ganule's and said to give a "pinch" each day. Do you all agree that this food is appropriate for my cleaning crew and necessary each day?
When I feed them do I just drop it from the top of the tank and not worry about where it lands?
I was thinking about having feeding time at about 6pm each day - does that seem alright?
The food my LFS recommended was "tetra microcrabs - cyclop-eeze ganule's and said to give a "pinch" each day. Do you all agree that this food is appropriate for my cleaning crew and necessary each day?
When I feed them do I just drop it from the top of the tank and not worry about where it lands?
I was thinking about having feeding time at about 6pm each day - does that seem alright?
One more thing I am realizing.... I purchased from a local LFS and not from craigslist, ebay etc... because I didn't feel comfortable "piecing" things together and not have documentation for my "first time". However now that I have a simple idea of what i'm doing - I can say that I overpaid on everything (including cleaning crew) by anywhere of 10%-50%.
I'm thinking im really going to enjoy this hobby and in about 8mths I will want to expand and i'm looking forward to taking advantage of craigslist and ebay!
I'm thinking im really going to enjoy this hobby and in about 8mths I will want to expand and i'm looking forward to taking advantage of craigslist and ebay!
