Quick Start

[MommaFishels]

Yes, that is what I was referring to. pph_2ppr can go to drsfostersmith.com and it will link/redirect him to both of those sites.

OH YES, they have alot of good selection (typically more than the LFS) and the same price after all is said and done. I like the fact that they have a 14 day guarantee AND they have 24/7 customer service that will help on questions/problems with your fish. The staff from what I have found seems to be pretty knowledgeable.

 

[pph_2ppr]

Is three small hermits and say five snails too much for a 10 gallon?(how do i almost kill the risk of the hermits killing the snails) I would like a couple serphant(or brittle) stars , how do they fair with a small tank and multiple numbers of the same species? If i don't go reef how would an urchin fit in?

 

[pph_2ppr]

If you had a choice would you go with a yellow watchman goby or a court jester goby?

 

[fijiwigi]

I think the yellow watchman goby is more popular. And usually things that are more popular are more popular for a reason. However this is not always the case.

 

[pph_2ppr]

What is the most common hermit crab(also most peaceful)?

 

[cmor1701d]

I have not found any hermits to be peacefull. Regradless of how many shells were in the tank the blues leg and red leg fought with each other and picke snails out of their shells. I finally relegated the remaining hermits to the sump where they remained until they died out (1 year or so life expectancy).

 

[pph_2ppr]

i figured if i had a 4 or 5 gallon refuge i could keep a few hermits in there, that should satisfy my itch, then i could have a small hermit or 2 in my main tank along with larger snails, if there is a size difference like this will they get along? am i crazy?

Would an odyssea protein skimmer be a wise choice, are they a reliable brand?

 

[MommaFishels]

Hermits and Snails

I have a 75 gallon aquarium. I have 6 Mexican red legged hermits and 6 blue legged hermits. I have 1 Mexican Turbo snail (large) and 6 Astrea snails. They have been in there for roughly 1.5 months and have not touched each other in a bad way. I put about 6 medium sized shells and they have actually changed homes several times. I don't know if this is rare but they are all getting along great.

The only problem with an urchin (from what I've heard) is they eat Coralline Algae so that means the good stuff on your rock. Maybe someone can confirm that?

I think you should get 2 tiny hermits and maybe 2 or 3 snails (small) for your 10 gallon. You can add more if you find that they cannot keep the algae down.

I like the Yellow Watchman Goby's. I have an Orange spotted watchman goby and he is absolutely halarius to watch.

Oh. also. When you are ordering, you may want to order a bottle of Garlic Extreme (This can be added every time you feed. It promotes hunger and builds their immunity.) My goby would not eat until I added this in. You only use like 1 drop of it.

 

[MommaFishels]

OH another thing too. Apparently they say Goby's have a high death rate (typically of starving) so we do feed him mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and regular shrimp (cut into tiny pieces). That lil dude eats like a mad man.

 

[pph_2ppr]

that feeding tip is a good, if i didnt know that i probably would have killed the sucker, thanks!

if i end up with an invert tank i think i will get an urchin just because they look pretty sweet

How would a starfish fair in a 10 gallon tank, which type would be the best?
thanks for the advice!

 

[fijiwigi]

I would wait on the starfish until your tank is totally stable and you are used to controlling SG they are sensative to SG and your tank goes threw so many changes in the first 6months. I keep having to control myself at the petstore I really want a starfish but I know I am not ready yet.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

While I'm not up on starfish, I'm pretty sure one in a 10g isn't going to do well. They need a fairly good sized tank to keep them fed. My LFS has mentioned they wouldn't recommend any starfish in a tank less than 75g.

 

[pph_2ppr]

what about switching off to one of the smaller clownfish instead of a goby?

 

[MommaFishels]

Clownfish are hardy and very entertaining. I have a small mated pair and absolutely love to watch them. I have seen several small aquariums (nano's) that house clowns.

 

[pph_2ppr]

will a cleaner shrimp be too large for my tank?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Nope. Shrimp don't add to the bioload of a tank, and will do a good job of eating leftovers. For what it's worth, I've never fed my crabs anything. They do just fine on their own.

 

[pph_2ppr]

this is a wierd question, but my hermit crabs appear to be pooping alot, the bottom is littered with there.....Will this have to be siphoned out, i dont have a siphon right not, but i have a hose so i can quick make one until i get to the store.

on the odd side my ammonia has shot up to 1ppm since i added the new rock and crabs, would this be caused by the small square of dried seaweed i added?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

If you added rock that wasn't cured, and it was out of the water for any length of time, you could see a mini cycle from the die off of things on the rock. Crabs don't add to your bioload, so it's not from them.

I've honestly never noticed crab poop in my tank, so I'm not sure what to tell you there. Either way, no need to siphon it out.

 

[pph_2ppr]

o..idk what it is for sure thats what i assumed it was...it looks like a little segment of their legs, but that can't because theres soo many of them, and are greenish clear instead of redish...i dont know what to say

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

They could just be the molts from your crabs. When mine molts, I see a little pile of "legs" in a corner somewhere. Everytime, I think "Oh... looks like he bit the dust." And everytime, I find him somewhere.