JLake Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Yeah i just read the first page, hahah didnt realize there was more. Looking forward to your finished tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cale262 Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 The crab looks like a little emerald crab...I'd leave him in there, they're great CU crew guys IMO. The worms are bristle worms, harmless and will clean up any left over food...just don't grab one with your hands, those bristles sting pretty damn good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 hmm.. the color of the crab isnt green like any emerald crabs I have googled... more a dark brown to red depending on the light. The pics I posted are through a dark brown yeast jar so the colors are probably off. The big puffy chest is pretty neat looking too. Here he is doing some fancy footwork on the floor of my sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 ok, i think we need to officially name your crab Fred, lol, since he's got the twinkle toes....... :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cale262 Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Either way I think he'll be happy in there and eat any food that finds it's way down there,...just give the little fella a little rock to hang out with :thumbs: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Fred it is I am planning on getting some smaller chunks of live rock in there to assist in filtration. If I do that do I need to light the sump up too? I did install an LED strip as in cabinet lighting but at the height its at I am not too sure if its bright enough to support critters on the rock at the bottom of the sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cale262 Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 I don't think you'll need any real light for your sump, unless you are planning on growing some macro algae in there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingin' It Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 Xenia, for many people, becomes like a weed...spreads like wildfire...so i'm told, however IME it just stayed in one spot and was nice. Mine even pulsed and was very cool. You won't need too much to make 'em happy. Also, IME, lime juice did not work for the Aptasia...but Joe's Juice did. I tried some other kind from Tailored Aquatics, but it did not work at all. Diatoms...ya, they're probably from the New tank set up...just bear with it for a bit and they'll go away eventually. I found the best price for CUC was at Gold's...only problem is they get sold out of everything really fast! Since your tank is so small, you could go to the water store and buy a big bottle of RO/DI water for like $6...which might make it very worth it for you in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 2, 2011 Report Share Posted January 2, 2011 If you're looking for Clean Up Crew, keep an eye on CanReef. When people shut down, they often sell CUC for cheap or less! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Thanks everyone for the info... very helpful as always. @Wingin-It - Yeah I will consider the big bottles of water sometime soon I am sure. Figure I would give tap water a shot to see just how much of a pain it is before going with RODI @jvision - I am on Canreef almost daily now but not sure I will have the patience to wait for someone to post a CUC ad... I also need to start visiting the SW stores in Calgary that I havent been to. Part of the fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Time for a couple more pics... 20110106 - added some critters Spiny Astrea snail Blue legged hermit crab - about .5 cm long and bit out of focus due to shooting at an angle through the glass Trochus Snails Nassarius Snails - Periscope up! - what I usually see of them rare view of one of them zooming to a new location Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) 20110113 - a better view of the chiton Also added another 7 lbs of live rock to the sump so I am up to about 15 lbs of LR in water volume of about 9G. Dont know why I bought so much as its totally filled now and there is really no room in my sump for anything else now. Is there such a thing as too much? I did find a couple more crabs on the sump rock which is pretty neat so Fred now has some company. Edited January 28, 2011 by Cgy_Betta_Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) a pic of the sump with the extra 7 lbs of live rock. not sure why I bought so much. I ended up breaking up the one big hunk I bought into about 4 smaller chunks so it would fit in the different compartments. This pic also shows the installation of the skimmer cup through the acrylic lid. 20110118 - added a peppermint shrimp to start work on the apistasia but have yet to see any noticeable dent in the population and might add another soon. 20110123 - Found this hairy little crab grazing on the purple stuff on the top of my live rock after turning on the lights. Would estimate his body is about half a cm wide at most. 20110123 - Bubble Algae? 20110124 - Most recent FTS with the change to a black spray bar that is split and shoots some jets down towards the sand and some along the top glass. The small hole I made to break siphon in case of power outage (just below where the tubing connects to the spray bar) gently agitates the water at the opening making the light shining through shimmer a bit and also doesnt allow the water level to get below the glass top. Edited January 24, 2011 by Cgy_Betta_Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 lookin' good! (every time i look at the left i see that darn buffalo, lol). i don't quite understand the siphon break hole on the spray bar though. from what i've read, the siphon break point is usually employed where the water exits the tank and goes to the sump or filter. i've seen many siphon breaks drilled into canister intake tubes just below the water line. wouldn't having this hole in your return no do anything in case of power failure? wouldn't gravity pull water from your tank into your overflow and into the sump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 LOL... I may be rearranging the rock a little but the buffalo will more or less be peaking its head around that other rock. Havent decided yet. I situated the siphon break hole probably about 2-3 mm above the top glass and more importantly its probably about 3-4 mm below the holes that go to into my overflow. The amount of water above the siphon break and in the tubes from the pump or drain is what gets drained back to the sump. That is the sweet spot on my tank which minimizes the amount of water that goes back into the sump in case of a power failure. You can actually see the bottom row of 1/4" holes that go into the overflow in the picture and during normal pump operation the water level sits above one more row of holes up from those or basically 1/2" worth of water. In a power failure (or me unplugging the pump) the water level begins to drop as that 1/2" of water goes into the overflow and continues until the drain lines are empty, but water keeps draining from the display with the pump off because of gravity pull from the spray bar acting like a gravel vac. Before putting in the siphon break it would only break once it reached the holes in the spray bar which are quite a bit below the water line and would roughly suck about a gallon of water back into the sump. The spot I put the siphon break only sucks maybe a glass of water back into the sump while it also keeps the water level above the glass so no air pocket is formed and also lets me put maybe 1/2 gallon more water volume in the sump. Hmm that was pretty wordy wasnt it... hope I explained that well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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