The Puffer Forum

Thnx Mekong thats exactly what im going to use it for softies and then a FW planted tank in the future. No Reef in this tank im not that experianced with SW and a 33gal reef would winde up being a desaster for me.

One reason im am hesitant on getting live rock is because im really nervouse of introduceing hair algea other nuiscence algeas since i dont use RO/DI water. My well water has never given me a problem with algea blooms or anything. I know that once i upgrade the lighting this might be a different story but is RO?DO water a must with a SW wetup or mainly for reefs?

Do you have a local grocery that sells RO water? I got mine for years from walmart and lfs.

Im sure they sell it somewhere neer me i was just curious if its required. And dont you have to buy a different kind of marine salt if your useing RO/DI water.

OK back from drill and my skimmer came friday, the day i left, go figure. Anyway i have it running and will see how the brake in goes. It took me a little bit of filling the cup and pouring it back in my tank to figure out how to set it. i had the valve all the way open and it was still overflowing then i looked online and figured out that i needed to raise the entire skimmer (it kinda slides through the bracket) and now the bubbles are barely makeing it to the bottom of the neck, which is fine with me dureing the break in. So all i can do is wait and see how it breaks in.

What skimmer did you end up going with?

I had already ordered the Coralife SS 65. It was kinda tricky to setup since nothing about how high the skimmer sits itself is stated in the instructions but a couple searches has fixed the issue. I have actually read alot of good things about this skimmer so im hopeing it keeps up the good standing it seems so be getting. Alot of people that doent like is because its touchy but im kinda interested in learning how to adjust it when needed. I dont want a plug and play skimmer since none of the good in sump ones are plug and play. This will be a little lesson in itself.

Just realized i have 2 empty nerite shells and the zebra hermits shell is currently unocupied. So im guessing my GSP did some damage while i was away. I have seen him show enterest in the nerites but they are allways so flat to the surface he cant get them. The zebra was the only hermit in a black nerite looking shell and i guess he couldnt get all the way in to get away. The other hermits are fine and dont get bothered at all that i see. They are in much bigger long spiral shells though so i guess that may be why the zebra was gobbled.

snack time lol

haha yah thats what it seems like. I will try to get some more hermits but make sure they have the long spiral shells instead of the round ones. I tried to get some extra shells from the LFS when i was there but they couldnt find there bucket full (they will give them away for free.) Ill get more hermits and long spiral shells when i go back.

Update: my skimmer is starting to build up some gunk. Its small particals building on the cone and some coming out. Looks like tea granes (is this the normal break in thing?)

Live Rock ?

My rock has pink specs through out it.... is that a way of telling where it is from? I really dont remember what it was called when i first baught it.

i just read somewhere that hermits can canabalize and feed on snails if there isnt enough food for them to scavange. Im starting to second guess that it was my puffer that did in the 2 snails and zebra hermit. The other hermits are cortez2 and a blue leg (not sure if its a true blueleg or not since it was in the wrong tank and it has redish orang on its joints between the blue. my tank does not produce alot of waist since i feed carefully. Has anyone had this issue?

Put about 40 lbs of Caribsea special grade reef sand in my tank today... it looks great and i have found a 1.5 inch red/orange bristle worm as i was moveing the sand around so it definitaly has critters in it. Its not the perfect white but much more natural looking.

Snails just disappear from time to time. I wouldn't worry if a couple aren't in their shells.

I could see finding a empty snail shell everynow and then but i found 2 nerite and a zebra missing 2 days after getting them. Everything is fine now and no more missing creatures but still not sure exactly what happened. Im really excited to see what all has come with my live sand.