Tank Specs Update

[nickg]

Its been a while since I've updated my specs, and since I seem to ask alot of Q's I should prolly keep specs current. By the way thanx agian to everyone on this bb, you all have been a great help!

Gear:
55g glass tank w/10g sump
Reef Janitor in-sump skimmer w/cap 2200 pump
cpr overflow w/rio 2100 return pump (all flex line plumbed)
Maxi Jets power heads 1 900, 2 600's
440 VHO w/icecap 660 ballest 2 50/50 and 2 super atinic uri bulbs
8 watt uv sterilizer (not running currently)
60 lbs LR / 6" DSB

Fish:
Purple Tang
2 Ocileris Clowns
3 Pijama cards
2 neon gobies

Corals/Inverts:
Medium Sacrophyton / small tree leather
Striped mushroom colony
Xenia
Trumpet coral
Bubble Coral
2 Frogspawn
Hamer coral
Green button polyp colony
Large feather duster
Brittle star
Serpent star
Various snails
Various hermits
Big rock crab, that I can't catch
4 peppermint shrimp
Skunk cleaner shrimp

[cath]

Far out, Nick! That looks great. And thanks for including you tank specs. I hand't seen them before.

[nickg]

Thanx Cath, good to see you made it home from your New Years Party safe and sound

[hayday]

nick-

good lookin' tank. i've also got a 55 gallon and now i know what it should look like.

about your shrimp: do they all seem to get along and have they ravaged your dsb? i'm wanting to add a coupla shrimp and i'm interested in hearing people's experiences with different shrimps.

thanks in advance.

-hayday

[DaveJ]

Wow Nick.. you do have a coralline issue... looks great though!!

Hayday,

I have several shrimp in my system. 2 skunk cleaners, 2 camel backs 1 peppermint. I have had a Coral Banded and Fireshrimps as well without any problems. It depends on the size of the tank really. Certain species have been known to munch on polyps and such, like the camel backs, peppermint and fireshrimps. If you would like some that will not cause too many problems, the skunk cleaners are the way to go. Coral Banded can eat worms and such, but if you have a larger tank, 1 Coral Banded won't pose much of a problem. A coral banded and a couple of skunk cleaners will add a lot of activity to your tank since they are the least shy. The others you may not see too often, if at all

[nickg]

Hayday, thanx for the compliment ! I have had only good luck with my shrimp. The peppermint completely rid the tank of aiptaisa, and the cleaner has set up a cleaning station behind a rock and the fish go back there the to get a good shrimp massage from time to time . One time the cleaner jumped on my hand when I was foolin with stuff.

[hayday]

i'd like to add a peppermint for the aiptasia control, but what happens if they run out of food? i only have a few small aiptasia polyps but i'd like to stop this from spreading. well, at least as much as anyone can stop aiptasia from spreading. i assume that they'd eat prepared food (i feed formula one or prime reef mixed with spirulina-enriched brine) and that they wouldn't do too much damage to the sandbed/polyps as long as they were getting enough food. i'd also like to add a skunk cleaner or two.

anyone think that a peppermint and a coupla skunk cleaners would be a problem in a 55 gallon tank?

-hayday

[nickg]

FWIW, I have 4 peppermint shrimp and 1 skunk cleaner in my 55, there is no sign of aiptasia. I don't directly feed any of the shrimp, but when I feed the tank they come out and grab some goodies. The peppermint have never touched a coral, but I have heard they may nibble on a polyp. From my own experience I think a few peps and skunk or 2 would be fine.

[cath]

Evenin' guys!

About a year ago, an LFS sold me a camel for a peppermint, and boy was I steamed!! I was going to return for credit, but....something et him! Could have been the hitchhiker crab like you have, Nick. I finally caught that when the pH went up after a (supposed) kalk aiptasia treatment. That bugger was banished to the freezer. It was a fairly biggun....about the size of a baby's hand.