Fishy's 10g Urchin Jail

FishyReef

FishyReef

Broke Reefer!
My coral-munching urchin has forced me to jump on the 10g bandwagon (okay, I admit there wasn't that much forcing that had to be done :D )

I bought a 10g kit today from Petco and ordered 2 Koralia nano powerheads that will be delivered next week. Found a great spot in my dining room for it and am going to place it on a nice end-table that I picked up at a yard sale and hadn't yet figured out what to do with! The kit I bought comes with a HOB filter, which I plan to use for water flow and as a refugium for chaeto and pods, and also came with a hood and stock light. For now I'm just going to use the existing light. I'd like to try coral again down the road and if the urchin doesn't munch it, then I'll upgrade to a better light. But, alternatively, I'm also thinking that once I get my tank stabilized, then I might try a non-photosynthetic blueberry sea fan - I love the color of those and am going to culture pods specifically for one as a future inhabitant. I don't think my urchin would be able to get enough of a grip on one of those to eat it! I know it will be a difficult coral to maintain so it won't happen for quite awhile (if at all), but it is just an alternative idea since I won't have to worry about strong lights to maintain it.

Other plans for the tank include moving live rock and about 5g of existing water from my 90 and adding some more dead rock that I have left over from the 90, and adding a sand bed (I bought white sand for it today). Plan to mix 5 gallons of new water tomorrow night and then move the live rock and old water on Friday. Once I get the urchins settled in I plan to add a firefish and move one of my turbos from my 90. I also ordered a few nassarius snails to help stir the sand (along with a new fish for my 90) that will be here on Friday. So, urchins will be headed to their new home this weekend! Pics coming tomorrow :)
 
This is going to be great fishy!

However the blueberry gorgs are near impossible to keep. They are a deep water gorg and really dont take being brought up very well and tend to die. I wouldnt try to keep this one until you have had success with the other NPS gorgs first, like the red/yellow gorgs. And i would also look for one that has been in captivity for a long time, you have a much better chance of success.
 
R3verb said:
lol jail
Click to expand...

HAHA I laughed at that too! Should be a pretty cool build.
What size Korilas did you get? I've been wondering if I need more flow in my 14 gallon BC. I had one for a while but didnt really like the way it looked in the tank. What is the smallest one they make!
 
Hey Fishy sounds like great plan.

I was wondering if you could explain your H.O.B chaeto plan. That's kind of what I want to do, but can't find out the how to, or all the other questions?

Stev
 
Thanks everyone! I'm really excited about this tank & excited to hop aboard the 10g tank contest train :D

Hannah, thanks for the info on the blueberry sea fan - I knew it was a hard coral to maintain but didn't know that most haven't survived. There is a beautiful one in the diver's den right now (obviously I won't be getting it, but boy is it nice to dream!) Great advice about trying the other NPS gorgs first, so maybe I'll think about that in the future if I go the NPS route. I might also try an aggressive coral and see if the urchin leaves it alone, and if so, then go the coral route. Regardless it will be a while before I try it because of all the money that has gone into my 90!

Shane, I bought 2 of the 240 gphs. I am thinking of putting them on this wavemaker Marineland Natural Wave Pump Timer: Wavemaker System for Reef Aquariums to alternate flow. I will also have extra flow from the HOB filter. In a 10g that will be more than enough, and I think I actually will have to alternate flow otherwise it will be too much!

Slimkasey, I'm still working on figuring that out, but my basic plan is to just take the media out of the HOB filter, add an overflow comb like this Aquarium Overflow Comb by AquaMedic - AquaCave.com to the top to keep snails out and the chaeto in, and then put the chaeto in the area that the the filter media would normally go it. I have yet to actually take a look at it and try it out, but this is at least the basic idea. You might check out the DIY section and see if anyone has posted threads. I'll be posting pictures of it as it comes along! Given how quickly parameters can change in a 10g and how sensitive inverts are to nitrates, I figure its pretty important that I get some chaeto growing in there to help keep things stable :)
 
FishyReef said:
Thanks everyone! I'm really excited about this tank & excited to hop aboard the 10g tank contest train :D

Hannah, thanks for the info on the blueberry sea fan - I knew it was a hard coral to maintain but didn't know that most haven't survived. There is a beautiful one in the diver's den right now (obviously I won't be getting it, but boy is it nice to dream!) Great advice about trying the other NPS gorgs first, so maybe I'll think about that in the future if I go the NPS route. I might also try an aggressive coral and see if the urchin leaves it alone, and if so, then go the coral route. Regardless it will be a while before I try it because of all the money that has gone into my 90!

Shane, I bought 2 of the 240 gphs. I am thinking of putting them on this wavemaker Marineland Natural Wave Pump Timer: Wavemaker System for Reef Aquariums to alternate flow. I will also have extra flow from the HOB filter. In a 10g that will be more than enough, and I think I actually will have to alternate flow otherwise it will be too much!

Slimkasey, I'm still working on figuring that out, but my basic plan is to just take the media out of the HOB filter, add an overflow comb like this Aquarium Overflow Comb by AquaMedic - AquaCave.com to the top to keep snails out and the chaeto in, and then put the chaeto in the area that the the filter media would normally go it. I have yet to actually take a look at it and try it out, but this is at least the basic idea. You might check out the DIY section and see if anyone has posted threads. I'll be posting pictures of it as it comes along! Given how quickly parameters can change in a 10g and how sensitive inverts are to nitrates, I figure its pretty important that I get some chaeto growing in there to help keep things stable :)
Click to expand...

I just took out one of the Koralia 240's in my ten gallon. It was a bit much, even though things were opening nicely, my loose zoas kept getting dislodged from their little nook next to a shell I want them to spread onto (when the clownfish aren't moving them around :grumble:)
 
Picture update!





First aquascaping! (It will probably change a little since I still have to add a few pieces of live rock from my 90, but I'm liking it so far!)





I forgot to bring home my epoxy, so will secure the rocks tomorrow, bring home the live rock, add the sand, and fill the tank with water that is ready to go! The heater that came with the set up is a piece of crap that doesn't work, so I've got to exchange that tomorrow too. I did get a few nassarius snails in today but they are still sitting in their little baggie, floating in a heated bucket of water. I am hoping they will be okay until tomorrow that way, they seem like pretty hardy little fellas!

Okay, that's it for now!
 
R3verb said:
why not release them into the bucket??
Click to expand...

I thought about it, but I'd need to drip acclimate them and then have to re-acclimate them again tomorrow since I plan to mix 5g of clean water with 5g of water from my 90 to help the transition of the live rock and urchin. I figured it would be easier to just acclimate them once. Also, the heater that I have in the bucket is for a 40g so its pretty strong for a 5g bucket and it doesn't have any sort of protective covering on it - I'm concerned they will get hurt trying to climb on it.
 
Ah. Most snails don't need much acclimation. I usually just test to make sure the water is about the same temp and toss em right in. I've only ever lost one turbo this way.
 
Are you planning on keeping the tank on that little table? It shouldn't hang over the edge at all... it puts stress on the tank. Most likely resulting in a leaky or bursting tank.
 
ErinCahir said:
Are you planning on keeping the tank on that little table? It shouldn't hang over the edge at all... it puts stress on the tank. Most likely resulting in a leaky or bursting tank.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah? It is hanging over by about an inch on each side. I thought that would be okay on such a small tank - darn!! Guess I'll need to start looking for another table to keep it on :grumble:
 
Brought the urchin home today, acclimated it to the tank, added it, and it promptly ate one of my nassarius snails :grumble: This is one nasty urchin! I wonder if would go after a fish? This thing is a serious bad-ass. I am not pleased.
 

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