Feeding a 10 gallon "critter" tank

kaz1961 · 04/11/2021, 05:54 PM

I have a shelf under my 90 gallon that fits a 10 gallon tank. I am setting it up for my young grandchildren as a "critter tank". Going to put in a few snails, hermits and a crab. Dont want to put any fish so the CUC has nothing to CU! LOL Anyone have a tank like this and if so how do you feed it? I was thinking of dropping in a piece of krill, clam on the half shell etc, anything that will sink and take it out when the crab and hermits are done with it. Sound like a good idea? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Timfish · 04/12/2021, 07:22 AM

Sounds like a cool tank! One of my frag tanks doesn't have any "dither" fish to provide ammonia and urea but it does have hermits, sally lightfoots, skunk cleaner shrimp and coral banded and small carribbean rose and tuxedo urchins and I drop in Spectrum pellets for them. I've seen tiny tuxedos available and one might do well in a 10 gallon if there's enough light for decent algae growth.

Sk8r · 04/12/2021, 01:29 PM

Hikari makes a Crab food for inverts which may supply traces needful for crustaceans, etc, and you can feed some bits of frozen shrimp, which may necessitate your intervention and prevent overfeeding. Suggest also keeping your alk-cal-mg balance down there because snails need calcium. Adequate feeding and supply of spare appropriate species shells will prevent crabs eating your snails. For the 'appropriate' shell, look at what the crab is wearing and ask your fish store for spares in a slightly larger size.

Sugar Magnolia · 04/13/2021, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Hikari makes a Crab food for inverts which may supply traces needful for crustaceans, etc, and you can feed some bits of frozen shrimp, which may necessitate your intervention and prevent overfeeding. Suggest also keeping your alk-cal-mg balance down there because snails need calcium. Adequate feeding and supply of spare appropriate species shells will prevent crabs eating your snails. For the 'appropriate' shell, look at what the crab is wearing and ask your fish store for spares in a slightly larger size.

To build on this advice (thank you CJ) be sure to keep testing your alk, calc and mag if you plan to dose to keep those params stable.

There are also marine sinking pellets that are targeted for bottom feeder marine critters.

kaz1961 · 04/14/2021, 01:01 PM

Thanks all, I do have plenty of frozen and also sinking pellets (didnt think of them). Critters coming on Friday!

04/11/2021, 05:54 PM	#1
kaz1961 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 191	Feeding a 10 gallon "critter" tank I have a shelf under my 90 gallon that fits a 10 gallon tank. I am setting it up for my young grandchildren as a "critter tank". Going to put in a few snails, hermits and a crab. Dont want to put any fish so the CUC has nothing to CU! LOL Anyone have a tank like this and if so how do you feed it? I was thinking of dropping in a piece of krill, clam on the half shell etc, anything that will sink and take it out when the crab and hermits are done with it. Sound like a good idea? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

04/12/2021, 07:22 AM	#2
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	Sounds like a cool tank! One of my frag tanks doesn't have any "dither" fish to provide ammonia and urea but it does have hermits, sally lightfoots, skunk cleaner shrimp and coral banded and small carribbean rose and tuxedo urchins and I drop in Spectrum pellets for them. I've seen tiny tuxedos available and one might do well in a 10 gallon if there's enough light for decent algae growth. __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

04/12/2021, 01:29 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Hikari makes a Crab food for inverts which may supply traces needful for crustaceans, etc, and you can feed some bits of frozen shrimp, which may necessitate your intervention and prevent overfeeding. Suggest also keeping your alk-cal-mg balance down there because snails need calcium. Adequate feeding and supply of spare appropriate species shells will prevent crabs eating your snails. For the 'appropriate' shell, look at what the crab is wearing and ask your fish store for spares in a slightly larger size. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/14/2021, 01:01 PM	#5
kaz1961 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 191	Thanks all, I do have plenty of frozen and also sinking pellets (didnt think of them). Critters coming on Friday!