A couple of beginner questions

Apostle · 05/17/2006, 01:27 AM

Hi, a couple of questions from a beginner.

Firstly IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll describe my set up, sorry no pictures, my camera is broken. My tank is 50 imperial gallons which I think works out at about 60 us gallons and I have 22 pounds of live rock so far. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m using an external filter and a protein skimmer. All my water parameter are fine. The tanks been up and running about 5 weeks now since I cycled it.

Livestock consists of 2 false clowns, 1 royal gramma, 1 flame angel, 1 sand shifting star fish and 1 cleaner shrimp as well as a few turbo snails and hermit crabs. I eventually plan to start keeping corals as well, but IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m going to wait about 6 months.

Although IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve not posted on here that much IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been reading the forums a lot over the last few weeks and have got some valuable insight on what is already turning out to be a rewarding, but unfortunately very expensive, hobby.

My first question is regarding turbo snails. If I want to shift a snail say from the glass onto the rock, how do I go about this. I scared of hurting them as they have a pretty strong grip. I say this because yesterday one of my snails climbed down the glass and onto the back of one of the crabs. So the crab was parading around the tank with a snail attached! I tried to separate the two but feared killing the snail. So, I put them both on the rock in the hope the snail would crawl off. It eventually did after half an hour of the crab instantly leaping to the sand. Is there an easy way do detach snails??

Secondly, as IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve mentioned before all my water parameter are very good and have remained stable, the protein skimmer is definitely a god send. The thing is, the girlfriend hates it and thinks it is really ugly. My plan is to make a very basic sump, just to house the skimmer and the heater, to hopefully put a lid on her nagging. My cabinet is in two halves with the filter in one so IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m going to put the sump In the other. It could measure approx 20Ã¢â‚¬Â x 20Ã¢â‚¬Â. I was thinking of sitting my skimmer in the sump and pump the water from the tank directly into the skimmer, then out into the sump. In the sump I plan just to put live sand, live rock and to grow a couple of sponges. It will all be housed In the one chamber and sent back to the tank via a return pump. Can anyone see any problems with this plan. As IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve mentioned the water parameters are all very stable so this isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t essential itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s just to hide some equipment. The extra filtration is just a bonus.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Blown 346 · 05/17/2006, 01:42 AM

Justgrab the snails shell and pull, they will feel like they snap off. They do have pretty good suction. Once you do that you will eitherplace thesnail on he rock and he will come out on his own, ow he will come out after he is detatched and he will attach himself to the rock immediatly.

The filtration sounds good, but with a sump and the amount of GPH that goes thru one you might have some issues with the sand blowing around.

reefnetworth · 05/17/2006, 03:24 AM

if you tear the foot on a snail, it may die. if it dies, you have will problems in your tank. the best way is to move up behind them slow and remove them fast. this will prevent the suction and the snail harm. REEF-ON!!!

johndonaldson3 · 05/17/2006, 03:45 AM

move up on a snail from behind slow? your kidding right?

a4twenty · 05/17/2006, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by johndonaldson3
move up on a snail from behind slow? your kidding right?

lol, great white hunter

the easiest way i've found is to just grab the shell and gently slide him down and pull him off the glass. they will let go rather than hurt themselves.

kau_cinta_ku · 05/17/2006, 04:52 AM

i agree with a4twenty pushing their shell against the glass and slide them accross the glass with have them let go.

gary faulkner · 05/17/2006, 06:03 AM

I have found that if you twist the snail rather than pull it, it will let go much easier

HTH

labatt · 05/17/2006, 06:13 AM

I dont know a whole lot here, but I believe that you may need to install some baffels in your sump so you dont get bubbles in the return. You should ask someone else to be sure though.

Subrafta · 05/17/2006, 06:35 AM

I'd just leave the snail on the glass -- he's doing his job by keeping it clean.

05/17/2006, 01:27 AM	#1
Apostle Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Blackpool, England Posts: 56	A couple of beginner questions Hi, a couple of questions from a beginner. Firstly IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll describe my set up, sorry no pictures, my camera is broken. My tank is 50 imperial gallons which I think works out at about 60 us gallons and I have 22 pounds of live rock so far. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m using an external filter and a protein skimmer. All my water parameter are fine. The tanks been up and running about 5 weeks now since I cycled it. Livestock consists of 2 false clowns, 1 royal gramma, 1 flame angel, 1 sand shifting star fish and 1 cleaner shrimp as well as a few turbo snails and hermit crabs. I eventually plan to start keeping corals as well, but IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m going to wait about 6 months. Although IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve not posted on here that much IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been reading the forums a lot over the last few weeks and have got some valuable insight on what is already turning out to be a rewarding, but unfortunately very expensive, hobby. My first question is regarding turbo snails. If I want to shift a snail say from the glass onto the rock, how do I go about this. I scared of hurting them as they have a pretty strong grip. I say this because yesterday one of my snails climbed down the glass and onto the back of one of the crabs. So the crab was parading around the tank with a snail attached! I tried to separate the two but feared killing the snail. So, I put them both on the rock in the hope the snail would crawl off. It eventually did after half an hour of the crab instantly leaping to the sand. Is there an easy way do detach snails?? Secondly, as IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve mentioned before all my water parameter are very good and have remained stable, the protein skimmer is definitely a god send. The thing is, the girlfriend hates it and thinks it is really ugly. My plan is to make a very basic sump, just to house the skimmer and the heater, to hopefully put a lid on her nagging. My cabinet is in two halves with the filter in one so IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m going to put the sump In the other. It could measure approx 20Ã¢â‚¬Â x 20Ã¢â‚¬Â. I was thinking of sitting my skimmer in the sump and pump the water from the tank directly into the skimmer, then out into the sump. In the sump I plan just to put live sand, live rock and to grow a couple of sponges. It will all be housed In the one chamber and sent back to the tank via a return pump. Can anyone see any problems with this plan. As IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve mentioned the water parameters are all very stable so this isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t essential itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s just to hide some equipment. The extra filtration is just a bonus. Thanks in advance for any replies.

05/17/2006, 03:24 AM	#3
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	if you tear the foot on a snail, it may die. if it dies, you have will problems in your tank. the best way is to move up behind them slow and remove them fast. this will prevent the suction and the snail harm. REEF-ON!!! __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping.

05/17/2006, 06:03 AM	#7
gary faulkner Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,468	I have found that if you twist the snail rather than pull it, it will let go much easier HTH __________________ Gary Current Tank Info: 300G SPS

05/17/2006, 06:13 AM	#8
labatt Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 179	I dont know a whole lot here, but I believe that you may need to install some baffels in your sump so you dont get bubbles in the return. You should ask someone else to be sure though. __________________ no, I can't spell or type

05/17/2006, 06:35 AM	#9
Subrafta Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 399	I'd just leave the snail on the glass -- he's doing his job by keeping it clean. __________________ That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime Of old dogs and children and watermelon wine. Current Tank Info: Oceanic 37g, JBJ 12g Nano DX

05/17/2006, 01:42 AM	#2
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	Justgrab the snails shell and pull, they will feel like they snap off. They do have pretty good suction. Once you do that you will eitherplace thesnail on he rock and he will come out on his own, ow he will come out after he is detatched and he will attach himself to the rock immediatly. The filtration sounds good, but with a sump and the amount of GPH that goes thru one you might have some issues with the sand blowing around.

05/17/2006, 03:45 AM	#4
johndonaldson3 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Merritt Island Florida Posts: 172	move up on a snail from behind slow? your kidding right?

05/17/2006, 04:52 AM	#6
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	i agree with a4twenty pushing their shell against the glass and slide them accross the glass with have them let go.