Ask Nano Questions and Find Information (Nano Expert Albert Thiel)

[alberthiel]

don't know the strength but there the small 3 led's that come on the hood of the biocube set up.
some green hair algae on the rocks and back wall..also some red slime on the back wall and a bit on the live rock.
according to your book, some of those air bubbles I saw may be trapped air with the algae...(see, i've been reading...lol)

Probably 1 watt ea. but I would have to check ... mind you although you do not need them they are not doing any harm.

And on the algae and air bubbles I am going to wait till you send me some pictures so I an get a better idea of what the tank looks like and if you make a few close up pics that would be good too.

 

[Sun1914]

So here are a few pics. Came home to find the small snails being attacked by the emerald crabs. Larger snails have dug themselves into the sand for the most part. Some haven't moved at all. Wonder if they're dead? Few still moving around on the surface.

Not sure what if anything I can do about the smaller ones being picked off by the crabs. Also noticed some white' areas developing on the top of my highest live rock. Not sure if u can tell in the pic. Will try to get a close up. Besides that still a random air bubble here and there but no black spots in the sand bed. A lot of debris still moving around in the water. Hopefully it will filter out in the next day or 2.

Now that you see my set up please tell me if I should move or change anything and why. Thanks everyone.

 

[alberthiel]

So here are a few pics. Came home to find the small snails being attacked by the emerald crabs. Larger snails have dug themselves into the sand for the most part. Some haven't moved at all. Wonder if they're dead? Few still moving around on the surface.

Not sure what if anything I can do about the smaller ones being picked off by the crabs. Also noticed some white' areas developing on the top of my highest live rock. Not sure if u can tell in the pic. Will try to get a close up. Besides that still a random air bubble here and there but no black spots in the sand bed. A lot of debris still moving around in the water. Hopefully it will filter out in the next day or 2.

Now that you see my set up please tell me if I should move or change anything and why. Thanks everyone.

I have a regular check-up Dr's appt this morning so I'll reply when I get back ... could be late this morning though ...

I do not see the Emerald though .. what pic is he in ... ?

 

[Sun1914]

couldn't get a shot of the reddish emerald but here's one of one of my emeralds caught in the act of attacking one of my small snails.

 

[Sun1914]

Emerald crab(s) being very aggressive. They are even attacking large snails now. What do I do?

 

[alberthiel]

couldn't get a shot of the reddish emerald but here's one of one of my emeralds caught in the act of attacking one of my small snails.

Do they have enough algae in the tank .... and are you sure it is the smallish emerald ? I cannot really see it in the picture but if it is attacking snails, either it is a different Mithrax than the small ones we normally keep or it is not an Emerald ...

Here is a pic of one that is not the right one ...

Look at that claw .... the one you want has claws that are 1/10th of that ....

 

[alberthiel]

Emerald crab(s) being very aggressive. They are even attacking large snails now. What do I do?

Can you get a close up of those crabs and in focus as I start to get the impression that what you have are not true small claw emerald crabs ... They would not normally attack anything in the tank and just pick in small algae in the tank ... but to be sure of what you have I need to see a close up pic that is in focus ... Thanks ...

 

[Sun1914]

thanks for the reply. Yes, the rocks are covered in algae. WAY more than enough to eat. This crab is quite larger than the others. I'm beginning to think he isn't a small claw emerald. I made a video I could email to you Al, if you like. I did get a good pic of the reddish crab I mentioned to you before this morning. I'll post that in a sec.
let me know where I should send the video. If I can post it here I will or upload it to youtube and post link.

 

[Sun1914]

here's a link to the video from this morning. Hopefully you can make out what's going on and give me some info and suggestions. Also note the powerhead please. Let me know if the placement is okay. Thanks AL.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/r1a53yjer4l7wz5/9M62NMQkaq

 

[alberthiel]

thanks for the reply. Yes, the rocks are covered in algae. WAY more than enough to eat. This crab is quite larger than the others. I'm beginning to think he isn't a small claw emerald. I made a video I could email to you Al, if you like. I did get a good pic of the reddish crab I mentioned to you before this morning. I'll post that in a sec.
let me know where I should send the video. If I can post it here I will or upload it to youtube and post link.

Yes sounds like it is indeed not a M sculptus or small Emerald ... I'll look at the vid ... as I see you posted it ... Thanks

 

[alberthiel]

here's a link to the video from this morning. Hopefully you can make out what's going on and give me some info and suggestions. Also note the powerhead please. Let me know if the placement is okay. Thanks AL.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/r1a53yjer4l7wz5/9M62NMQkaq

You may want to check this link and see whether you can identify what you have .... lots of Mithrax crabs as what you have is IMHO not a M. sculpts, which is the small one.

mithrax crab - Google Search

 

[yngwie111]

I have an 8 gallon all-in-one from Cadlights and I've been wanting to install an auto top off for it. I have an RKL with an SL1 module and if I had to guess, my return chamber is probably around a 2"x2" square, 12 inches in height. My question is are you experienced with nano auto top offs--or more specifically nano sized float valves that will work with the reef keeper AND fit in my little return chamber?

I should note that this is also where I keep my temp probe, ph probe, and heater so it's a bit jammed in the bottom area, but I still have a good 5 to 6 inches of height room to work with.

Thanks!

 

[alberthiel]

I have an 8 gallon all-in-one from Cadlights and I've been wanting to install an auto top off for it. I have an RKL with an SL1 module and if I had to guess, my return chamber is probably around a 2"x2" square, 12 inches in height. My question is are you experienced with nano auto top offs--or more specifically nano sized float valves that will work with the reef keeper AND fit in my little return chamber?

I should note that this is also where I keep my temp probe, ph probe, and heater so it's a bit jammed in the bottom area, but I still have a good 5 to 6 inches of height room to work with.

Thanks!

I am sorry and I wish I could help you with this but when it comes to ATO's and what you mention I do not have any experience with those .. but you may want to check the links on this Page that has a lot of links to very small float switches, and maybe you can find one that fits your needs. Apologies for not being to be of help with that question ... I prefer to tell you that than to give wrong advice ...

Very small float swtiches - Google Search

 

[Sun1914]

You may want to check this link and see whether you can identify what you have .... lots of Mithrax crabs as what you have is IMHO not a M. sculpts, which is the small one.

mithrax crab - Google Search

so you don't think the larger crab (the one eating the snail) is a M. Scupltus? but the smaller one and the red one are? What should I do? I'm assuming remove him asap before he eats anything else but I just hope the LFS will take him back. I guess I'll try to catch all 5 and id them as best as I can.

What do you think on the look of the tank? Do you think another water change will clean it up more or should I just wait and see if it filters out?
Also, what about the white on the top rock? Is it just new algae growing?

 

[alberthiel]

so you don't think the larger crab (the one eating the snail) is a M. Scupltus? but the smaller one and the red one are? What should I do? I'm assuming remove him asap before he eats anything else but I just hope the LFS will take him back. I guess I'll try to catch all 5 and id them as best as I can.

What do you think on the look of the tank? Do you think another water change will clean it up more or should I just wait and see if it filters out?
Also, what about the white on the top rock? Is it just new algae growing?

The larger is not an Emerald but since I cannot see it completely I cannot really tell you what it is ... the Red one could be a Mithrax but not an Emerald ... I think you need to catch all those crabs and get them back to the store that sold them ... and if you can post pics first maybe I can identify them for you so you can tell the Store what they are.

Yes you can do a water change and that white on the top is hard to identify, I would need a close up and in focus so I can see it .. .could be algae ,,, but not sure unless I can reconfirm it

 

[lighting]

You are so kind ,thanks:smile:

 

[yngwie111]

I am sorry and I wish I could help you with this but when it comes to ATO's and what you mention I do not have any experience with those .. but you may want to check the links on this Page that has a lot of links to very small float switches, and maybe you can find one that fits your needs. Apologies for not being to be of help with that question ... I prefer to tell you that than to give wrong advice ...

Very small float swtiches - Google Search

Hi there and no worries, it's just that I've been double-thinking my way through various float switches not knowing which to get and figured you might have had an experience or two with them in your nano tanks. But thanks for the straightforward and honest answer though!

 

[alberthiel]

You are so kind ,thanks:smile:

U R Welcome

 

[alberthiel]

Hi there and no worries, it's just that I've been double-thinking my way through various float switches not knowing which to get and figured you might have had an experience or two with them in your nano tanks. But thanks for the straightforward and honest answer though!

You are welcome and I hope you find one among the many links I gave you ... I have not used any as I do it by gravity and do not need a Float Switch but I think there are now small ones around that do no use the float arm principle, but do it by shining a light from the outside through the glass or acrylic, and based on some criterion decides to let the water continue to drip or flow on or not. ... Not sure though whether they work on ALL tanks as of course the part where the light shines through has to be transparent.

 

[Sun1914]

Here are some better shots of the largest crab which we are trying to ID. He is at least 2x bigger than the other 3. The red crab hardly shows herself. She's dug a nice hole under the live rock and pops out every so often.

Here are pics of all 5. The last pic is the bigger one obviously.