- Joined
- May 21, 2020
- Messages
- 277
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Hi all,
I often find myself awake at ungodly hours of the night scrolling through this forum and dreaming of a mantis shrimp of my own. I’m a freshwater fish keeper, and just recently got a job in the freshwater section of my LFS. However, it’s safe to say the mantis has stolen my heart and has caused some serious saltwater considerations. So, I’ve started hatching a plan, and I would Love some feedback and suggestions. I have a spare 10 gallon tank that rn is a freshwater QT but I haven’t figured out what to do with it, and I would like to use it for a purple spot (smithii) mantis.
For substrate, I’m thinking of doing a thin layer of egg crate on bottom (peace of mind) and a rather course sand, I’m not sure what kind or where to find it.
im planning on using live rock from my LFS, and would also like to source some rubble rock (suggestions appreciated)
im not sure an RODI is in my budget atm so I will likely be using saltwater from my LFS while I save up.
for filtration, I’m thinking of the Tidal 35, but I’m at a loss for what media to use. Any and all advice is appreciated. Also, I want to run a skimmer but all the HOBs I’m finding seem way oversized, so some recommendations would be great.
I also would like to use dark pvc and make a cave underneath for him to ensure the best molting cycle, some sizing advice would be great.
I don’t plan on doing coral at first so I might not get a light, the room is very well lit. I may do a fluval marine light down the road. I want low light so as not to cause shell rot. I may try to do some hardier zoas or something down the road.
also, what test kits would you recommend? Kinds and brands.
thanks in advance for any tips and advice etc. I’m 100% a total noob and I’m really not in a rush. A build probably won’t start till next fall, but it would be nice to have an idea for what equipment to get so I can snag deals.
I often find myself awake at ungodly hours of the night scrolling through this forum and dreaming of a mantis shrimp of my own. I’m a freshwater fish keeper, and just recently got a job in the freshwater section of my LFS. However, it’s safe to say the mantis has stolen my heart and has caused some serious saltwater considerations. So, I’ve started hatching a plan, and I would Love some feedback and suggestions. I have a spare 10 gallon tank that rn is a freshwater QT but I haven’t figured out what to do with it, and I would like to use it for a purple spot (smithii) mantis.
For substrate, I’m thinking of doing a thin layer of egg crate on bottom (peace of mind) and a rather course sand, I’m not sure what kind or where to find it.
im planning on using live rock from my LFS, and would also like to source some rubble rock (suggestions appreciated)
im not sure an RODI is in my budget atm so I will likely be using saltwater from my LFS while I save up.
for filtration, I’m thinking of the Tidal 35, but I’m at a loss for what media to use. Any and all advice is appreciated. Also, I want to run a skimmer but all the HOBs I’m finding seem way oversized, so some recommendations would be great.
I also would like to use dark pvc and make a cave underneath for him to ensure the best molting cycle, some sizing advice would be great.
I don’t plan on doing coral at first so I might not get a light, the room is very well lit. I may do a fluval marine light down the road. I want low light so as not to cause shell rot. I may try to do some hardier zoas or something down the road.
also, what test kits would you recommend? Kinds and brands.
thanks in advance for any tips and advice etc. I’m 100% a total noob and I’m really not in a rush. A build probably won’t start till next fall, but it would be nice to have an idea for what equipment to get so I can snag deals.