First of all, I am new to this hobby, I probably need a book for all the acronyms you guys throw around 
Secondly, I have some hermit crabs, about 12 tiny ones, and one giant one (I have aptly named him DESTRUCTOR). I also have 4 damsels and a serpent star. I bought a new live rock the other day with some purple (Coralline?) algae on it and some tiny feather dusters, and I think it even had a snail on it. Anyways, I believe the hermits are eating all the good plants off of it. My lights probably arent good enough to grow anything anyways (2x15watt fluorescents, 1 actinic 03, 1 10k spectrum), but I would like to build some sort of shelf to put the live rocks on to keep the crabs off. I enjoy watching them but they eat everything they can! lol. I even fed the big guy a frozen silverside the other day, yet he never stops eating.
Thirdly, my serpent star just hides under rocks (I think Destructor trying to eat him a few times scared him) He is nocturnal, but I have yet to see him moving around.
You probably are curious about my setup, so here goes in my simpleton terms
25 gallon tank (24" x 12" x 20")
live sand
substrate
penguin power filter 100
1 power head
heater (78 degrees)
dual fluorescent (have a few issues with this fixture if anyone can help)
about 4 live rocks and 2 base rocks, basically 2 caves.
I put a filter bag in to remove phosphates, because I was at .5ppm and the pet store gave me this filter to remove them.
I used tap water and water conditioner. Don't have a RO machine yet or enough buckets to bring water home from the pet store.
4 damsels
13-15 hermit crabs of varying sizes, one huge
1 serpent star
I think I have a snail somewhere...came with the rock.
no protein skimmer as of yet, I know I probably need one.
I would like to actually grow some stuff, but my bulbs probably arent sufficient and/or the hermit crabs eat everything before it has a chance.
The hydrometer reads in safe range (around 1.022-1.023)
Any advice, tips, extra equipment you guys may have laying around would be very helpful. Thanks for your time!
Secondly, I have some hermit crabs, about 12 tiny ones, and one giant one (I have aptly named him DESTRUCTOR). I also have 4 damsels and a serpent star. I bought a new live rock the other day with some purple (Coralline?) algae on it and some tiny feather dusters, and I think it even had a snail on it. Anyways, I believe the hermits are eating all the good plants off of it. My lights probably arent good enough to grow anything anyways (2x15watt fluorescents, 1 actinic 03, 1 10k spectrum), but I would like to build some sort of shelf to put the live rocks on to keep the crabs off. I enjoy watching them but they eat everything they can! lol. I even fed the big guy a frozen silverside the other day, yet he never stops eating.
Thirdly, my serpent star just hides under rocks (I think Destructor trying to eat him a few times scared him) He is nocturnal, but I have yet to see him moving around.
You probably are curious about my setup, so here goes in my simpleton terms
25 gallon tank (24" x 12" x 20")
live sand
substrate
penguin power filter 100
1 power head
heater (78 degrees)
dual fluorescent (have a few issues with this fixture if anyone can help)
about 4 live rocks and 2 base rocks, basically 2 caves.
I put a filter bag in to remove phosphates, because I was at .5ppm and the pet store gave me this filter to remove them.
I used tap water and water conditioner. Don't have a RO machine yet or enough buckets to bring water home from the pet store.
4 damsels
13-15 hermit crabs of varying sizes, one huge
1 serpent star
I think I have a snail somewhere...came with the rock.
no protein skimmer as of yet, I know I probably need one.
I would like to actually grow some stuff, but my bulbs probably arent sufficient and/or the hermit crabs eat everything before it has a chance.
The hydrometer reads in safe range (around 1.022-1.023)
Any advice, tips, extra equipment you guys may have laying around would be very helpful. Thanks for your time!
