will the hermits survive without feeding them?

[sinful]

I have about 10 hermits in the tank with about 10lbs of LR that was semi cured. I'm going to wait a couple weeks before putting anything else in there and wondering if they will be ok eating off the lr? they are part of a clean up crew ya? or should I drop some food in there ever couple days?

 

[Sk8r]

They should eat algae. You might drop a very few sinking pellets in, but watch it. I take it this is a very small [10lbs lr=10 gallons?] tank, and you really, really dont' want to overdo it. Also, watch your salinity level for evaporation.

 

[sinful]

yea its a small 14 biocuble. Where will I see the evaporation? in the pump chamber? I'll drop a couple pellets in there maybe once a week or something. I'm still trying to find a way to make an autotopoff

 

[Sk8r]

Measure your salinity with an accurate instrument [refractometer is best with a very small tank: an error is major, there] and put an inconspicuous mark or sticker on the tank side [I'm assuming no sump] so that you have a reference 'fill line' representing the water at 1.025 salinity. Then add a little ro/di water whenever it sinks below that. That will keep the salinity dead-on.

A container of freshwater set higher than the tank and allowed to drip via a hose at a certain rate isn't precise as an autotopoff pump, but it will work to keep you within easy correction.

Ask around among nano-folk for a regular autotopoff that may work for a small tank.

 

[playa0069u]

well with my ten, I just watch where the level is, and ussually daily or every other day, I put some r/o water in there to top it off. I will get you some snails btw, tell me when you can come pick them up. you will still need to buy astrea/ turbo's though, but I will get you the nassarius and ceriths.

 

[alizarin]

I top off my 10 gallon once a week with a jug of water and everything seems very happy.

 

[sinful]

the line thing isn't going to work. I'm pretty sure I'm going to loose the evaporated water from the rear chambers..you agree? It has 3 chambers...overflow intake---wet/dry---return pump. I understand about topping it off though. I still need to get a refrac. I figured I wouldn't need one b/c I would be buying all my mixed saltwater and would know to just top it off with ro when it went down. The store suggested that anyway. Either way, I'm gonna let it do its thing over the holidays without adding anything else to it. I'll be gone for probably a week. I would like to add another 5lbs of LR, anyone have any suggestions for some really nice rock? plus I want to get alot of lr pieces for the 2nd chamber so I can get rid of the wet/dry