Lr Question.

[doktor doris]

Iam thinking more and more seriously about setting up a salt tank.

What I want to know is, if I set up a tank, with the correct water mix at the correct temp, is there a limit to how long I can have just live rock in tank with nothing else?
No skimmer, no filter-nothing.

The reason is I would love to see worms, fans and all the other fascinating stuff appear from the rock, but after buying another tank, heater, salt and LR I couldnt afford the rest of the kit for a couple of months.
But Iam desperate to have a salty tank!

doris

 

[rabbut]

You'd need the tank, at least enough pumps to turn over 10 times the water volume an hour and heat to keep the rock alive. Lights would be good for any free corals that come with it if you can have some over the rock also...It can be ran without a skimmer perfectly fine I personally would not add a filter to a marine tank if I set another up as it's high-maintenance, but I'll grin and bear it now I have one on it...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[doktor doris]

Thanks mate.

Just one more thing is it true that Mantis shrimps can swedge their way out of the tank should they feel so inclined?

Because I have read of them coming in on live rock, and I think they are amazing.
But Id be jolly displeased if they were to punch the glass to freedom!

ta

doris

 

[Buddyboy67]

Clubbers can break glass yes..but chances of them appearing is slim..saying that i did get a pistol in the nano from lr..
Many keep mantis now and using acrylic compound tanks is your best bet..especially for the big guys like peacocks

 

[TigerIssey]

Some Mantis are smashers some are spearers. The velocity of a spearer is 10m/s and lasts a few milliseconds. They are large in size and live in sand and mud. Smashers reach a force similar to that of a 22 caliber bullet they use this to pulverise prey. They live amongst rock and coral rubble.

I would think both would be capable of damage to an aquarium.

 

[doktor doris]

Hehe neat!

I love Mantises (I like the way you referred to them as 'clubbers', quite apposite)

I like all the non-fish marine stuff, what really appeals to me are nudibranchs, but I have read online that all the great looking ones can only eat a particualar sponge/coral and if you fail to provide that they starve to death.

Shame as they can look amazing, unless aquarium science has invented a nudibranch food of late.

doris

Some Mantis are smashers some are spearers. The velocity of a spearer is 10m/s and lasts a few milliseconds. They are large in size and live in sand and mud. Smashers reach a force similar to that of a 22 caliber bullet they use this to pulverise prey. They live amongst rock and coral rubble.

I would think both would be capable of damage to an aquarium.

Brilliant!

I remember reading that the liberation of energy involved in a mantis punch causes boiling water and light.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I have often thought about setting up an invert only tank, think it would be really cool (and I love mantis shrimp as well).

Big mantis shrimp in theory can crack glass. This tends to only happen though when digging their burrows and hitting the glass at the bottom of the tank. You can work around this by adding a thick sheet of acrylic and some eggcrate to the bottom of the tank.

With regards to the LR, as said above as long as you have good water flow you will be fine (lights also useful). In fact it would probably be better for the tank in the long term as you let it get a head start with the micro fauna to get reproducing before you put any predators in there (ie fish).

 

[doktor doris]

Barney,

I have read about people on here with metal halide lamps (which I, as a keen indoor gardener, know is useful for plant's vegetative growth stage)

However, I own a 400w high pressure sodium lamp(which I used for plants in their flowering stage) and ballast, which I used to use for growing..erm Tomatoes indoors.

Do HPS lamps have any use at all for marine setups?

Or shall I just flog it?

thanks

doris

 

[xxBarneyxx]

lol

Short answer is that the light spectrum (as a far as I know) on HPS tubes is not very good for penetrating water so not ideal for reef tanks.

 

[SkiFletch]

That's correct barney, the LAMPS are not suited for marine growth, HOWEVER, the ballasts are just fine. You could easily replace the lamp with a marine spectrum one and use it if you like. Be careful of the heat of the 400 watters though