# 9 gallon noob tank



## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

So I did put a few of these pics in another area but I thought I'd make it official and put it here so everyone could see.

This is my 9 Gallon that I've been working on over the last few months and I must admit I like it so much that I've decided to make my 30 gallon a saltwater now.

The lighting was all DIY with 4 Cree cool white and 4 Royal Blue with dimmers. The power supplies were hacked from my Sega Genesis collection.

The only problem I've been having so far with the tank is one of the hermits seems to have an appetite for snails. I can't seem to keep any in there long enough to clean anything.









First month of the tank doing the cycle and stuff.









FTS









The white lights are dimmed a bit to see how it looked









Same shot as the one before but with more white light


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## corpusse (Jan 3, 2011)

hermits and snails don't really mix well for the above reason.

If I were you I'd get rid of one of the other. Snails are much better cleaners then hermits.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

thanks for the advice. I might get a refugium going in the next few weeks and then I'll throw the hermits in there for the time.

Although I'm still working on getting my 30 gallon converted to a saltwater setup.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Alt, whenever you're trying to mix hermits and snails in a tank, it's best to have lots of empty shells of various sizes scattered around the tank for the hermits to move into. Often a hermit sees a snail, kills it, and only THEN decides if it wants to wear the shell or not- they are very picky and have a lengthy process in choosing. Having the shells isn't a sure defense against a crab killing a snail, but it gives the snails a much better chance.

Also some larger species of hermit crabs are predatory beasts, but you wouldn't be buying those species for algae eating.

I have LOTS of shells if you are near and want to pickup some.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Thanks for the advice Will. This is exactly what's happening in the tank anyways. The two hermits have killed 4 snails and I added 3 shells in there also to make sure they had a place to go when they were ready. There is one turbo snail and two nass snails left and the crabs have seemed to leave them alone for now.


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## explor3r (Mar 14, 2010)

If you want I can come over and clean it for you..lol..lets go for the 30


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

explor3r said:


> If you want I can come over and clean it for you..lol..lets go for the 30


Ha, as long as you're the one that tells my wife what we're doing. I haven't said that I'm switching it over yet.


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## explor3r (Mar 14, 2010)

altcharacter said:


> Ha, as long as you're the one that tells my wife what we're doing. I haven't said that I'm switching it over yet.


Who said switching...lol


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

It's a freshwater tank right now with angels. So I'll be selling off all the inhabitants


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

The wife said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## explor3r (Mar 14, 2010)

altcharacter said:


> The wife said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

altcharacter said:


> The wife said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


how much it cost you ?

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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

sig said:


> how much it cost you ?


LOL maybe he was honest and up-front with her from the get-go.... 

Usually works for me... however I tried to bribe her with brand new clothes once, but instead she asked me to build a deck at the cottage (which I wanted to do anyway)


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

sig said:


> how much it cost you ?


Amazingly I was pretty honest with her. We were cleaning out a room that we're making into her craft/hobby room and I had a 10 gallon tank in there doing nothing. She asked me what I was going to do with it and I then asked her if she wanted the freshwater tank to be saltwater....so I could make the 10 gallon into a refuge. She was like "Sure, it's not like you're bringing home a new tank. You're just changing the one we have."

We've also agreed a long time ago that we wouldn't get anything larger than the 30 gallon until the basement was renovated. It's finished now but it's decorated like it's the 70's


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