Been keeping tank at 85-90.

[DustinKeating]

So it turns out that i'm better suited for something like the special olympics rather than reef-keeping. My thermometer is ridiculously designed, and so what looks like 70, is actually 80. Therefor, i've been keeping my tank at somewhere around 85-90 for the last 5+ months. I haven't lost any fish, but corals are a different story.

First my hydrometer is off three points, and now my thermometer (plus my ignorance) has caused ridiculous problems...anyone want a 20 gallon reef...free? before i kill everything?

And to think i work at a fish store, as the "marine guy".

 

[OCCFan023]

well you could just get a new thermometer and then try again . As for the hydrometer you could always get a refractrometer at drfostersmith's sale. Everyone makes mistakes, part of the learning process.

But if you really reallllly want to give it away, Ill be glad to take it ahah

 

[1979camaro]

don't give up hope...just fix it and move on...thats how the hobby goes sometimes

 

[SALTY WATERS]

Live and learn man! Just lower the temp over a the next couple weeks, that way you don't shock evrything; but ya don't give up!

 

[JeLeAk]

you stink you should be ashamed of yourself just quit your job and give everything to me *BOUNCINGS

 

[DustinKeating]

Oh i would never actually quit that easy. I've put too much money into corals that just die immediately to quit over a broken thermometer, but i do feel stupid.

Man, i cant believe clowns can adjust to this temperature. I 've thought in my last 6 or so months "man, clowns really are begginer fish...they've survived everything"...But 90 degrees! Not to mention the random polyps and mushrooms, although it hurts to think of everything i could have had but boiled.

continue to poke and laugh.

 

[OCCFan023]

continue to poke and laugh.

^^^yup, just be careful what you poke *BOUNCINGS

 

[Fish Friend]

Dont give up !!! in my 10g freshwater everything is ging down hill... there is ich.. plants dying... filter playing up and heater is 10 yrs old and playing up !!!!!!!! lol

 

[Lotus]

Some of the thermometers are pretty hard to read. I know some of the cheapie ones we have are almost impossible to get a good reading from, except to see if it's in the "green zone." The digital thermometers are nice, and not much chance of reading them wrong.

At least now you know why your corals weren't doing so well. Experience is a great teacher

 

[DustinKeating]

Exactly, i've got tons of mistakes to learn from now.

Now i'm going to try and introduce some wild caught hermits into the tank, hopefully this doens't end the same way. suggestions for this maybe>?

 

[1979camaro]

wild caught hermits from where?

 

[dbacksrat]

unless you are somewhere in the tropics i wouldn't add anything wild caught to your tank--too many things could go wrong

 

[DustinKeating]

you're probably right, i'm definately not in the tropics. The crabs are from the north umberland straight. Which is in between Nova Scotia and PEI. The crabs are always found in the shallow, where the water fluctuates between 65-90 degrees (in the tide pools). I hope they work out, although i'm starting to think it might be a bad idea. So far they just seem to have done a wicked job on the substrate.

Any specific reasons why i shouldn't add them, other than dying and eating coral?

 

[OCCFan023]

they could bring some nasty thing in from the ocean that could probably really mess your system up.


What are you adding just like cleaning crabs or like big unique kinds?

 

[DustinKeating]

Just small hermit crabs, smaller than a 10cent coin. All the other store bought crabs are substantially larger, not that it's something that matters...but atleast they wont have any new competition.

A lot of other local reefers have been thinking about trying themselves, i guess i'm the only one stupid enough to try. I know snails have been kept with success, i dont know why hermits would be that much different. The water around here is very clean, infact 90% of the reefers around here use 100% natural sea water.

Still though, i do want to hear what everyone thinks about this. Whether good or bad.

 

[dbacksrat]

these hermits may need occassional air exposure (low tide) for survival...they probably can't survive a constant "tropical" temperature

 

[supahtim]

don't forget that they are also coldwater hermit crabs. i was tempted to bring some home when i was in New Brunswick, but i didn't know what to feed them or how to even take care of them. so i left them alone.

i know how you feel about the heat thing. my tank was at 87 for probably a month or so before i realized i was reading the thermometer wrong. i went straight out and got myself a digital thermometer (8 bucks, good deal! petsmart doesn't realize how much they're worth i guess. haha). peace of mind is a wonderful thing though. now if only i hadn't been so lazy and actually went out and gotten the tank drilled before i set it up... haha

 

[DustinKeating]

Glad to hear i'm not the only one who read them wrong, I was considering a digital one...i get petstore discount, so there's really no excuse for me.

There's a guy on another forum with the same problem. But there are answers, just a lot scarier than drilling it before hand.

So far the hermits seem to be doing really well, and they've eaten a patch of cyanobacteria that was there for a little while. I also realized that they can't climb rock because they dont walk like other hermits, they kind of scuttle. I've been keeping a really close eye for dead ones, my tanks only 20 gallon with a rock structure that lends itself to viewing every spot on the tank, So i'll hopefully notice any dead ones...hopefully.