My 15 gallons of the ocean!

[ralquist]

What's the longest time you have had it running?

This happened when I set it up, and when I added some packet to help clear the water.

I just let it run with the white cap off of the thing that stick out of the cup, and let it train back into the tank.

Also, do you know that you twist the cup to adjust the water level? I did this, and had the bubbles very low, and then that's when it started skimming.

I've had it going 24/7 but now just off. I played around last night adjusting the skimmer body at/below/above the water line, if I have the air line wide open it will overflow instantly and adjusting by turning the cup will slow this down a touch but still overflowing fast. If I move the air line adjustment even a little it will fill the tank with microbubbles. It worked fine for a week now something has changed, need to pull it out and look at it.
I am assuming you are using the middle back chamber for this between the overflow and return?
With your air line adjustment, is "wide open" with the turn knob adjustment parallel with the air line tubing?
How often are you having to dump your collection cup or are you letting this just go back into the aquarium with the white overflow cap off?
Sorry for the interrogation, trying to work this out in my head!
Thanks for taking time to look at this, I can just DM you if you'd rather keep it off your build thread! Hope you have a great day!

 

[ralquist]

A pistol shrimp isn't like a mantis shrimp. It's not going to break your glass. They dig, but the only thing they could do that could damage glass is tumble rock by tunneling under it which shouldn't be possible if you place your rockwork directly on the glass. A tiger or Randall's pistol shrimp would never be able to take down a healthy cleaner shrimp.

Completely agree with cthulukelele, no worries with a glass tank. They keep to themselves, burrow and hide. Rarely seen (mine anyway) but if another shrimp/crab/fish gets close to its lair will pop pop pop with the claw to scare them away but that is about the extent of their aggression. I've had mine almost a year, I only know he is still in there because I can hear the pops every night! Lost my 2 different gobies that paired with it so its been running stag for quite a while. I have a pistol/goby pair ordered for the 15 last week!

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Completely agree with cthulukelele, no worries with a glass tank. They keep to themselves, burrow and hide. Rarely seen (mine anyway) but if another shrimp/crab/fish gets close to its lair will pop pop pop with the claw to scare them away but that is about the extent of their aggression. I've had mine almost a year, I only know he is still in there because I can hear the pops every night! Lost my 2 different gobies that paired with it so its been running stag for quite a while. I have a pistol/goby pair ordered for the 15 last week!

How loud are they?

My tank is in my bedroom, but I am a pretty deep sleeper so I don't know lol.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I've had it going 24/7 but now just off. I played around last night adjusting the skimmer body at/below/above the water line, if I have the air line wide open it will overflow instantly and adjusting by turning the cup will slow this down a touch but still overflowing fast. If I move the air line adjustment even a little it will fill the tank with microbubbles. It worked fine for a week now something has changed, need to pull it out and look at it.
I am assuming you are using the middle back chamber for this between the overflow and return?
With your air line adjustment, is "wide open" with the turn knob adjustment parallel with the air line tubing?
How often are you having to dump your collection cup or are you letting this just go back into the aquarium with the white overflow cap off?
Sorry for the interrogation, trying to work this out in my head!
Thanks for taking time to look at this, I can just DM you if you'd rather keep it off your build thread! Hope you have a great day!

Your good!

I will check my skimmer when I get home, but I believe it is horizontal.

I don't change the skimmer cup for at least a week.

 

[Cthulukelele]

How loud are they?

My tank is in my bedroom, but I am a pretty deep sleeper so I don't know lol.

I can hear it in the living room from the office, but it's not an extremely abrasive noise. It's a very sharp "Tttt" noise like when you open a bottle of soda. They often do it more than once in a row to scare things out of their hole.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Your good!

I will check my skimmer when I get home, but I believe it is horizontal.

I don't change the skimmer cup for at least a week.

Never mind - It's vertical.

 

[ralquist]

Never mind - It's vertical.

Right on thank you! I will have to see what is going on with mine when I get home.

As for the shrimp noise, I can hear it in another room and down the hall but I don't think its ever woken me up. If so it would have been evicted a long time ago ! Mine is pretty contestant about popping around the time the lights ramp down, if possible I'll see if I can take a video to record the sound to give you an idea! I googled it and didn't find any accurate descriptions.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I can hear it in the living room from the office, but it's not an extremely abrasive noise. It's a very sharp "Tttt" noise like when you open a bottle of soda. They often do it more than once in a row to scare things out of their hole.

Right on thank you! I will have to see what is going on with mine when I get home.

As for the shrimp noise, I can hear it in another room and down the hall but I don't think its ever woken me up. If so it would have been evicted a long time ago ! Mine is pretty contestant about popping around the time the lights ramp down, if possible I'll see if I can take a video to record the sound to give you an idea! I googled it and didn't find any accurate descriptions.

I am thinking of getting a Randalls pistol shrimp, which is smaller, so I assume it won't be as loud?

I also have heard the tiger pistols can push a lot of sand around, and move big frags to their caves... I thought because the Randall would be smaller I wouldn't have to worry about it as much?

 

[Cthulukelele]

I am thinking of getting a Randalls pistol shrimp, which is smaller, so I assume it won't be as loud?

I also have heard the tiger pistols can push a lot of sand around, and move big frags to their caves... I thought because the Randall would be smaller I wouldn't have to worry about it as much?

At your tank size a Randall's makes sense. Randall's pair better with smaller shrimp gobies though usually than the watchman just because they're so tiny. Here are a few I'd recommend for a Randall's:

Yasha goby
Wheelers goby
Hi fin goby
Orange striped prawn goby (this is the natural one they pair with in the wild)
Dracula goby
Pink bar goby

Most of these stay smaller. Orange striped get pretty long but none of these are nearly as thick as a watchman goby which is the big issue they have with navigating Randall's pistol shrimp holes

 

[Cthulukelele]

A word of caution though none of these are as bulletproof level hardy as a watchman goby and a couple of them are somewhat delicate for gobies so just keep that in mind

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for a new light? I hate the one I have right now.

I wish I could get an AI prime, but it's 150% more then my tank, so that's not happening lol.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

At your tank size a Randall's makes sense. Randall's pair better with smaller shrimp gobies though usually than the watchman just because they're so tiny. Here are a few I'd recommend for a Randall's:

Yasha goby
Wheelers goby
Hi fin goby
Orange striped prawn goby (this is the natural one they pair with in the wild)
Dracula goby
Pink bar goby

Most of these stay smaller. Orange striped get pretty long but none of these are nearly as thick as a watchman goby which is the big issue they have with navigating Randall's pistol shrimp holes

Well than I don't think I can get a pair then, because I know that I am picking up either a yellow/pink WG, and if they won't pair with a Randall's than I don't think I can get a pair...

 

[Cthulukelele]

Well than I don't think I can get a pair then, because I know that I am picking up either a yellow/pink WG, and if they won't pair with a Randall's than I don't think I can get a pair...

They will pair, it's just more likely that they'll get separated periodically especially once the watchman is an adult

 

[Cthulukelele]

And honestly I wouldn't really suggest a watchman WITHOUT a pistol shrimp they're very neurotic frantic swimming jumpers usually if they don't have a cave to live in with a shrimp

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

And honestly I wouldn't really suggest a watchman WITHOUT a pistol shrimp they're very neurotic frantic swimming jumpers usually if they don't have a cave to live in with a shrimp

Alright, I will get a Randall's, but I won't be able to get one for a little bit, because I will have to order it online, and even though it's spring, it's snowing and 22F out so I would like to wait til the weathers in the 60s, so probably 2 or 3 weeks... Will that be ok?

 

[Cthulukelele]

Alright, I will get a Randall's, but I won't be able to get one for a little bit, because I will have to order it online, and even though it's spring, it's snowing and 22F out so I would like to wait til the weathers in the 60s, so probably 2 or 3 weeks... Will that be ok?

Do you have a lid? Probably, but just keep an eye out. Regardless with a firefish you should have a good lid

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Do you have a lid? Probably, but just keep an eye out. Regardless with a firefish you should have a good lid

Yes, I do, nothing can get through it lol.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Yes, I do, nothing can get through it lol.

Then you're likely good, but I'd like to give one more push that you should at least check out those other shrimp gobies I listed and see if one grabs you as they'll be happier in your tank size. If you're set on a watchman, it'll likely work, but it'll be TIGHT imo

 

[jabberwock]

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for a new light? I hate the one I have right now.

I wish I could get an AI prime, but it's 150% more then my tank, so that's not happening lol.

Kessil Tuna Blue A 80
Kessil Gooseneck
Kessil Spectral Controller

I run 2 of these on my 25 gal lagoon. You could get by with one I think. You can hold off on the controller if you need to space out the cost, but you will definitely want it on down the road.

This light is going to work for softies and LPS, not powerful enough for SPS.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Kessil Tuna Blue A 80
Kessil Gooseneck
Kessil Spectral Controller

I run 2 of these on my 25 gal lagoon. You could get by with one I think. You can hold off on the controller if you need to space out the cost, but you will definitely want it on down the road.

This light is going to work for softies and LPS, not powerful enough for SPS.

Thanks, that adds up to about the cost of the AI prime, so is an AI prime worth it? Will it be powerful enough for sps? What about a used one?