Thoughts on a Nano for Crabs

[gnatster]

The UNS 3N has been calling for me to fill it with water. A friend has been subtly hinting that I ought to start a crab tank. She's been signing her texts with a crab emoji. Besides, the 60S is humming along, the 5N is going through a babysitter plant phase for at least another month. I need a new project.

From my notes:

Concept:
A Pile of rounded stones covered with various mosses. Pockets of Sagittaria subulata poking up from the rear. Controsoil fine in the rear, inert substrate of black sand and pebbles in the foreground.

Dry start:
Scape, plant, wrap rocks with moss, and add RO water. Add springtails. Cover with plastic wrap.
Mist gently with RO water, and APT Dew a few times a week. Light duration 12 hours. Figure 5-6 weeks before flooding. (House is cooler side at 67F)

Hardware:
Tank - UNS 3N
Light - AquaWorx EOS LED
Heater - Hygger Mini Submersible - 25W
Filter - Aquascape Guide Mini Canister, includes lily pipes and tubing.

Plants:
Sagittaria subulata 'Needle Leaf' - Tropica Tissue Culture Cup
Riccardia Chamedryfolia - Tropica Tissue Culture Cup
Weeping Moss
Flame Moss
Christmas Moss
Mini Bolbitis on Clay Moss Ball

Extra Moss, make a slurry with Controsoil, paint on wood, and various rock types on hand. Place wood and rocks in clear bins on the metal rack, light 12 hrs. More nano ideas up in the ole noggin with these bits.

Thoughts, advice, heckling, and comments, etc, are all welcome, please.

 

[techman81]

Do you already have experience with that filter? Would love to know what you think. I've looked at the UNS Bliss filters about that size, and they are crazy expensive and have poor reviews so would love to find one like that at the better price that performs well for the 2 UNS 5Ns I'm about to get. I was thinking of sticking with the Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100 like I have on my UNS 30C but it's a bit too much for anything under 10 gallons. I've got the output throttled back on the 30C.

 

[gnatster]

Do you already have experience with that filter?

Nope. I'm taking a flyer on this. I, too, have looked at the Blitz and a host of other nano canisters. The price was right on the ASG. It had Cyber Monday pricing. I hemmed and hawed for a while, then a 15% off coupon arrived. At that deal, I ordered each of the lily pipe types, too. If I'm going to experiment, I may as well go all in with the discount.

I found the construction of the Blitz unappealing. Maintenance looks to be a headache. To open it, the bottom unscrews. It's fine-threaded and appears easy to cross-thread and gall.

Checked out minicompletetank filters. The steep price cuts and international shipping turned me off.

I've used a Zoomed one before. It's functional. The ASG looks nicer. If it proves to be worthy, I'll probably get some nicer tubing than the clear tubing it comes with.

I was thinking of sticking with the Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100

Have the same on a 5T. It's way too much flow even with a 5-foot head. I'm thinking of adding a gate valve to adjust flow. The OASE valves cannot be fine-tuned.

 

[techman81]

I've used a Zoomed one before. It's functional. The ASG looks nicer. If it proves to be worthy, I'll probably get some nicer tubing than the clear tubing it comes with.

Yeah, I have an Oase Filtosmart 60 which is nearly identical to the Zoo Med. I've used it on a 10 gallon short term tank but it's not very user friendly.

 

[VJM]

I like the Zoo Meds flow wise for small tanks but absolutely hate the slider closures. It may just be me, but it requires a wrestling match every time to open the thing up. I found one on Temu that is identical but has lever closures, and so far so good. If anyone is interested I can post the name.

I am also extremely interested in how the mini canister works out.

 

[techman81]

I like the Zoo Meds flow wise for small tanks but absolutely hate the slider closures. It may just be me, but it requires a wrestling match every time to open the thing up. I found one on Temu that is identical but has lever closures, and so far so good. If anyone is interested I can post the name.

I am also extremely interested in how the mini canister works out.

It's definitely not just you. Like the Zoo Med, the Filtosmart 60 is a pain in the butt to open.

 

[Koan]

Tru is on sale, 50% off






Sexy looking, I haven't used them

 

[techman81]

Tru is on sale, 50% off

View attachment 12061

View attachment 12062


Sexy looking, I haven't used them

Cool! But you're supposed to post this in the thread I just started for nano filters.

 

[Asher E.]

The UNS 3N has been calling for me to fill it with water. A friend has been subtly hinting that I ought to start a crab tank. She's been signing her texts with a crab emoji. Besides, the 60S is humming along, the 5N is going through a babysitter plant phase for at least another month. I need a new project.

From my notes:

Concept:
A Pile of rounded stones covered with various mosses. Pockets of Sagittaria subulata poking up from the rear. Controsoil fine in the rear, inert substrate of black sand and pebbles in the foreground.

Dry start:
Scape, plant, wrap rocks with moss, and add RO water. Add springtails. Cover with plastic wrap.
Mist gently with RO water, and APT Dew a few times a week. Light duration 12 hours. Figure 5-6 weeks before flooding. (House is cooler side at 67F)

Hardware:
Tank - UNS 3N
Light - AquaWorx EOS LED
Heater - Hygger Mini Submersible - 25W
Filter - Aquascape Guide Mini Canister, includes lily pipes and tubing.

Plants:
Sagittaria subulata 'Needle Leaf' - Tropica Tissue Culture Cup
Riccardia Chamedryfolia - Tropica Tissue Culture Cup
Weeping Moss
Flame Moss
Christmas Moss
Mini Bolbitis on Clay Moss Ball

Extra Moss, make a slurry with Controsoil, paint on wood, and various rock types on hand. Place wood and rocks in clear bins on the metal rack, light 12 hrs. More nano ideas up in the ole noggin with these bits.

Thoughts, advice, heckling, and comments, etc, are all welcome, please.

What species of crabs are you thinking? That tank is too small for most.
I think a 5 gallon is big enough for some smaller species though.

Also I had an ASG canister filter before, I kept breaking the lily pipes so I returned it and got a refund ( minus the cost of the pipes)
It was a good filter though.

 

[gnatster]

What species of crabs are you thinking? That tank is too small for most.

Thai Micro Crabs

 

[Asher E.]

Thai Micro Crabs

I’m pretty sure those need at least 5 gallons. But I don’t remember for sure.

 

[gnatster]

I’m pretty sure those need at least 5 gallons. But I don’t remember for sure.

There isn't a lot of info out there on these, and what I have found ranges from 2 to 5 gallons for a colony of 3 to 10 crabs.

 

[gnatster]

Working on this a little more today.

Sorting Rocks



Moss is wrapped or glued to rocks and wood. I started by wrapping with thread, then moved to using thick superglue when I tried to wrap Pellia on a rock.

L-R
Flame Moss - wrap
Christmas Moss - wrap
Weeping Moss - glue
Mini Pellia -glue
Wood has Weeping Moss



In the 3N, not scaped, just sitting on some lava rock for grow out. Added springtails and covered with plastic wrap.



As usual, I overbought moss. Blended the leftovers with a bit of RO water and aquasoil to make a slurry. Generously coated a bunch of lava rock with the paste and placed them in closed containers on a lit shelf next to the Buce I've been growing.