A Few Equipment Questions

[fish addict]

I was curious about the skilter filter systems. Does anyone have any experience (good/bad) with them?

I am also wondering if I really need an actinic light for my 20g FOWLR. I have an 18 W actinic with an 18 daylight and my live rock looks ok, but it isn't great. I have a 10g LRO (soon to have an inhabitant...any suggestions?). This tank has 2 10W compact flourescents and the live rock is amazing. The sand and crushed coral have great color and there is a lot of growth on the rocks. The rock in both tanks came from the same order and both tanks have the same water parameters. For these set ups am I better just using compacts, or do I need the actinic?

 

[OrionGirl]

Actinics are helpful for algaes and corals, but if that's the ONLY light you have on there, I would swap the actinic bulb for a 50/50. The actinics really limit the spectrum provided, and this can be limiting.

For the 10: I'd go with a mantis.

 

[fish addict]

Yeah, I think a mantis would be cool and a good occupant for my 10g. I really want a tank raised neon pseudochromis, though. I think that it would be fine in a 10g for several months. I plan on setting up a 30g that I will put the pseudo in later.

If I were to get a mantis, would I have to feed it live foods?

 

[OrionGirl]

Nope. They can easily be trained to accept frozen. It is imortant to give them stuff to hit, if you get a crusher, otherwise the can have problems molting the claws.