Snail, Protein Skimmer, and Top Off Questions

[travie]

What kind of snail should I add to my tank: cerith or astraea?
Which is the better quality brand of protein skimmer: SeaClone or Coralife?
Anybody know of places online to buy auto top off units for cheap?

I'm not sure which snail would be best suited for my 10g. They both have cleaning abilities I could use. When I finally do get a skimmer, those are the two most likely brands and I have no experience with either. Now, the auto top off unit, I figure being a 10g tank, if I go on vacation for even 2 to 3 days, SG will get way high, so I am just looking into different auto top off units. Thank you to anyone who replies.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

What kind of snail should I add to my tank: cerith or astraea?Both
Which is the better quality brand of protein skimmer: SeaClone or Coralife? Coralife without a doubt
Anybody know of places online to buy auto top off units for cheap? www.autotopoff.com


Answers in red. :)

[Halelorf]

I agree with goldbarb exactly. In my 15 gallon reef tank I have cerith, astrea, a turbo, mythrax crab, a stomatella, 4 scarlet hermits. My 10 gallon quarantine has some ceriths, some astrea, and a turbo. You want to go for a mix in your clean up crew as they all eat different things. Coralife without a doubt. I don't use an auto top-off so I can't comment on that.

[travie]

I figured Turbos would get too big for a 10g.

[Halelorf]

I would only put a max of 1-2 turbos in a 10gallon. I also get chestnut turbos which are smaller then the regular ones. You could always trade in your turbo if it gets too large for a smaller one if it becomes a problem.

[xximanoobxx]

Agree with everyone else,
but you might wanna look on to the Tunze osmolator...
But it's too expensive...
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~action~view~idProduct~TZ4111~idCategor y~FIDPETPU~category~Plug_in_Units-Electric_Powered-Dosing_Pumps_Top_Off-Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies~vendor~~tab~0.html

I just looked at the auto top off website... It looks pretty cool...
I think that would be better and cheaper...
If u get the one from the autotopoff website, I would get an aqualifter...
It's cheap and it works pretty well..

[travie]

Well, it looks like I got a margarita snail instead of an astraea snail. Will a margarita snail be okay in my 10g? I'm still planning on getting a cerith or a nassarius. Which one would be better? I'm thinking nassarius.

[xximanoobxx]

both... lol

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Both. The Nassarius will stay under the surface of the sand until you put food in the tank, then they will come out. They are detritivores and they are great sand sifters. I'd personally get 2-3 Nassarius for that tank.

[travie]

Picked up 2 nassarius snails today. They hit the sand digging, so it will be awhile before they are visible for pictures.