one all zoa-mantis tank
by Lucien
INTRO.
hello all, i am very excited about this contest. and really proud to be entering the stock contest, so thanks! my reef experience dates back some months ago, but i have been around them all my life. so while i am still a novice i am learning fast. i already have one 20 gallon mantis tank and a 5.5 gallon nano. both are well and thriving. this one will be the third set up before i start my 65 wide dragon eel tank. i guess i like species tank. however my stock 10 gallon is going to be special. simple but awesome, the specifics are as fallows:

TANK:
just a plain jane 10 gallon tank with a beautiful Vampire Merlot. great for quenching that late night or early morning thirst! i painted the back black primer and that's about it.

LIGHTING:
a small 36watt pc aqua-light deluxe fixture.
12 inch double lamp fixture
2-18 watt 50/50 straight pin compact fluorescent lamps
On / Off switch
Built-in ballasts
Sleek aluminum housing (7"W x 2 1/2"H)
Highly-polished reflector
Acrylic lens cover

TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND MONITORING:
for this i have chosen a 50 watt pro-heat titanium heater, and the temp will be monitored by using the little time or temp thermometer.

FLOW & FILTRATION:
this is something i have been wanting to try for a while, and I'm glad that i get to try it on this project. it is a fluvial canister filter 204.
the fluvial 204 is recommended for no more than 40 gallons and has a flow of 180gph. that's without media... it has all the compartments for filter media that you would use in a sump, and can also be hidden easy. i don't like hang on filters because there to cumbersome and ugly. i also don't like the sight of visible equipment! i will also have one penguin power-head 660 in the tank. (if i can stand to look at it!) it has a flow of 170gph. so 170 +180 = a flow of 350. since that's under 400gph i think I'm good on that. yes!

WATER:
water will be pre-cycled saltwater from my local lfs. the reasons for the pre-cycled water is i have one specific specimen going in the tank next week.

SUBSTRATE AND LIVE ROCK:
the substrate is 20lbs of black moon sand and the live rock will be no more than 10lbs of mixed Fiji and Marshall rock. basically what ever my local lfs has on hand.

CRITTERS:

clean up crew-
astria snails and a few turbos, a fighting conch some hermits and maybe a sally light foot crab.

other inverts-
a blue spear mantis shrimp!

fish- probably not much considering the mantis, who i haven't yet named, eats primarily fish. but I'm going to try some yellow damsels.

corals-
for this tank i want to do a specific all zoanthid tank. the colony of zoas i have chosen is a yellow zoa, cheap and hardy. the only other rock i will be adding is the rock on which the zoas are attached.

that's it! i hope i haven't forgotten any thing. I'm excited about the competition and wish every one in both competitions luck with there tanks!
more pics to come!!!
Lucien

Hey, I have a bottle of that, too! Woo hoo!

Welcome to the contest, looks like a great setup. Good luck!

awesome, have you had a mantis before? they are amazing creatures. the link in my signature has loads of pics.

yes i have a monster of a pecock. his name is bruce. and to day i got another one! my local lfs found him in a live rock order. he has the same orange and white spots as the one in your avitar, travisurfer. what kind is that? he is about a half inch long! pics comming soon!
luscien

Would the Fluval Canister still qualify for the stock category? If so I'm gonna get me one of those myself, it's much easier than getting a hang-on-filter here really.. And so much prettier for the tank!

yes! mark says its ok!!!

awesome, cant wait to catch a glimpse of your spearer... do you happen to know what specie it is? Ive kept quite a few mantis's over the past year, and love every one of them! if my roommates already werent annoyed by my tanks id probably be in this contest... oh wells, good luck!

well i think my spear mantis comes in tomorrow! i have some update pictures but need to develop the film and load it to my computer and all that crap! so... but as of last night the rock work is in and in good shape, i await blueberry (thats is the unofficial name of the mantis) and some zoas, but my beautiful wifey is holding my allowance for a few weeks until some bills get paid. so the zoas might have to wait a while....
until friday, muhahahahahaha!
luscien

I cant wait to see the pics!

I know how the allowence thing goes... Indiana University decides my budget!

ok, here is some pix of the first piece of live stock. my blue spear mantis! i am going to take octobers picture this weekend with a better camera, any way enjoy!









as of today this is a crappy pic. of my tank, all the rest will be much better quallity!



thanks, more pix and better quallity pix are comming on monday!
luscien

well not much has been going on but i did find out a little bit about my new booberry!

though i do not know exactly what he is i do know he is a burrower, and does well in colder water. species like this have been found at temps as low as 45 degrease! any way, he is also nocturnal and will not come out durring the day, which kinda sucks but what can you do. i keep the tem at a constant 77 degrease and he seems to be dooing well. i have to wait until an hour or so after the lights go out to feed him. but he has been eating good. i also added some pink zoas, im not sure if they are going to stay there but there in ther for now. also my fluval idea is in limbo. i got one off ebay and it came with some pices missing. but the seller is sending me another one , so until then i broke down and bought a hang on filter . its quiet and not quit as ugly as i thought it would be, more and more i am begening to like it. other than that nothing! i will get some pix soon but right now im waiting for my OTHER fluval to come in.
until then,
luscien

Looking good, luscien.

Nice mantis shrimp!

just a quick up date. my tank is doing great! every thing is flurishing. so far i have only lost one very small frag of zoas due to blue berry (the mantis) digging and digging. which inturn burried them and i still have not found them. any way, i tried every which way to make my lighting work and still cant do it with in regs. so.. since chris wont let me change it i am simply dropping out. i have put a 96 watt fixture on the tank. and my fluval, finaly! plus i cant find the like on the sight to post anything. i have to wait until some one else posts and then click on there post to get to mine. any way, good luck every one! i will still post pics if thats ok, or if any one is intorested.... until then good luck!
luscien