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Mr. Aqua 17.1 - tank crash :(


hinnenkm

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After almost 3 years in the saltwater hobby, I am finally to the point where I am proud enough to show my tank off. Before putting any pics up or before I get to talking about my Mr. Aqua, I want to quick give some background info...

I have always wanted a fish tank, but when I was younger only had bettas because my mom said an aquarium was too much work. Fast forward to July of 2011 and I got a 20L with live rock and water from someone who downsized his 180 gallon. In that tank, I stocked it with a normal clean up crew as well as a false percula, green chromis, and clown goby.

In November of 2012, I made the decision to get a mandarin dragonet and finally had my dream fish. I also had added a sea urchin to my tank inhabitants.

I spent a fair amount of money on pods and by mixing pods with frozen mysis, I was able to train my mandarin to eat just frozen. There was also a decent population in my tank to keep him satisfied.

Fast forward again to the summer of 2013. I bought a used biocube off Craigslist because I wanted a bit more room for my tank inhabitants, but was going to move to a new place myself and because of that, I was waiting to just transfer everything as I was moving. Well, the transfer to the biocube happened sooner than planned because the 20L started leaking (thankfully I was home as it was happening). I still don't know why the leak started....?!

So, I quickly got everything into the biocube - even though it was sitting on the floor in my apartment.

About a month later, I moved into the new place and the tank move went smoothly as well!

The cube stayed until this past February when after a lot of thinking and looking at various tanks, I decided to downsize and go for a cleaner/easier/smaller set-up. While everything was in the cube, I purchased a female mandarin to pair with my male. I bought her in November and also got her trained on frozen (this process was a lot faster because I think she learned from the male). She is still doing great!


As mentioned, in February my Mr. Aqua arrived and shortly after, I made the tank transfer. Most of the inhabitants went into my 17 gallon, but some live rock and my chromis went into another 20L that I have set up in a different room. I am so happy with this new set-up and spend way too much time staring at my tank! I wanted to finally start a thread to share my tank and also to get opinions on it as well as suggestions to make it even better. Thanks for reading!

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SquishyFishy

What a sweetie pie of a Mandy! He's blowing us a kiss!

 

I really wish I had one , but couldn't get up the nerve to try. Until one of my other fish succumb or I get a larger tank with sump, I will not :( But I can watch yours :P

 

Keep posting!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looks great Katie. The hammer looks good, is the nem wedged in the middle rock?

Thanks! Yes, that is the nem - well part of it because it split last week. The larger half I've got in my 20L. This one is attached to a small piece of rock leaning against another, but not smooshed at all. Thanks again for the pieces - hope your tank is doing well!

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Looking good so far! I am in the process of putting together a low iron 17.1 gallon tank myself.

Thank you :)

I'd love to see how yours turns out - it's a great size tank and it's nice seeing what different people do with it!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I like your pics. I have the same tank. I wish mine would hurry and grow out. Your tank is really cool.

Thanks, I have been reading your thread - they are great looking tanks. Yours will be incredible when it all grows out!

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  • 3 weeks later...
aviator300

I had to come over and check out yours...WOW, i hope mine looks half as good in a few months..Nice.

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I had to come over and check out yours...WOW, i hope mine looks half as good in a few months..Nice.

Thank you!! I appreciate that - definitely a work in progress, but what a great hobby :)

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  • 1 month later...

I was gone from the tank for a little over a week, but it's doing good!
When I got back, I noticed that the clownfish is finally hosting one of the nems :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

I haven't updated this thread for awhile. To be honest, I hadn't been very happy with my tank and really didn't know which direction I wanted to go with it. Long story short is that quite awhile back, the water had been kind of cloudy and so I put phosphate remover into the back of my filter. Well, that made the zoas pretty angry and for the life of me, I couldn't make the connection between the two. Fast forward a couple months and now my water is clear, I have a new small protein skimmer, my zoas are happy (and starting to grow!), and my tank is getting back to where I would like to have it :)

We also had our local frag swap and I picked up some cool new pieces. Hope you enjoy - and please feel free to leave comments/suggestions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 8 months later...

This tank has now been up and running for just under a year and a half :) Through that time, there have been many, many changes and it's finally getting to a point where I am comfortable with the stability of this system. My goal is to keep this set up simple. There is no sump, I have a hang on back aqua clear filter and I am running chemipure, I have a cheap powerhead, and every once and awhile I run a small skimmer.

As far as lighting, I am running a nanobox duo that I got in April of this year.

Tank inhabitants include a pair of clowns, a male mandarin dragonet, and a red banded pipefish.

Hopefully you enjoy, and please leave any comments/questions, as I am always looking for ways to improve!!

 

Now for an almost full tank shot:

 

20231902115_b1ed336544_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

Clowns:

20045227029_53bc23687d_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

My dragonet:

20231831925_efe5547a46_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

Various shots:

20043872708_6db6fcedb4_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

20043840720_5b6a8f0c9e_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

19610869393_0d2689caf7_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

20223542792_1f84348046_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

20205524636_867ac966b3_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

19609174294_29312ecd51_c.jpgSaltwater by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

So the reef has gone through quite a few changes and a move as well since the last update.
To keep it simple, the tank now houses my red banded pipefish, a pair of clowns, and a pair of ruby red dragonets who have now been spawning nightly! The mandarins that I had in here are now in my 30 gallon and enjoying their extra space.

Here's a few pics, thanks for looking…

 

24784560775_ae204178c9_c.jpgIMG_7096 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24416890239_642e6b847c_c.jpgIMG_7284 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24666740812_7a22f0e847_c.jpgIMG_7661 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24784558005_353ba862f5_c.jpgIMG_7892 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24489024160_88c2207fc5_c.jpgIMG_7893 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24157693313_4ffc90a7f3_c.jpgIMG_8066 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24758331026_0e8374157d_c.jpgIMG_8070 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24156391074_fe5804dc07_c.jpgIMG_8069 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24691049491_b4fe7f991f_c.jpgIMG_8072 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24416883679_8a44c63c76_c.jpgIMG_8163 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24666736672_fbd43e6525_c.jpgIMG_8166 by katieh4002, on Flickr

 

24758333546_0afda56149_c.jpgIMG_8162 by katieh4002, on Flickr

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  • 2 months later...

Wow, how did I miss your thread? This is a beautiful tank! Great job on the pictures, too :)

 

What is the critter on the powerhead?

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Wow, how did I miss your thread? This is a beautiful tank! Great job on the pictures, too :)

 

What is the critter on the powerhead?

Thank you!! I don't update this too often, but post a lot more on Instagram (KMORRIS0686). The animal on the powerhead is a gold ring cowrie and one of my favorite animals because they eat most kinds of algae, especially hair algae, really quickly.

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Thank you!! I don't update this too often, but post a lot more on Instagram (KMORRIS0686). The animal on the powerhead is a gold ring cowrie and one of my favorite animals because they eat most kinds of algae, especially hair algae, really quickly.

Thanks! I will remember that for a future tank :)

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  • 2 months later...
blizzardscout2

Agreed, very beautiful. That Cowrie is cool looking. I think one of my LFS had one like it a few years ago. How long have you had it?

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Agreed, very beautiful. That Cowrie is cool looking. I think one of my LFS had one like it a few years ago. How long have you had it?

They're fun animals and I don't know exactly how long it's been... Several months? I've got a couple in other tanks too and just recently purchased a strawberry cowrie for my classroom tank!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just looked up a picture of the strawberry cowrie, wow! Are they at risk around anemones?

I'm just now seeing this, sorry!! It has been one of the coolest inverts I've had yet, but I don't know how it would be with anemones (if you've got bubble tips). I do have it with a couple rock flowers though and nothing has happened. Hasn't bothered anything else either... :)

Beautiful pictures! Love to see more updates!

Thank you! That means a lot because I've really admired all your tanks and pictures! I need to get better at updating this thread and always have good intentions to do so. I definitely post more on Instagram just because of how easy it is, but maybe I'll update here tomorrow.

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