Simone's Mandarin Manor (Fusion 20) - Moving Madness

[Obsessed Reefer]

Thanks for the info, sounds like a good setup.

 

I got the JBJ light on sale from Premium Aquatics. To make the fuge I'm going to steal jbb's idea to cut pieces of eggcrate to fit the chamber and glue magnets to them to hold in place. The piece at the top would have filter floss on top, then the chaeto, then at the bottom another piece of floss resting on another piece of eggcrate to keep the chaeto in place.

 

Not sure how much research you've done on the mandarins but here's a few things you might find helpful:

 

I've read that pods often don't make it into the display because they are killed by the return pump so to give your mandy's some pods, take a bunch of chaeto out of the fuge and shake it in the display. You might want to do this at night so the pods have time to hide and don't get eaten all at once.

 

You can use pods to supplement their diet but in a nano they must be trained onto frozen to survive. Based on my limited experience and stories from others, I would say that you should always use the breeder box method to train your mandarin. Letting them into the display immediately allows them to avoid the food you are offering and just hunt pods. Both my mandy's ate frozen within a day or two in the box. If you've used the breeder box method for several weeks and they are still only eating the live food (which I don't think is likely) or are emaciated or lethargic, then you should consider rehoming them to a tank with tons of pods before they starve to death. This is why it is so important to get a mandy who is not already starved past help because they will not be able to make it through this process. The Matt Pedersen article describing the breeder box method is in this issue of Coral Magazine:

 

http://coralmagazine...al/20111112#pg1

 

Sorry for the unsolicited advice. I just worry sometimes that people see that I have 2 mandy's in an 8 gallon and underestimate the commitment it takes to keep these fish. Not that I'm an expert and I hope I don't sound stuck up or patronizing. I don't think it's hard to keep mandarins but it does require commitment to training them. They are amazing fish that I think are totally worth the effort.

 

Thank you for the post! I've been slowly reading up on them, and more about fuges. I know that I'd have to get it frozen trained, but I was also looking to setup a fuge for the filtration purpose's as well, as I'm really not liking the protein skimmer I have.

[gena]

Beautiful tank! I love all the gorgonians. Makes me want to have a tank full of them again, when I see tanks like this. They add such graceful movement. I'm excited that you are getting some pieces from Felicia's seahorse tank. She has some really pretty things!!!!!

[Simone]

Beautiful tank! I love all the gorgonians. Makes me want to have a tank full of them again, when I see tanks like this. They add such graceful movement. I'm excited that you are getting some pieces from Felicia's seahorse tank. She has some really pretty things!!!!!

 

Thanks Gena! Yeah I love gorgonians, they are beautiful and create nice vertical lines in our tanks which few corals do. I'm excited about meeting Felicia and I know the livestock will be beautiful and healthy coming from her.

 

 

Soooooo.... the stand is complete!!!

 

It turned out just how I wanted. I designed it and my very talent boyfriend Brady fabricated it (he is a welder and craftsman). I feel so lucky to have such an awesome boyfriend to build stuff for me that I could never ever make myself.

 

It is a steel frame that was powder coated (an industrial metal painting process) seafoam green. The doors and side panels are walnut plywood and the legs are solid walnut.

 

 

steamlessly welded plate steel top (water and salt resistant)

 

powder coated pulls, will ultimately have walnut disks in back of them so light can't shine through when I have a refugium down there

 

walnut legs

 

stand interior with steel bottom panel

 

interior showing back bracing and bracing for the top panel (will be leaving the back open for now)

 

invisible inset hinges (these do take up some room inside for clearance to open the door)

 

showing that the grain on the doors matches perfectly

 

Fingers crossed the tank will be on this beauty and full of livestock by tomorrow night.

 

One more thing, noticed my golden torch was closed just now, then saw that there is some kind of fan worm or something growing inside it. I can see the little fan extending and retracting. What should I do? Superglue over the worm so it doesn't grow any more?

 

[Polarcollision]

wow. what a great stand. I love the neo retro style, too.

[metrokat]

Stand looks very cool.

[NanoFever]

Wow you guys did an awesome job on that stand.

[ninjamyst]

i had the same thing in one of my torch. i think it's a barnacle and even though people say it's harmless, my torch definitely looks irritated by it. i tried glueing the opening but it's still getting bigger...

[gena]

The stand looks incredible. Very nice work. I LOVE the seafoam color and retro style!!!!! It's perfect .

[owenj]

That stand is awesome.

[rocksmom]

Very cool. LOVE the color and the walnut.

[Simone]

Thank you for all the compliments on the stand, I'm so pleased with it. We may try to make a little business out of selling similar custom stands. More on that in the future...

 

The tank is up! It took awhile but everyone is now safely installed in the Fusion 20. I'm too tired to post more now but I will have pics, etc. tomorrow.

 

In the mean time, I wanted to share this video of a fantastically weird type of colonial jellyfish called a siphonophore:

 

[vlangel]

The stand is so beautiful. I can't wait to see it with the tank and fish on it!

[Eckozulu]

I definately need to know when you guys plan on selling stands!!! Put me first on the list for requesting!!!

[Simone]

Ok, Ive got some pictures but they're not that great.

 

I think I'm having a mini cycle, probably due to having so little live rock (going to pick up a piece tomorrow) because I had a positive test for ammonia. It was below 0.25, probably 0.1, I did a water change and the ammonia is gone for now. The result of this has been that most of my gorgs didn't have their polyps out today and other corals were not fully out, thus not great pictures.

 

Other than that, everything is going well. The fish seem content, no signs of stress, all of them ate within a few hours of going into the tank. Twiggy (the pipefish) was actually the most adventurous one when first placed in the tank; she explored the whole tank and tried to make friends with the mandarins who were hunkered down in a corner.

 

More tomorrow, here are the pics and a video:

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0618.jpg.html'>

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0619.jpg.html'>

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0621.jpg.html'>

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0622.jpg.html'>

 

Also here's a video of Hippo renovating his new cave:

 

[erictorres0311]

That's a really great looking stand !! Nice tank I like the look the gorgonias give it . Are they hard to care for, from your experience .

[Simone]

 

That's a really great looking stand !! Nice tank I like the look the gorgonias give it . Are they hard to care for, from your experience .

 

 

 

Thanks, it's a work in progress. All my gorgs are photosynthetic and not difficult to care for. They need reef lighting, a few feedings a week of any food that's good for filter feeders (they can survive without but it's better to feed), and medium flow. The way you know the flow is right is when they move a little in the current but are not being blasted into leaning in one direction. They really need flow or they won't do well. NPS gorgs are a different story, start with the photosynthetic ones. Most of my gorgs are from KP Aquatics, they are a great vendor.

[ninjamyst]

looking great! what's your plan now to fill out the tank?? more gorgs?

[Simone]

looking great! what's your plan now to fill out the tank?? more gorgs?

 

Yes I'm going to be getting a bunch of things from Felicia including some gorgs, a spiral coral, a blue encrusting sponge, and some rics. Other things I would like are a clam, a plate coral, and more zoas to fill out my zoa garden. After the additions from Felicia, I will be buying corals slowly as I'm pretty broke. I would also like to get a male blue stripe pipe and maybe one more fish.

[metrokat]

Hippo thinks he's a jawfish.

[hinnenkm]

Love the video! My tailspot does the same thing to keep his home clean (an old turbo snail shell). They are cool little fish

[erictorres0311]

ok thank you i'm going to look into them I like there look

[Tamberav]

Love it! I would buy a stand like that

[ninjamyst]

Yes I'm going to be getting a bunch of things from Felicia including some gorgs, a spiral coral, a blue encrusting sponge, and some rics. Other things I would like are a clam, a plate coral, and more zoas to fill out my zoa garden. After the additions from Felicia, I will be buying corals slowly as I'm pretty broke. I would also like to get a male blue stripe pipe and maybe one more fish.

 

great plans! looking forward to seeing this fill up. i want to get some gorgs for my Spec V too and plan to make an order with KPA soon before the weather turns really cold.

[gena]

Everything looks fantastic!!!! I forgot how much personality the TSB has .

[Simone]

Thanks for your comments everybody

 

I'm very pleased with the upgrade; it feels so big! It feels so gratifying to see my little buddies zooming around the tank as they never could in the Nuvo 8. There are still two gorgs that haven't opened but I think they will in time. I think that the lack of nitrates may be a shock to them as they are used to living with 2-5 and now they are at 0. I think using the Mini Tide is actually going to be adequate temporarily (until I have the cash for a Duo) once we make a new mounting arm that positions the light higher and centered front to back. Hopefully I will get the corals from Felicia soon and the tank won't look so sparse.

 

So... of course now that I have more space I want more fish. What do you guys think about eventually adding one more dragonet to this tank? Please tell me if I'm being crazy. If there is room, should I get a green mandarin or a ruby red scooter? I would get a juvenile. It's so hard going to the LFS and seeing skinny mandarins and not taking them home to fatten them up. I really hope Ova comes back soon because I've never trained a fish without it and I'm sure my current fish would appreciate it too, especially Twiggy.

 

Here are a few more pictures. I need to have my boyfriend help me to change the white balance on my camera. I need a DSLR! Can't take any decent close ups with my little Elph.

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0648.jpg.html'>

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0646.jpg.html'>

 

http://s732.photobucket.com/user/Betaya/media/Mandarin%20Manor/IMG_0644.jpg.html'>