[The Official End and Beginning] The Creature Feature- EVO 5 Mantis Tank

[Clown79]

Thats so cool.

 

I love species that have different traits.

[Weetabix7]

10 hours ago, lkoechle said:

Thanks! Hey, I found this red macro algae growing on a sponge I threw out.  It's that red scrolly looking one, I put it on the end of the arch towards the kenya tree, behind the stick macroalgae.   Do you know what it is?  It's pretty.  I like it.

 

Well, this would be Yoshii's second molt since I've had him.  He disappeared for about a week the first time.  He barricaded both exits to his tunnel and then was very shy when he started coming out again.  So we'll see.  They are interesting for sure.  He probably won't be my last mantis.  Very cool to watch.  He's always up to something!  I have photos of him moving the shell to barricade the exit for this one.  I'll get it up in a few minutes.  I took photos of all 3 tanks with the DSLR this evening.

Oooh, that's really pretty, I like it!!!

It's hard to say for sure without a closer up pic to see details, but it reminds me of the Cryptonemia Crenulata that I recently posted about on my Macgyver Slinky tank thread.

Check out the pics I have there and see if it looks the same to you. 

It's the first tank thread in my Sig and I think those pics are on page 2. 

If you can get a closer pic of that Macro I'd love to see it, thx for pointing it out to me!!

[lkoechle]

We has molt!  He shut himself up for about 48 hours and we came home to both his "doors" open and mantis pieces on the floor.  I did see two little eyeballs peeking out at me, so he's all good

 

 

 

I also got the Koralia 240 on Saturday and put it in.  Between that and the Aqueon 606 it was WAY too much flow.  Which I was ecstatic for because that aqueon pump drives me batty!

 

So, I pulled out the original wimpy 80gph pump only to find out the outlet tube is missing.  But, thanks to IMs horrible crappy stock pumps, I have a ton of pump parts laying around and the IM Nuvo pump outlet fits the Fluval stock pump.  So batta bin batta boom! We are back in business with a super quiet tank and about 320 gph. Can't beat that!

 

TBH, I'm going to reccommend that to everyone with an evo 5 or spec 5 SKIP UPGRADING THE RETURN PUMP AND JUST GET THE KORALIA 240. Yes, it will mess up the "seamless" design BUT you will have a wonderfully quiet tank.

On 8/5/2017 at 6:24 AM, Weetabix7 said:

Oooh, that's really pretty, I like it!!!

It's hard to say for sure without a closer up pic to see details, but it reminds me of the Cryptonemia Crenulata that I recently posted about on my Macgyver Slinky tank thread.

Check out the pics I have there and see if it looks the same to you. 

It's the first tank thread in my Sig and I think those pics are on page 2. 

If you can get a closer pic of that Macro I'd love to see it, thx for pointing it out to me!!

I'll have to read through your thread.  I did look at it and I'm 90% sure its the same piece.  Especially the thick core, I just mounted it like a coral, no problems at all.  I'll get a better pic next time I go downstairs.

[lkoechle]

New FTS (I should probably do these a little more often) since adding the koralia.  Yoshii isn't out and about yet post molt, but you can see him alive and well peeking out.

 

 

Cyano on the blue sponge has all but disappeared.  So I think that was a good move!

 

Got a good picture of this unknown mollusk on the backside of Yoshii's tank.  There are two of these guys on the back side of the arch.  Anyone have an ID?

 

And @Weetabix7, here's a close up of that red macro.  What do you think on ID?

 

 

 

 

[Lula_Mae]

Looks so good!  And that macro is gorgeous!

[lkoechle]

So, update after a long time away, about the middle of september, yoshii died.  I don't know why. parameters are fine.  He was "full grown" so maybe he was at the end of his natural life expectancy, anyways.  Makes me sad.  I thought about having another mantis.  He was super cool.  But my husband, for whatever reason, really hates my fluval edge betta tank.  So, I'm getting rid of the betta tank (well, the fluval edge) and making Yoshii's tank a planted freshwater.  It'll be nice because I'll have the space beneath the cabinet if I decide to get fancy (unlikely but who knows) and hook up CO2.  I don't know how those systems work yet, but they seem to popular with the more serious planted hobbyists.  I'm hoping for easy plants that I won't have to do that with and can get away with something like flourish excel. But yeah, this tank is salt no longer.  I moved the top rock (the one with my mojano and cool bivalve) to the 14 as well as the firework cloves, rastas, gsp, and candelabra gorg.  I got rid of the original arch in the 14, its now sitting in the 5g.  I'm hoping to find a home for the rocks because of the cool biodiversity.  it'd be a shame if I had to just chuck it.  

[WV Reefer]

2 hours ago, lkoechle said:

So, update after a long time away, about the middle of september, yoshii died.  I don't know why. parameters are fine.  He was "full grown" so maybe he was at the end of his natural life expectancy, anyways.  Makes me sad.  I thought about having another mantis.  He was super cool.  But my husband, for whatever reason, really hates my fluval edge betta tank.  So, I'm getting rid of the betta tank (well, the fluval edge) and making Yoshii's tank a planted freshwater.  It'll be nice because I'll have the space beneath the cabinet if I decide to get fancy (unlikely but who knows) and hook up CO2.  I don't know how those systems work yet, but they seem to popular with the more serious planted hobbyists.  I'm hoping for easy plants that I won't have to do that with and can get away with something like flourish excel. But yeah, this tank is salt no longer.  I moved the top rock (the one with my mojano and cool bivalve) to the 14 as well as the firework cloves, rastas, gsp, and candelabra gorg.  I got rid of the original arch in the 14, its now sitting in the 5g.  I'm hoping to find a home for the rocks because of the cool biodiversity.  it'd be a shame if I had to just chuck it.  

Yoshii   

 

[rog2961]

Nice

[WV Reefer]

17 minutes ago, rog2961 said:

Nice

 

Are you even reading these threads or just trying to up your post count?

[Minmay]

3 hours ago, lkoechle said:

So, update after a long time away, about the middle of september, yoshii died.  I don't know why. parameters are fine.  He was "full grown" so maybe he was at the end of his natural life expectancy, anyways.  Makes me sad.  I thought about having another mantis.  He was super cool.  But my husband, for whatever reason, really hates my fluval edge betta tank.  So, I'm getting rid of the betta tank (well, the fluval edge) and making Yoshii's tank a planted freshwater.  It'll be nice because I'll have the space beneath the cabinet if I decide to get fancy (unlikely but who knows) and hook up CO2.  I don't know how those systems work yet, but they seem to popular with the more serious planted hobbyists.  I'm hoping for easy plants that I won't have to do that with and can get away with something like flourish excel. But yeah, this tank is salt no longer.  I moved the top rock (the one with my mojano and cool bivalve) to the 14 as well as the firework cloves, rastas, gsp, and candelabra gorg.  I got rid of the original arch in the 14, its now sitting in the 5g.  I'm hoping to find a home for the rocks because of the cool biodiversity.  it'd be a shame if I had to just chuck it.  

Im doing the opposite of you. I wanna turn my 5g fluval edge to SW. Its currently FW. Its planted. I have bambo, anubias and some bother plant I forget what its called. So, if u wanna do bambo and anubias those are hardy plants. You dont even have to use CO2. I dont anyways, what I do is I dont fill the water up all the way. I let the water coming out of filter splash the water and everything thrives. 

[lkoechle]

2 hours ago, Minmay said:

Im doing the opposite of you. I wanna turn my 5g fluval edge to SW. Its currently FW. Its planted. I have bambo, anubias and some bother plant I forget what its called. So, if u wanna do bambo and anubias those are hardy plants. You dont even have to use CO2. I dont anyways, what I do is I dont fill the water up all the way. I let the water coming out of filter splash the water and everything thrives. 

Where did you get the bamboo? His tank has a few asian motifs I would like to move over and I think a bamboo "forest" would be pretty cool!

 

4 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

Yoshii   

 

Yeah, he was really a bamf I totally reccommend them as pet.  Super cool animal and social and interactive.  My 3 year old took it really hard. "Tell Jesus to give us Yoshii back!" I believe is what he said when i told him yoshii died and went to heaven with Jesus.

[WV Reefer]

5 minutes ago, lkoechle said:

 

. "Tell Jesus to give us Yoshii back!" 

Aw, that’s so sad and so cute at the same time! 

[Minmay]

7 minutes ago, lkoechle said:

Where did you get the bamboo? His tank has a few asian motifs I would like to move over and I think a bamboo "forest" would be pretty cool!

 

Yeah, he was really a bamf I totally reccommend them as pet.  Super cool animal and social and interactive.  My 3 year old took it really hard. "Tell Jesus to give us Yoshii back!" I believe is what he said when i told him yoshii died and went to heaven with Jesus.

I got the bamboo from Petco. They have plenty of FW plants. Awwww...poor child. That broke my heart reading that ???

[lkoechle]

5 minutes ago, Minmay said:

I got the bamboo from Petco. They have plenty of FW plants. Awwww...poor child. That broke my heart reading that ???

He is a sweetie

He loves all our aquatic animals.  even stupid snails. "LOOK! ITS A SNAIL!" Yes, yes it is. lol

[Lula_Mae]

Java fern and anubias are my go to.  I seem to kill most everything else lol.

[rog2961]

sweet!

[debbeach13]

Sorry for your loss but new beginnings are fun.

[WV Reefer]

Sorry  

 

I fed the troll and it returned. 

 

My bad. 

[lkoechle]

43 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Sorry  

 

I fed the troll and it returned. 

 

My bad. 

Its okay. We will run him off the forum eventually.  We've managed before

[lkoechle]

So, I guess the continuation of this tank is freshwater.  

I am moving my betta Mizuchi over and taking a whack at planted again but for more realz this time.  Like I bought real plant substrate instead of gravel.  And I got creative.  Here are the results.

 

Beginnings of the scape.  I bought aquasand and then got a fancy idea of using some of the gravel from the old tank to make a "river".

 

 

Then I went to PetCo today and we ended with this:

 

The bamboo break the surface because I read they can't be totally submerged.  Their little shoots that also came with them have no choice but to be experimental pieces since there's a lot of conflicting info online if they can live totally submerged or not.  Either way, the tall guys should make it.

 

 

 

Close ups.

 

 

 

 

I'm pretty proud of myself because I suck at aquascaping.  But I really dig this.  This has been dubbed the ZenQuarium. So, I guess this is the last official update for this tank as it is officially freshwater now.

[debbeach13]

Look very nice. I would like too see when you add a fish if it isn't too much trouble.

[Lula_Mae]

3 hours ago, lkoechle said:

So, I guess the continuation of this tank is freshwater.  

I am moving my betta Mizuchi over and taking a whack at planted again but for more realz this time.  Like I bought real plant substrate instead of gravel.  And I got creative.  Here are the results.

 

Beginnings of the scape.  I bought aquasand and then got a fancy idea of using some of the gravel from the old tank to make a "river".

 

 

Then I went to PetCo today and we ended with this:

 

The bamboo break the surface because I read they can't be totally submerged.  Their little shoots that also came with them have no choice but to be experimental pieces since there's a lot of conflicting info online if they can live totally submerged or not.  Either way, the tall guys should make it.

 

 

 

Close ups.

 

 

 

 

I'm pretty proud of myself because I suck at aquascaping.  But I really dig this.  This has been dubbed the ZenQuarium. So, I guess this is the last official update for this tank as it is officially freshwater now.

We like freshwater too.   It looks great though!

[TheBig053]

11 hours ago, lkoechle said:

So, I guess the continuation of this tank is freshwater.  

I am moving my betta Mizuchi over and taking a whack at planted again but for more realz this time.  Like I bought real plant substrate instead of gravel.  And I got creative.  Here are the results.

 

Beginnings of the scape.  I bought aquasand and then got a fancy idea of using some of the gravel from the old tank to make a "river".

 

 

Then I went to PetCo today and we ended with this:

 

The bamboo break the surface because I read they can't be totally submerged.  Their little shoots that also came with them have no choice but to be experimental pieces since there's a lot of conflicting info online if they can live totally submerged or not.  Either way, the tall guys should make it.

 

 

 

Close ups.

 

 

 

 

I'm pretty proud of myself because I suck at aquascaping.  But I really dig this.  This has been dubbed the ZenQuarium. So, I guess this is the last official update for this tank as it is officially freshwater now.

When I look at this tank I hear Aqueous Transmission by Incubus. Love it!

[Thunder Goose]

I think live planted tanks should be designated "honorary reef tanks" especially if you have shrimp! They are complicated and require specialized equipment. Maybe Nan-reef could start a small forum for those of us who go both ways - reef and planted tanks.

[kimberbee]

How do you clean the substrate? All I know is siphoning sand,  but I would think that would mess up your river...