Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Just a quick topic regarding my tank set up 🙂 Substrate 10cm (4 inches) of coral sand and oolite gravel 500ml (i only had an empty water bottle when i collected these) of crushed shell (mostly cockles and surf clams) decor whelk shell Cockle shells Surf clam shells An oyster shell A few pebbles These i collected from a local beach and rinsed clean Equipment: Pumps: Fluval 206 external filter with ceramic noodles and coral gravel media Fluval u1 with no media, being used as an air pump/current provider Lighting: Fluval sky 21 watt led Heater Not fluval, not sure the make but it works. Will be running at 26°C Ill be putting about 4 or 5kg of live rock in when i fill it up 🙂 4 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Interesting setup you're working on @Mr_slinky_dragon! Do you have a mantis shrimp picked out already for it? 2 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 11, 2019 Author Share Posted May 11, 2019 Not yet but i have a list of target species 🙂 not sure what one i want though. They are all so cool! 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 Bit of a rearrange, i added a conch shell (all hail it!) That i got from a friend. I am planning on adding the live rock between the shell and the suspiciously spherical pebble i found on the right of the photo by the heater. 2 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 15, 2019 Author Share Posted May 15, 2019 Added the water 🙂 just need to verify the salinity as i made it up using mass. 2.794 kg of salt per 80 litres. 2 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 17, 2019 Author Share Posted May 17, 2019 First piece of live rock added and a few scallop shells too! 2 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 4 minutes ago, Mr_slinky_dragon said: First piece of live rock added and a few scallop shells too! Lookin good!👍 love the scape. 1 Quote Link to comment
Ratvan Posted May 17, 2019 Share Posted May 17, 2019 I love the Conch as a centre piece item Very clever 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 17, 2019 Author Share Posted May 17, 2019 I do know how to make a nice looking aquarium 😛 ill be adding more crushed shells soon as they got buried when i added the water sadly Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 17, 2019 Author Share Posted May 17, 2019 Ive just noticed the rock has some hair algae, might have to get some snails to clean it up should it get too bad... plus they will help with the cycling so win win i guess Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 Just added some more broken shells 🙂 also added some native seaweed species, i tested the salinity of where i collected them from, turns out to be the same as the tank! If they live they live, if they die they die... 2 1 Quote Link to comment
Justind823 Posted May 18, 2019 Share Posted May 18, 2019 Nice setup! I miss having a mantis. I'm sure yours will be very happy in there. Have you decided on a species yet? 2 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 Most likely gonodactylus, odontodactylus or pseudosquilla The overall look im going for with the tank is sort of rock pool/shallows. So lots of shells and pebbles together with seaweed and live rock. Not sure if i should add soft corals. Part of me wants to but im not sure if they would go with the theme... ive seen a lot of reef set ups where it is just a mess of different colours and it looks ugly. I know algae will grow on the shells but thats what i want (well at least from the ones i put in, the movement they provide really lifts a barren tank for the time being!) 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 Just found the name for the brown seaweed, Sargassum muticum, turns out it is not a uk native... it comes from japan and is quiet invasive (i do land plants from tiny islands... not sea plants :p)... looks like ill have to prune it occasionally. 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 21, 2019 Author Share Posted May 21, 2019 I have a Teeny tiny snail on the conch, a starfish and 5 tube worms The snail is a hitch hiker i gained from the first lot of shells i collected and the starfish and worms from the rock Taken with my bridge camera opposed to my phone. 1 Quote Link to comment
CD_Scapes Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 This is a cool setup, can’t wait to see the mantis shrimp! 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 21, 2019 Author Share Posted May 21, 2019 2 hours ago, Northwoodsreefer said: This is a cool setup, can’t wait to see the mantis shrimp! Its got a long way to go first! I have to get more live rock first then i need to get the cleaner crew sorted (ive made a start) i should hopefully get the shrimp about november or december! Should it all go to plan 2 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 22, 2019 Author Share Posted May 22, 2019 Quick update, the cycling is working, starting to get the brown/red cyanobacteria on the sand. Should i leave it or should i treat it? I do have some of that powder stuff that gets rid of the stuff. Also my refractometer arrived and i can confirm that the salinity is 1.026, which is what my hydrometer said it was 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 25, 2019 Author Share Posted May 25, 2019 I added some more tiny snails, some periwinkles(with a chiton hitch hiker) and a hermit crab (he needs a new shell) and they are starting to eat the cyano and hair algae. Unfortunately the sarrasgum rotted off at the hold fast so i removed it. 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 27, 2019 Author Share Posted May 27, 2019 Found this cheeky little bugger on the rock, a green shore crab that came in on some seaweed. Seems quite happy munching on algae. Ill be removing it when it gets bigger though. Sorry for the crappy photo 1 Quote Link to comment
fishbbq Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Thanks for posting. Mantis Shrimps are pretty cool creatures, despite their bad reputation. Where are you planning on getting your mantis? Most of my LFS don't carry them. 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 28, 2019 Author Share Posted May 28, 2019 I have a few places in mind, just been to a semi local one to grab some more rock (pics to follow) and they can get them from the wholesales 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 28, 2019 Author Share Posted May 28, 2019 Done a re arrange and Added some more live rock, 5kg more that takes it up to about 6kg. Its artificial but sea grown the guy who i brought it from was rather impressed by it (it looks a lot better than that real reef rock), its uncured but didnt smell bad (just like a damp cellar) so i am expecting a spike of nitrites as a result. Im not sure what else to add decor wise, maybe some more seaweed to fill in the gaps, ive seen a few red ones that i like 🙂 When the water is more stable i might get a few soft corals or an anemone donno though 1 Quote Link to comment
TatorTaco Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Just curious, but why are you running a deep sand bed if you're planning on a "smasher" mantis shrimp? What tank is this? Any idea what size it is? Recently ordered a mantis shrimp so I'll definitely tag along to watch this progress. 1 Quote Link to comment
Mr_slinky_dragon Posted May 28, 2019 Author Share Posted May 28, 2019 Im running a deep sand bed because i may get a spearer, smashers will still burrow though. I still dont know what species i want yet. Plus it will help with the nutrient cycles. The size is 100l, however due to water displacement from the sand its actually 80l 2 Quote Link to comment
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