9to5 Cubicle

[M. Tournesol]

The Cubicle

Description:
It's a glass container with saltwater in it.

 

Project goals:

My goal was never to try to win the contest. During the period of its debut, I was in need of a new house for a supposedly killer mantis shrimp obtained in a bundle with live rock. This contest was the event that made me pull the trigger. 

Moreover, this was an opportunity for me to try keeping (for the first time) Micromussa lordhowensis and mangroves.

 

Current Full Tank Shot:

 

Contest Entry Picture:

 

Full summary of the project:

Keeping this setup in my office ended up being very easy. Its position next to my bed means that whenever I lay in it, I can get a really good view of the nonsense going in the cubicle. The Stomatopoda, which ultimately happens to be very peaceful, has been a real delight to observe. The most notable event during the last 6 months was 'bob' building his house.

 

 

Other than that, nothing really interesting happened during those 6 months. I could maybe talk about:

• A false start due to the first aquarium having a chip on its lower part.
• The introduction of the Gonodactylus smithii (Purple-Spotted Mantis).
• One of my micromussa lordhowensis dying then starting to regrow a head from its last remaining tissue🤷‍♂️.
• My trachyphyllia dying (and still dying) 😫.
• And my goby having a swim bladder problem which will result in a surgical operation (in 2 weeks I should be ready)😷.

 

Maintenance routine:

My maintenance simply consists of 2x15% water change a week using instant ocean reef salt,  a daily 1ml of Easybooster Nano (phytoplankton in gel form), a feeding of the stomatopoda and hermits with frozen food every day and a feeding of the LPS with frozen food every 3 days.
Note that I do no use carbon nor chemical filtration in this setup.

 

Things I learned or what I wish I had done differently:

This tank have given me numerous opportunities to learn new things. 
My main learned experiences are:

• Mantis shrimp can be peaceful inhabitant (not like @Ratvan mantis). Mine is living in harmony with four mantis snacks (blue legged hermit crab) and a mantis steak (a yellow clown goby).
• What venting a swim Bladder mean (I am still preparing for the operation).
• Mangrove propagules are slow to grow leaves 🥲. 
• The joy of keeping micromussa lordhowensis.
• The benefice of having two tanks (ie,  when one isn't doing well, the other keeps you involved).
• My only true regret is that I didn't buy developed mangrove when they were available. At that time,I didn't know if this project would lead to anything.
• LPS can be very costly 💸.

 

My only true regret is that I didn't buy developed mangrove when they were available. At that time,I didn't know if this project would lead to anything.

 

Equipment:

• 25 liter 30cm blau cubic aquascaping
• Nero3
• Sicce 25w heater
• Sylvania 17w plant growth E27
• kessil a80 Tuna blue

 

Livestock:

• 4 Clibanarius tricolor hermit crab (dwarf blue leg)
• 2 astrea sp
• 3 sabella sp
• Gonodactylus smithii
• Gobiodon okinawae
• 13 Micromussa lordhowensis
• Trachyphyllia (dying)

• 5 mangrove propagules

 

Aquascape:

My aquascape can mostly be described as a pile of rocks with sand. It was mostly inspired by pile of rocks in the sea.  This scape is made with CARIBSEA Ocean Direct Original Grade sand and 5~6kg Indonesia live rock. During its realisation, my foremost thought was that the mantis would be delighted to have a good amount of cavern.

 

Maintenance routine:

My maintenance simply consists of 2x15% water change a week using instant ocean reef salt,  a daily 1ml of Easybooster Nano (phytoplankton in gel form), a feeding of the stomatopoda and hermits with frozen food every day and a feeding of the LPS with frozen food every 3 days.
Note that I do no use carbon nor chemical filtration in this setup.

 

Future plans:

The tank is pretty much complete. May be, if the trachyphyllia survive(very very very slim possibility), try other trachyphyllia. 
If all goes according to plan, the 9to5 should be dismantled in 6~7 months and all livestock moved to a 15 gallon tank 15.7" cube (that may or may not be part of a multi-tank system).

 

 

Reefin' 9 to 5, Brought to you by:

  &  

 

 

[M. Tournesol]

Here's a photo of the chip on the lower part of the aquarium:

Here's a photo of the (6 months in store cured) indonesian live rock (if we ignore the white one which seems to be an artificial stone) waiting in a bucket and a lovely asterina starfish bonus:

 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by M. Tournesol

[Maas101]

Welcome to the party! Pretty asterina although I would be removing it, had a plague of them in my main tank, they were everywhere. In the end I imported a pair of harlequin shrimps who ate very well for a while...

[M. Tournesol]

4 minutes ago, Maas101 said:

Welcome to the party! Pretty asterina although I would be removing it, had a plague of them in my main tank, they were everywhere. In the end I imported a pair of harlequin shrimps who ate very well for a while...

My tank is destined for a stomatopod. Thus all added "normal" CUC would die. . I thought asterina starfish could be a good alternative .

I am curious to know why you did consider them a plague? Did they kill your corals?

 

[Maas101]

I've no evidence that they harmed corals, they were all over them and the glass to the point where I had to get rid of them. To me they were as unsightly as aiptasia and only slightly less invasive.

[M. Tournesol]

What do you think of my Kessil A80 architect lamp 🙃 ?

[debbeach13]

That chip in the tank is a bummer. I hope you can get the replacement tank with no problems. Good luck in the contest.

[M. Tournesol]

Soon (if it doesn't arrive broken)

[M. Tournesol]

Leak test!! I am excited 🤪

[M. Tournesol]

I broke my new ada 5WH thermometer 😰. No alcohol seems to have slipped into the water of the tank  🙏. 

I am using a bigger thermometer for the moment. I'm still missing a piece 🤨.

 

[M. Tournesol]

Traduction of the above post, the tank is salty 🥳.

I still have a bag of sand to put in it and the rock aquascaping to do (not easy with all the suspended sand ...).

[Ratvan]

2 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

Traduction of the above post, the tank is salty 🥳.

I still have a bag of sand to put in it and the rock aquascaping to do (not easy with all the suspended sand ...).

🤘 still love the Architect Kessil lamp, such a good idea

[M. Tournesol]

It's just too cute 🥰

[M. Tournesol]

I couldn't resist. I got myself 3 dwarf blue leg hermit crabs and 2 astreas. Even though this tank will be inhabited by a mantis, I still have hope 🥺 that the hermit crabs may survive.

I also received my 5 mangrove propagules.

 

One of the propagules had broken roots. I used super glue to make a bandage.

[Ratvan]

12 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

I couldn't resist. I got myself 3 dwarf blue leg hermit crabs and 2 astreas. Even though this tank will be inhabited by a mantis, I still have hope 🥺 that the hermit crabs may survive.

I also received my 5 mangrove propagules.

 

One of the propagules had broken roots. I used super glue to make a bandage.

Well the snails should be okay, they look like a decent size. The Hermits depends on the Mantis itself, once thing i need to do is find someone with Tiny Hermit Crabs in their tank or sump and ask very nicely for monthly mantis snacks. Hopefully she'll go after the smaller hermits and not the larger 

[Tamberav]

Mantis 😍 Too bad about that shady seller and the first chipped tank 😡

 

I have the same starfish colony for probably 10 years now. They have never become a problem for me. I do suck them off the glass if I do a water change later at night just to cull. They don’t seem to hang out on the glass during the day. Mine only have ever ate algae. 

[M. Tournesol]

It's official!! the Gonodactylus smithii is in!!

 

[M. Tournesol]

I don't know why, but the mantis is super active and less fearful. I can only attribute that to the fact that this tank has less flow and less light than the previous one.

 

Here is an up to date photo of the aquarium.
When relocating the mantis, I decided to also relocate one of the rocks of the other tank (which currently looks like a construction site 😑). 
You can spot the mantis in it and also the modification of the kessil attach to the architect lamp. The previous solution had a weight problem.

[M. Tournesol]

Photo of my first three corals. They have been in the tank for a week now. Hope I don't f**k up. First time keeping LPS, First Time keeping low light coral and First time keeping Micromussa lordhowensis. 

 

This is starting to make a lot of first time 😰.

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by M. Tournesol
added some context 🙃

[M. Tournesol]

I find my dwarf hermit crab so cute 🥰. During the day they keep together on the same rock. For the time being, I didn't lose any. I Have five of them (I bought two with the Micromussa). In the photo, you can see four of them.

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by M. Tournesol

[Ratvan]

How is this tank coming along and how are you getting on with the Mantis?

[M. Tournesol]

6 hours ago, Ratvan said:

How is this tank coming along and how are you getting on with the Mantis?

It's trucking along.

 

The mantis is alive.

 

The five hermit crabs are also still alive, although some like to live more dangerously than others 🤷‍♂️.

 

No leaves but new roots.

 

Proud of my clean and compact "utility" placement.

 

And lovely micromussa.

 

It may be time to buy the other planned micromussa lordhowensis and complete my coral stocking but I am a little occupied with my dissertation defense.

[Tamberav]

lol love the mantis playing peek-a-boo!

[M. Tournesol]

Little gif to illustrate my "aquascape".

 

 

Some choices are mine, some are the mantis choices. I don't like the position of the rock below the heater/powerhead (when looking from the front of the tank) but the stomatopods love this position 😔

[M. Tournesol]

Does mantis eat pods? My amphipod population is going out of control 😰.

I hope they will not start going after the corals. Since the tank doesn't have zoanthids, this shouldn't be a problem 🤞.