reefinnewb Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Well i ordered everything today for my 10" cube build, I placed an order with premium aquatics for some uncured nano rock. I also placed a glass order with the local glass shop for 1/4in glass. It will have a small bevel on each edge. I also have an aqualight mini on the way. For water movement i have an hob filter and a small power head, I want to see if i get enough movement from the HOB before i put the power head in. With the lighting i plan on doing some shrooms and zoas, and rics. For livestock im thinking of doing a small clown goby and two porcelin crabs. What do you guys think? Im open to suggestions. Im going to have some macro algea in the display. I forget what kind it is ill have to find it and get the name. Both the light and the rock should be here next week. It will work out great. I am heading to myrtle beach next friday, that should give the tank a good amount of time to begin its cycle. I dont think i plan on putting a background on it, however that may change. Im open to any and all ideas. let me have em. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 no one has any ideas or suggestions??? I know i couldnt have covered everything Link to comment
joshua76 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 a couple of bumble bee snails maybe one nassarious snail a blue leg hermit would also make good additions. Consider Pom pom crabs instead of Porcelin My only reason for saying that is my Pom poms are out more often then my Porcelin and in my mind much much more fasinating. http://bluezooaquatics.com/livestock/produ...nfo.php?id=1680 Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 hmm... not a bad idea. My dream for this would be a really small mantis shrimp. The only problem is feeding, i dont want to spend tons of money on crabs, if they can eat snails im in business. I just ordered some uncured rock so im praying i hit it lucky and find one ith there. If anyone has a tiny one they want to get rid of let me know, this is a budget tank so keep that in mind. LOL Link to comment
joshua76 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I dont know about the validity of this but I've heard tales of mantis shrimp cracking glass while attacking their prey. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 15, 2006 Author Share Posted July 15, 2006 its valid but only with very large peacock mantis, the tank glass is going to be 1/4" so pretty thick for the tank size, i should be fine. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 Well i picked up the glass today and built the tank, all i have to say is that ill build an acrylic tank any day compared to glass. It was a PITA. It is messy as all hell and the joints didnt come out like i hoped, they arent bad but they arent good either. Once it cures, ill cut the extra silicone and give it a leak test. Live rock and light should be here on wednesday. I have a cousin from nj looking for a mantis for me. If she doesnt find one, ill have to order online. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 Well here are some pictures of my progress. Got the most of the silicone cleaned up, what a pain. My rock should be here today also, once i get the sand and rock in I will post more pictures. oh btw should i paint the background or let it like this? Im kinda torn... I have black on my 15. If i was to paint it, i would have to go with a darker blue. Link to comment
irishtexan Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Awesome! Can't wait to see it with LR. Also, I think a Pom Pom crab would be cool also. If you get the LR in there today post a pic. I think that you should get a Frogspawn. JMO. You might not need the powerhead also, it might blow sand everywhere. I would paint the background a light blue. JMO. With the back painted you won't see the HOB, or the cords from the light and all that. HTH texx ps-I'll be tagging along with this thread. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 Thanks, i think im totally set on my mantis, after reading up and seeing some, im stuck on that. Ok off to lowes i go. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 well during my fill up, i noticed a small pinhole leak i didnt notice while i did my leak testing. I fixed that with a little patchwork from the outside. The rock i recieve from premium aquatics looked cool but didnt look too alive, this is the first time i had a problem with their rock. I seeded it with some live rock i had and some live sand i had. I was hoping to really get some good life but that was a no go. oh well.... I painted the back of the tank pacific blue. I will post pics later. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 added rock,sand, heater, and hob filter. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 30, 2006 Author Share Posted July 30, 2006 Well i had no cycle at all. I went on ebay to carribeanfishandmore and got my mantis shrimp. They call it a black mantis shrimp. Im not real picky as to what species it is as long as it is a smasher. They said it has blue and green legs. Im psyched. It was also the cheapest i can find. All the places around me want atleast 30 bucks, and they would still have to be shipped. So it would ve peaked over 50 bucks. A little over budget for me. So for a total of 35, i have myself a mantis, i ahve tons of snails for it so... im not too worried about feeding it. Link to comment
silence Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 just to let you know i had a small smasher(about 2-3")and he never touched a snail or crab he just wanted mysis shrimp, Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted July 31, 2006 Author Share Posted July 31, 2006 wow thats suprising!! I have mysis and shrimp so if he doesnt take the snails, i have backups. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Well as most of you know the last mantis didnt make it. Today i recieved my replacement. They couldnt have sent me a nicer one. He is in the tank in his cave, found one right away. Once i get a good shot at him ill post some pics. I have some pics of him before they shipped. Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Woot!!! Looks like you're back in action! Congrats on the aquisition!! Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Thanks man, once i get a good shot of him ill have pictures up. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 Saw him today making his home, went for the camera, damn batts were dead AGAIN!!! It was so cool watching him carry sand out of the cave and make a pile aside of it. I named him bobbaganoosh. LOL!! Link to comment
yankeereefer Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 batts should be charged by now - we need to some pix of 'ol bobbaganoosh! Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 here he is. He just built his cave last night, what a site to see. I had a hard time getting it since he built it in the back of the tank. Ill have more pictures eventually. ONce he isnt as shy. Link to comment
reefinnewb Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 Well i threw a snail in his den and he is currently whacking the sh!t out of it. I cant get any pictures since its in his den. Link to comment
Argent Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 woo woo mantis carnage! I heard Boris whacking away in his cave last night while I watched TV - but I couldn't figure out what he was doing. Link to comment
henry22 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 This really makes me want to set up a mantis tank, which probaly wouldnt be taht expensive, but Im not done with my tank now and I have no job and other hobbies. He looks really cool though. Has he come out and done anything weird? Link to comment
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