16 gallon mantis/micromussa tank build

[checkerkitty]

After living with a monster reef for almost two years now, I decided that I want my own. After all, the family that reefs together, stays together! Ace built a 16.8 gallon acrylic tank out of scraps. The acrylic is 1/2 inch thick. I decided to make it into a mantis and micromussa tank. The acrylic is thick enough to handle even a large mantis. Here is a shot of the empty tank during water testing:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3333.jpg

We went with a Viper 70W HQI Metal Halide light:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00794.jpg

The tank has 40 pounds of sand: 20 pounds of dry black and 20 pounds of live black and white. A Powersweep with a sponge prefilter (125gal/hr) provides circulation. It also has about 15 pounds of live rock from the sump in the main tank. There is no other filtration. I will be doing once or twice weekly water changes with water from the main tank. I will also do paper towel skimming once or twice a week.

I created a main island of rock in the center of the tank. I was able to turn the large pieces on their ends to create columns and used smaller pieces across the top. That left a large open space with archways. I used some smaller pieces to one side of the "island" settled in the sand. Here is the tank after aquascaping:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00783.jpg

The tank is sitting on a small bar between the dining room and kitchen. It is not attached to the main system.

Here is a closer look:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00786.jpg

Right now the only livestock in the tank are some micromussa, acan and blasto frags, one hermit crab, a few star fish (brittle and astarina) and a few aptasia (yuk!). I'll be picking up a couple of peppermint shrimp this week.

Here I am placing the inhabitants in their new homes:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00790.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00795.jpg

So now, time and TLC will hopefully yield an unusual tank. And the search is on for a mantis. And more micromussas! What can I say? Love those micros!

Christy

[LoneStar]

Looking good!

[cpreefguy]

Looks great! Good thing you have your very own LFS in the living room :w00t

[don-n-sa]

wow...awesome looking set-up! Well Done.


Here is a peacock for sale at blue-zoo

http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?pid=1226&cid=84&did=2

assorted lime greean at liveaquaria

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2281

and in my opinion the best source of info is here

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=37


The only concern I have about your set-up is the Halide...I have heard that a mantis shrimp can get shell disease from too much light.

HTH

[blueboy]

i was going to say the same about the light. i remember when i was researching before my mantis project that there was a certain species better suited to a well lit reef environment(wennerae? possibly?). peacocks don't like too much light, and a peacock might do some rearranging of your rockwork. i would make sure that all of the main rockwork is actually fastened together somehow( zipties, plastic coathangers through drilled holes, etc.). the peacock will dig under the rocks, and undermine your rock piles, even if they are stable now! i had problems with frags getting knocked down and buried during the excavation while i was away at work for the day. i'd have to dig through the sand to find my frags. i'd hate to see you lose some nice micros! looking good so far, promises to make some mantis very lucky.

[oceancube]

metal halide with a peacock will not be a great combo, prone to get shell disease, as for your frags, well they will get all buried under the sand and stuff, i tried it with my peacock and he killed all my awsome ricordia in one night,still mad at him for that, but thats my fault, goodluck with the tank and mantis hunt but i think you should only do a species tank only with no corals unless you dont mind them getting killed!

[don-n-sa]

FYI aquarium designs has a cool mantis for sale, you should go check it out!

Donny

[mathias]

fin-addict has a mantis as well..

[BioCube14]

I love the no trim style tanks it looks like it was made very well.

[RayAllen]

I personally do not know a lot about Mantis, but you have one heck of a cool tank there. Looks great!

[checkerkitty]

Hi there everyone. Sorry about not responding for so long. My memory is terrible! I can't believe the tank has been up and running for 3 weeks now. I did buy the mantis at Aquarium Designs. It is a Peacock, as far as we can tell. I have named it "Critter". It is fairly friendly and loves to eat frozen krill out of a pair of hemostats. We usually get a few good strikes before he takes the food and backs under one of the rocks. He also killed the one hermit that was in the tank. It was quite loud. Critter spends most of his time hiding under the main rock in the tank so shell problems will hopefully not be a problem. On RC, Dr Roy said that it is not uncommon for Peacocks to have shell disease in the wild so it may be a problem inherent with this species of mantis. All of the rocks have been superglued together. Lots and lots and lots of glue. I have also glued the frags VERY well to the rocks. So far, no losses.

Here are some updated pics:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00930.jpghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00931.jpg

All of the Micros, Acans and Blastos are happy and growing well. I have been feeding them frozen mysis shrimp with my fingers once or twice a week. They are little piggies! One Acan caught so many it looked like it had white hair.

Some of the Acans and Blastos:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3381.jpghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00941.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00937.jpghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00936.jpg


I'll put a few more images in the next post..........

Christy

[checkerkitty]

A few more Blastos:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3379.jpghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3378.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00933.jpg

And the Micros:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3373.jpghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3372.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00939.jpghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/PDRM3375.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00942.jpg

[checkerkitty]

One more pic. I give you Critter. He was a little shy. I'll try and catch him again soon.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/micromantis/DSC00943.jpg

Thanks again to everyone who responded!

Christy

[apedroza]

Aesome coral collection. Those blasto wellsi's look awesome!!!

[Darth-Tater]

I was over at their house last night. The tank is sooo pretty in person. The Mantis is an awesome creature. It is truley a work of art. I love the black and white sand


TAter

[emac]

looks awsome can't wait to see that mantis