Mantis build
- Thread starter othercents
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Thanks for the comments... I haven't moved my mantis into the aquarium yet because after moving 2.5g salt water from my display and adding 2.5g fresh salt, my cat stuck it's paw into the aquarium. I'm thinking I'm going to need to drain and redo the water because who knows what a cat has on it's paws (kitty litter?), or maybe just run carbon this week. The mantis didn't like the krill I tried to feed him even though he hit it a few times. It might have been stuck to the chopsticks a little hard for him to grab. Need to work on my enticing skills. He has eaten some mysis that made it into the sump when I was feeding the display.
Another thing I have noticed is that there is a good amount of surface scum. I have a toms aquatics surface skimmer on order that I will either rig up to work with the Whisper filter that came with the setup, or use for water changes. If I'm not satisfied then drilling the tank should be easy since it is acrylic, or buying a second 5g and placing them side by side and making the display overflow into the second tank then pump it back.
Side note, these aquariums are nice especially if you place four of them in a circle and use weld-on to stick them together. Then you just cut slits into the sides to make one overflow into the other until you get to the last one that pumps back to the first. You can either make one display with a sump aquarium, refuge aquarium, and return aquarium, or something between that with either two displays or three displays with the sump/refuge/return being part of the remaining aquariums. Each tank will have their own LED lighting.
David
Another thing I have noticed is that there is a good amount of surface scum. I have a toms aquatics surface skimmer on order that I will either rig up to work with the Whisper filter that came with the setup, or use for water changes. If I'm not satisfied then drilling the tank should be easy since it is acrylic, or buying a second 5g and placing them side by side and making the display overflow into the second tank then pump it back.
Side note, these aquariums are nice especially if you place four of them in a circle and use weld-on to stick them together. Then you just cut slits into the sides to make one overflow into the other until you get to the last one that pumps back to the first. You can either make one display with a sump aquarium, refuge aquarium, and return aquarium, or something between that with either two displays or three displays with the sump/refuge/return being part of the remaining aquariums. Each tank will have their own LED lighting.
David
Ummfish;71235 said:
Oh, you know. The cat's organic and kitty litter is just lime (so you'll get a little extra calcium). I wouldn't worry about that. Heck, worry more about what's coming off your hands when you stick them in there. 
The Mantis has a 2 pound live rock with lots of stuff growing on it already, so I'm not expecting a cycle once it is in the tank, but the filter is probably only 30-50gph. I'm waiting on my MJ400 (100gph) 20x turnover, just to get the flow high enough for the rock to filter the bad stuff. Once the MJ400 is in I will confirm the ammonia levels and drop the rock into the tank with the Mantis. Pictures to follow.
The live rock the mantis came with has some interesting stuff growing on it and I need help with ID. Take a look and tell me what you think.
I saw this white piece move.
These are interesting. I think they disappear when the light turns off.
This green piece pulses a little.
The part at the back looks like a clam and keeps moving around. I think it also opens.
David
I saw this white piece move.
These are interesting. I think they disappear when the light turns off.
This green piece pulses a little.
The part at the back looks like a clam and keeps moving around. I think it also opens.
David
pic #1 is bivalve or some sort of oyster, clam etc
pic#2 I dont know the name but they are little stony corals the Aaron (Wicked demon) really hates! (they dont bother me) They dont actually disappear when the lights go out, they just expel all the water in them and suck in to the little stony parts that they built under them which their flesh is actually connected to, like your fingernail to your finger.
pic #3 is a little aptasia
pic #4 is a larger bivalve
pic#2 I dont know the name but they are little stony corals the Aaron (Wicked demon) really hates! (they dont bother me) They dont actually disappear when the lights go out, they just expel all the water in them and suck in to the little stony parts that they built under them which their flesh is actually connected to, like your fingernail to your finger.
pic #3 is a little aptasia
pic #4 is a larger bivalve
Sweet... Did you get the species from Roy's List? You probably know that certain species need more room even when they are the same size as another species. Hopefully when others are looking at this thread they will take a look at the recommended tank size from Roy's List.
No problem with that. Unless I move some pulsing xenia into there, I will probably only have the mantis and this one rock. This rock has a bunch of diversity that will keep everything healthy. Just not sure if I can keep everything on it alive in a 5 gallon.
David
No problem with that. Unless I move some pulsing xenia into there, I will probably only have the mantis and this one rock. This rock has a bunch of diversity that will keep everything healthy. Just not sure if I can keep everything on it alive in a 5 gallon.
David
I still haven't moved the mantis. I'm waiting on my MJ400 and the cycle, but while I wait my cat is making some nice spots all over my bedside table, so I'm thinking about moving the aquarium onto a corner table. I'm wondering what people think about moving it to one of these:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
This is the aquarium:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752372
BTW. No ammonia spike for the tank yet, and I had a table shrimp in there. Either my tests are bad, or my filter that I had in my display for a while has a bunch of bacteria on it.
David
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
This is the aquarium:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752372
BTW. No ammonia spike for the tank yet, and I had a table shrimp in there. Either my tests are bad, or my filter that I had in my display for a while has a bunch of bacteria on it.
David
I will check the rest tonight, but I don't remember seeing nitrates either, however I have only tested them once. I never got an ammonia or nitrate spike on either of my tanks. The original 10G tank which was transfered to my 20G started with 1 live rock that was purple, red, and blue with plenty of bacteria and bristle worms. The rock the mantis is in is also encrusted and should do well with maintaining the water quality.
Ok, after getting the MJ400 into the tank, I'm not too impressed with how much stuff is inside the tank with the filter, the MJ400, and heater. The tank just looks real small. I also don't like that I'm not getting any surface skimming either, so I think I decided to build an AIO onto the back of this acrylic tank. The back of the tank is 7.5"W x 14"H and I'm thinking 3"L to 4"L AIO bringing the total water volume up by 1G and placing both the filtration and MJ400 into the AIO freeing up space in the tank for the mantis.
I'm guessing this is probably the hard way, but my budget has been limited and it will only cost another $10 to build the AIO. I also think once I'm done there won't be anything as cool.
BTW. does anyone know if a MaxiJet can be run upsidedown?
I'm guessing this is probably the hard way, but my budget has been limited and it will only cost another $10 to build the AIO. I also think once I'm done there won't be anything as cool.
BTW. does anyone know if a MaxiJet can be run upsidedown?