10 Gallon Reef: New Pics p.24

I have never had a build thread so I figured I would start one with this little project.

This tank was a FW planted tank, but I just got bored with it and traded what was in it for some LR and sand.



After I set it up I realized that it was "den-less" so I whipped one up out of 1.25" PVC.





It still looked kind of bare so I threw in some base rock. This is how the tank looks as of right now.



It has been set up for 6 days. Ammonia just showed up yesterday and is at .5 ppm. I plan on getting either a Gonodactylus smithii or a Gonodactylaceus ternatensis (whichever becomes available first).

Sorry..none of this is really new if you saw this thread. I just wanted to make this an official build thread. Will update as soon as something new happens!

Ivan

 

good start ivan. thats the same sized tank i did for the HH mantis that i found around xmas. i look forward to this moving along.

guy

 

Thats a cool idea with the pipe work under the rock IMO, Ivan

plenty of colour on that LR also

Steve

 

Thanks! I do too!

Thanks Steve. Hopefully the mantis thinks so too. The only thing about the LR is that it has quite a few small aiptasia on it. I didn't want to nuke it with all the good stuff growing on it. Haven't exactly decided what I'm going to do about them yet.

 

peppermint shrimp to clear them before Mantis is introduced and then move it/ them to your other tank so they dont become food?

Steve

 

That's what I was thinking. I successfully wiped out the aiptasia in my 36 with them. I would just transfer one over from there, but I would have to take all the rock to get the little buggers out.

A peppermint shrimp would be a nice housewarming gift for mr. mantis too!

 

Well guess who is getting their largest shipment EVER on Monday? Stomatopod.com! He said he has a G. ternatensis right now. A girl bought it a month ago but he hasn't been able to contact her. He said he is giving her another week, and if this order doesn't work out, he will sell it to me. So it looks like I am going to have to decide between a smithii and a ternatensis. I absolutely love how the ternatensis looks but they are bit more shy from what I have heard/read. I like the smithii too though...hopefully I will decide by Monday!

Today's water tests showed:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5 nitrate

I put a cube and a half of brine shrimp in there a few days ago. Surely the ammonia from that would have showed up by now. I will keep testing ammonia for the next few days, but from the looks of it the cycle is done.

 

Tough decision, Ivan. Bo (our smithii) is not shy in the least. He's interactive and we've even caught him watching our dog wandering around - funny mantis...keep us updated, and as always, WAR EAGLE!

 

what kind are you getting?

 

Well the guy at stomatopod told me they would have an order in on Monday...3 days ago..I tried calling him few times with no answer or call back..they better hurry or this tank is going to turn into a reef! Already have a few shrooms and a little candy cane in there lol