An addicted reefer chic's 40B franken tank w/ 2 30g display macro tanks...

MeanGreenEyes

MeanGreenEyes

New member
Figured that it's time I start a tank thread...About 130g total water volume...

I have a franken-tank but I love my system...meaning that I have several tanks plumbed together to serve the purpose of having different livestock that is incompatible to be together in the same tank...such as my prized female yellow spearing mantis shrimp (p. ciliata) in my sump...instead of upgrading to a larger tank...I am working toward being able to get to a point where I can sustain a pair of green mandarins as my showpiece/main fish...

So I have a 40B mixed reef with a 30g Eshopps sump running since last January w/ 2 standard 30g tanks that I plumbed in about 2 months ago that are in the process of becoming be display macro tanks...

Not new to salt...have been in the salty side of the hobby since '10...have been an avid fw planted aquarist for 15 years...addicted to this hobby...still have 2 planted tanks setup...as well as a 10g QT and my 11 yr old daughter's 5.5g softy pico...


Equipment:

40B (Deep Blue w/ black acrylic) (painted black background & drilled 1" drain 3/4" return from the bottom w/ a d.i.y. black acrylic overflow placed in the center)
"Petco Manhattan Metal Tank Stand"
Eshopps R-200 sump/fuge (it'll fit perfectly under the stand b/c it's 30X14X16)
Bubble Magus Nac3 skimmer (the little skimmer that could...lmao...will upgrade eventually)
Mag 12 return pump (yes it's O.D. for this but I've got my reactors plumbed inline...as well as 2-30g tanks as display macro fuges)
Two little fishies Phosban Reactor 550 running carbon
Two little fishies Phosban Reactor 150 running GFO
Current Nova Extreme 6 bulb t5 w/ ATI bulbs (4x blue plus, 1 purple plus & 1 aquablue special)
mp10wes
Tunze nanostream 6025 powerhead
Reefkeeper Lite v3 w/ ph & temp prob (Will be upgraded to Apex not the Jr. & this will go back on the 5.5g that I'm keeping)
ATO digital aquatics reefkeeper one w/ the dual float switches
BRS 5 stage rodi with all the bells & whistles as well as booster pump
Fluval E 300W heater
NESTLE 2200 IV/Enteral Pump for dosing
"Litermeter Beater" 2-Channel Digital Dosing Pump

...probably more but that's all I can remember at the moment...

Livestock:

Fish/Inverts:

2x Ocellaris Clownfish
1x Tiny Red Scooter Blenny
1x Algae Blenny
1x Yellow Watchman Goby w/ Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp
1x Baby Yellow Tang (temporary inhabitant)
1x Female Yellow Spearing Mantis Shrimp (p. ciliata)

Pics:

IMAG0791.jpg


IMAG0734.jpg


IMAG0836.jpg


IMAG0833.jpg


IMAG0832.jpg


IMAG0831.jpg


IMAG0830.jpg


IMAG0829.jpg


IMAG0828.jpg


IMAG0827.jpg
 
twyaun said:
any wide shots of the system as a whole? would like to see how you plumbed them all together.
Click to expand...

Kinda hard to do b/c of where this system is in my bedroom but I will try and take pics in a bit...I basically have a ghetto looking manifold built off of my return pump which is T'd off to feed my display, reactors, then the 2x 30's are on a metal stand stacked so to speak so the return feeds the top 30g...which is gravity fed into the bottom 30g and then gravity fed into the sump. Gotta go try to clean up my "wire mess" in order to take this full system shot. Lmao. Seriously...regret not having built a wooden stand for the 40 to hide them. I absolutely hate the d@mn wires...
 
Oh don't worry about that stuff. Several of us have rats nests the size of your entire setup :lol:

I use proper wire managment... You know... where one wire keeps another wire off the floor ;)
 
tkeracer619 said:
Oh don't worry about that stuff. Several of us have rats nests the size of your entire setup :lol:

I use proper wire managment... You know... where one wire keeps another wire off the floor ;)
Click to expand...

Lmao!!! Ok...don't say I didn't warn you! I don't think that it would bother me as much if I didn't have an open metal stand where it's impossible to hide it all...but I'll go take pics as is...
 
I have often wondered why more people don't keep mantis shrimps with SPS systems. I like your setup, but I want more and better pics!
 
SoCalDude said:
I have often wondered why more people don't keep mantis shrimps with SPS systems. I like your setup, but I want more and better pics!
Click to expand...

I have absolutely no idea why more people do not keep them...she is so beautiful and entertaining...and they are completely reef safe...the plan was for her to be in the bottom 30g display fuge.

Btw...I forgot to mention that I know for sure that the mantis is female b/c she was carrying a clutch of eggs when she arrived at the lfs but dropped them before I brought her home...:sad1:

Pics are uploading...
 
Mantis are a high level Predator. They can easily kill fish and snails. When small its not such a problem but they get huge and are good at what they do. Incredible creature and iirc it ranks among the best in terms of eye sight. They see you before you come around the corner.
 
tkeracer619 said:
Mantis are a high level Predator. They can easily kill fish and snails. When small its not such a problem but they get huge and are good at what they do. Incredible creature and iirc it ranks among the best in terms of eye sight. They see you before you come around the corner.
Click to expand...

Lol...I should have made it clear that I don't keep her in the 40B with my fish...nor would I ever take the risk...she's in the Eshopps sump with several inches of sand, caves, rock rubble and macro algae. I think her little eyes are the cutest...

She was only eating live foods at the lfs...I was able to get her onto frozen when I brought her home and she still gets the occasional live food...

I did A LOT of research before I got her...I pretty much read every main "mantis info thread" on any/every forum that had one to make sure that I could properly care for her...here's a link for those curious on some basic info. on her...

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...acostraca/royslist/species.php?name=p_ciliata
 
sahin said:
You have a beautiful setup. Love the mantis shrimp.
Click to expand...

Thank you...I think it's a mess though...but it is very much a work in progress...I still have a lot of work/tweaking/cleanup/organizing to do to get it to where I want it...

Still need to purchase more sand, rock and gather a variety of other macros, upgrade to leds, full apex, larger skimmer, setup dosers, etc. Planning a lot more upgrades...want to get this system to where it's running effortlessly...as a mom of 3 kid's, a pitbull, cat and 7 aquariums...my hands are full. I do water changes every single Saturday. I change carbon/gfo as well as clean skimmer on the first of the month. Skimmer cup is emptied every day or two...glass cleaned daily...razor blade to the glass on Saturdays, etc.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Z
5.7ft tank stocking
Replies
7
Views
277
ZanaZoola14
Z
Rpkneumann
BeanAnimal conversion of an 2005 Oceanic 150 GA Tank - possible?
Replies
9
Views
569
Rpkneumann
Rpkneumann
Z
Zeeter's Dream Tank
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
zeeter
Z
R
hob overflow/display fuge?
Replies
6
Views
442
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
K
Clean Rip Going South
Replies
10
Views
1K
Big E
Big E
Back
Top