SantaMonica
Well-known member
Another way to avoid chopping things up, is to try to use only airlifts instead of water pumps.
My Ultimate Multi Mantis System(s)
- Thread starter Kharn
- Start date
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Went for a bit of a throw out this 'arvy with my brother 
got some nice new stuff 
and a much anticipated catch as well!
Ok so there is a little bit of a selection here at least they like to school together...
Flathead(s) not the yanky catfish Flatheads but the Ozzie weird as hell, bottom dwelling, yummy tasting, lazy, predators ! I got 2 of them this is the largest it's buried itself in the sediment with it's ugly mug pressed up against the front of the tank.
More to come
got some nice new stuff and a much anticipated catch as well!Ok so there is a little bit of a selection here at least they like to school together...
Flathead(s)
not the yanky catfish Flatheads but the Ozzie weird as hell, bottom dwelling, yummy tasting, lazy, predators ! I got 2 of them this is the largest it's buried itself in the sediment with it's ugly mug pressed up against the front of the tank.
More to come
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Hello VaultBoy
Sorry to of just up and left that other forum but things were becoming to 'threatening' and I don't feel like fighting so I just leave...(not the first local AUS forum I have left either)...
Ironic how a very few can ruin it for very many...
Things have been going as they always have with the systems
except I have finally begun my plans for the "Ultimate Upgrade" having already upgraded all the lights to much more powerful coral life supporting LEDs & purchased 3 large skimmers along with some small pumps (returns & caves).All that is left is, the HOB overflows, the PowerHeads & the Filtration Tanks/Sumps themselves.
Once this is all done it will no long be the Ultimate Multi Mantis System but the Ultimate Multi Mantis Reef!
I am planning to do a "carpet of grass" for STAND C seeing as the tanks are so slim and only hold sand (no live rock & def no coral) but I want some color and I thought a "sea grass bed" would look AWESOME!
Minos has shifted gears entirely, from unsure about his survival to the now new start and most active spearer surpassing Morgoth & Leviathan, for the first time ever I witnessed a large spearer exit it's burrow to chase down live prey (so much for sit n wait) best part is....I got a LOT on camera, am just making a Minos dedicated film, he has certainly become a living engine of destruction and those eyes of his with the horns in the middle... just make the whole package that little bit extra creepy
...There has been a new inhabitant as well but only a 'nano' species getting to less then 50mm long in the process of obtaining it though I also found a great little addition to the overall systems to further increase stocking size
my LFS sold these little HOB tanks they are of a tough strong plastic, I don't foresee nano species braking it but at the same time they hold...4.2L a good amount and being only 26cm Long they work out well dimension wise! I made everything in "feet" including the individual compartments for like STAND A.So basically there are 6 compartments in STAND A (300mmL ea) I can effectively hang 6 of these HOB tanks off that 1 stand for 6 individual nano species
, there is no bright lights back there so no algae builds on the container which makes for easy photography/filming, many bonuses....OH and those HOB tanks are only $20ea! STEAL!So yeah whilst things are still the same there are also many new things happening.
Stay tuned as there is MUCH footage to be uploaded, including a VICIOUS impalement by the Leviathan on a whole 5inch long bigger then my finger fish, not only did both his dactyls completely penetrate the prey but if he had of yanked any harder when retracting back....he'd of completely decapitated the fish....
Almost 2 yrs on and I am still amazed everyday!!! :eek1:
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Latest Short Film detailing my Spearers with a lot of new footage within it albeit specifically from Minos!
High Speed 400FPS select 1080p HD for best viewing.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gzT8TxU7fgs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Hope you enjoy
High Speed 400FPS select 1080p HD for best viewing.
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gzT8TxU7fgs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Hope you enjoy
NanoJosh
New member
great videos Kharn I wish my wife liked these lil guys nut unfortunately she thinks they are like cockroaches so I will just live vicariously through you thank you for a great thread and videos . oh and is ur fuge going to be a display fuge if so can you post pics when finished I am going to do the same on my new cube build. THanks again and happy reefing
Eel Freak
Fimbriated Moray
Finally caught up with all your updates... As usual, most impressive Kharn! I love seeing your huge variety and how well they all do, not to mention the fabulous theatrical design of your videos! Keep it up!
Sorry to hear of the loss of your Squillids, it is never easy to accept. I think you are right though regarding Squillids requiring much more dedication to mimicking their natural environment to ensure survival.
Sorry to hear of the loss of your Squillids, it is never easy to accept. I think you are right though regarding Squillids requiring much more dedication to mimicking their natural environment to ensure survival.
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Not only do I agree with you but I also believe that you are a living representation of this...I had a 'typical' spearer tank you have a species specific tank...
Where most spearers will take to fine sand like they do in the wild there are obviously some like the squillids who really do need that dedication...do you remember a while back someone posted about a rather rare squillid it looked like yours but instead of the blues it had pinks ?
That squillid went into an outside mangrove tank and I am very curious to hear as to how it is going...
Eel Freak
Fimbriated Moray
Thank you! haha
Yes, I do remember that. From the pictures and such it looked like the mantis was headed for an awesome set up. I, too, would like to know how it has faired. These creatures are simply so fascinating that if I had the space, I'd have species-specific replications for a whole host of them (not unlike yourself
). I due time though I suppose...
Yes, I do remember that. From the pictures and such it looked like the mantis was headed for an awesome set up. I, too, would like to know how it has faired. These creatures are simply so fascinating that if I had the space, I'd have species-specific replications for a whole host of them (not unlike yourself
). I due time though I suppose...
Kharn
MANTISMAN
I'm happy to hear that my personal goals on here are not only to help others understand these creatures but also to entertain people as well, I aim to catch new things as they happen and provide the best quality of image that I can possible provide, rite now I have the greatest publicly available camera for filming both HD & HS @ 400FPS, even though the camera setup is close to $2k (camera, lens, tripod) the next step up is closer to $8k and with MUCH less (just a body, no lens etc.) but would provide 1080p HD quality at HS 500FPS+ rite now I edit the raw footage in software to make it larger without sacrificing "so much" quality.
Currently working on the latest 'smasher' installment as I have a LOT of new footage of them including some GREAT thundering high speed footage of my largest smasher taking on an equally large crab even at 400FPS the O.scyllarus swings it's club to fast to be considered "slow motion"....I read 5000FPS+ is truly required for the smashers (large spearers will swing for almost 10x LESS/SLOWER then that of a smasher, so whilst it is easier to see in HS it is unfortunately more unpredictable and still a very fast movement so easy to miss for the camera recording which will only record high speed footage for 4secs...).
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Latest installment of the Smashers featuring a handful of species and a mix of both HD and HS footage with 1080p viewing capabilities.
Fear the Hammer...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8S77rc4lhPU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Hope you enjoyed! :wavehand:
Fear the Hammer...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8S77rc4lhPU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Hope you enjoyed! :wavehand:
Islandoftiki
New member
That some impressive slow-mo footage!
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Thanks for the comments =) I'm currently half way through my next short clip =) I'm taking a different outlook on 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer'...
In the mean time here are a few pictures I'd like to share
EVE - G.SMITHII - Of all my current compartments, Eves impresses me the most it's the only compartment that currently has a DIY PVC burrow & macro algae...the way the algae has not only kept the water crystal clear but completely 'consumed' the DIY PVC burrow is a really great sight and things look very natural now in her compartment, every entry/exit is covered with rock/rubble/macro algae.
Hard to notice the DIY PVC burrow let alone Eve in this pic =)...
ROCKY - G.GRAPHURUS - Hosting most of the coral and within one of the deepest compartments means that algae growth is slower for the DIY PVC burrow in Rockys compartment, also as I said above there is no macro algae in this compartment, giving the coral room but exposing the DIY PVC burrow more.
MINNIE - G.GRAPHURUS - Although her compartment is littered with Macro Algae like Eves, Minnie resides within a rock that I first obtained her in over 2years ago...her compartment is completely natural and I am a little beside myself to take "her rock" from her...
More to come!
In the mean time here are a few pictures I'd like to share
EVE - G.SMITHII - Of all my current compartments, Eves impresses me the most
it's the only compartment that currently has a DIY PVC burrow & macro algae...the way the algae has not only kept the water crystal clear but completely 'consumed' the DIY PVC burrow is a really great sight and things look very natural now in her compartment, every entry/exit is covered with rock/rubble/macro algae.
Hard to notice the DIY PVC burrow let alone Eve in this pic =)...
ROCKY - G.GRAPHURUS - Hosting most of the coral and within one of the deepest compartments means that algae growth is slower for the DIY PVC burrow in Rockys compartment, also as I said above there is no macro algae in this compartment, giving the coral room but exposing the DIY PVC burrow more.
MINNIE - G.GRAPHURUS - Although her compartment is littered with Macro Algae like Eves, Minnie resides within a rock that I first obtained her in over 2years ago...her compartment is completely natural and I am a little beside myself to take "her rock" from her...
More to come!
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Live Prey can also be amazing too look at and the more diverse you have to offer can not only be nutritional (oily/pelagic fish) but another sight for the camera!
I'm fairly certain that this is a species of Trevally still in it's juvenile state, they don't do to well in Aquariums as the 2 I have refuse to eat unlike the many Bream which gorge on prawn meat etc.
This Sand Crab offers my smashers a different kind of crab meat as opposed to the typical muddy mud crabs often given to them...having said that I (and possibly the stomatopods) would prefer some Mud Crab any day of the week over the Sand Crabs...having said this the Sand Crab does quite well in the aquarium and will actively scavenge any left overs on the sand bed, something I have yet to witness a Mud Crab do...
More to come!
I'm fairly certain that this is a species of Trevally still in it's juvenile state, they don't do to well in Aquariums as the 2 I have refuse to eat unlike the many Bream which gorge on prawn meat etc.
This Sand Crab offers my smashers a different kind of crab meat as opposed to the typical muddy mud crabs often given to them...having said that I (and possibly the stomatopods) would prefer some Mud Crab any day of the week over the Sand Crabs...having said this the Sand Crab does quite well in the aquarium and will actively scavenge any left overs on the sand bed, something I have yet to witness a Mud Crab do...
More to come!
Kharn
MANTISMAN
Over the past week I did a little re-adjusting to my largest smashers compartment, Juggernaut...mostly because due to the sheer size of the O.scyllarus mixed with the lack of Live Rock to build with and hide it's bulk.
So I went about making a very simple PVC pipe similar to what it had in the past but refused to use, its a large 65mm wide piece about 40cm long with a 90degree elbow on each end of the pipe, the horizontal piece is completely buried beneath the large coral chunks with only the exit/entry points of the elbows to the burrow being exposed, to help further darken it I placed all the Live Rock on top and was capable of placing some wide flat pieces above each burrow entry/exit point to limit the light entering from directly above.
Within 10mins Juggernaut found the burrow and never left...3 days later the Juggernaut molted successfully! Today...the large O.scyllarus was kind enough to toss 1 of it's Raptorial Appendages out of the burrow allowing me easy access to pick it out, it's completely still in tact so made for great photography.
Here is the Raptorial Appendage that I was given this morning by Juggernaut, notice how intact it is with next to nothing missing on it
As a bit of a mix up I put the Juggernauts molted claw beside a molted claw of the Leviathan (note that a portion of Leviathans inner appendage is missing...).
The difference in how thick they are is where you get to see the raw power of the smasher over the spearer...1 is a body builder the other anorexic.
More to come
So I went about making a very simple PVC pipe similar to what it had in the past but refused to use, its a large 65mm wide piece about 40cm long with a 90degree elbow on each end of the pipe, the horizontal piece is completely buried beneath the large coral chunks with only the exit/entry points of the elbows to the burrow being exposed, to help further darken it I placed all the Live Rock on top and was capable of placing some wide flat pieces above each burrow entry/exit point to limit the light entering from directly above.
Within 10mins Juggernaut found the burrow and never left...3 days later the Juggernaut molted successfully! Today...the large O.scyllarus was kind enough to toss 1 of it's Raptorial Appendages out of the burrow allowing me easy access to pick it out, it's completely still in tact so made for great photography.
Here is the Raptorial Appendage that I was given this morning by Juggernaut, notice how intact it is with next to nothing missing on it
As a bit of a mix up I put the Juggernauts molted claw beside a molted claw of the Leviathan (note that a portion of Leviathans inner appendage is missing...).
The difference in how thick they are is where you get to see the raw power of the smasher over the spearer...1 is a body builder the other anorexic.
More to come
Kharn
MANTISMAN
One last picture for now and only cause it's a rare one mostly cause he himself refuses to be public....but ever since I have place Shockwave (G.falcatus) inside his little 4.2L HOB Nano, he has not only come out a bit but also made it possible for me to capture this good picture of him all over!
If any of the current HOB Nano species pose a "risk" to the structure of their tanks....it's Shockwave /fingers crossed.
and only cause it's a rare one mostly cause he himself refuses to be public....but ever since I have place Shockwave (G.falcatus) inside his little 4.2L HOB Nano, he has not only come out a bit but also made it possible for me to capture this good picture of him all over!
If any of the current HOB Nano species pose a "risk" to the structure of their tanks....it's Shockwave /fingers crossed.
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