Batou's Realm
Batou's Realm
http://community.webshots.com/album/314971819qHroij
Here is a quick web album of some pics of my recently setup Mantis tank. I've had Batou (a 5 inch peacock mantis) for about 3 weeks now and his damsel buddy is yet to be named.
Its a 20 gal acrylic tank, plumbed into my garage coral propagation setup. An old rio 2500 supplies input (left corner) and a one inch external durso (right corner) drains back to a common sump for the prop system. An ETS downdraft skimmer powered by a littlegiant 4, draws from the sump and skims the approx 75 gal system in total.(A separate LG4 supplies the prop tank).
The 20 gal has a 3-4 inch deep sand bed and about 10 lbs of medium live rock, and about a 1 lb of misc rock rubble and shell pieces.
A coralife mini-might 2 x 13 watt pc fixture is the only lighting. 1 actinic, 1 white.
Batou's main pvc burrow extneds from mid front, to the back left corner. He moved in immediately and has since customized the entrance with the various rubble pieces. The burrow is made of a black abs 2 inch to 1 1/2 inch reducer, a sevn inch length of white 1 1/2 in flex pvc, and ends in a white 1 1/2 in elbow for the exit.
He regularly maintains the entrance and sweeps sand from the burrow. The way the current is setup, it hits the front acrylic and flushes down through the burrow. He can sit and wait for food to be swept by, or he can hunt from either the entrance or exit of the burrow.
The 2 inch white pvc elbow on the right remains unused or excavated and I'll take it out soon.
I have a couple large blue mushroom corals mid top, and some misc polyps just to left, both directly under the low light.
The damsel was with him in a 10 gal with the previous owner and Batou has yet to make a move on him. Yet.
I hope to add a few more lowlight corals and maybe some caulerpa for scenery.
I have enjoyed setting up this tank and continue to enjoy the cool behaviors of such an exotic animal.
Let me know what you think.
__________________
Sharkdude
