My Mantis build

[RNich34]

Some of you may have been following my old 125 gallon build, well I put that on hold until I move out of my parents house. Doesn't make sense to me to build a 1000lb tank and then move it in the next year or 2. So, I decided on this relatively easy to take care of, small set up. Its a regular sized 10 gallon. Lighting will be one of thoise Par 38 lights. I did the single islan so that the spot light will just stay over the single island, instead of trying to cover the whole tank. This way, The power head, Fuge pump and thermometer will be in the shadows rather then in plain sight under the lights. I want to keep easy to maintain corals in here also.

Day 1: filling water and cleaning all my old stuff off.
Filled tank. Misread the refractometer because I was out of practice I originally got dead on 1.026 but added a little more salt because I misread. Now it's 1.028. Threw some old Mysis shrimp in the tank to get the bacteria going. Also picked up a piece of seeded live rock from Blake's Aqua Den in Meriden.

Day 2: Tested water for the first time. Got
ammonia: 0.5
Nitrite: 0.25
Nitrate: 0
PH: 8.3

[RNich34]

http://s11.postimg.org/b3n11e2ea/20140603_095110.jpg

http://s11.postimg.org/nwb51be02/20140603_104940.jpg

I figured the bonus 1 gallon from the HOB fuge would be useful with such a small amount of water. Its a 10 gallon. There is a local shop here who had a mantis as a hitch hiker. judging by the location the rock came from I'm guessing it is an N. Wennerae. Anyways, he said he'd sell it to me for $5. So I will gladly take it at that price.

[Mad Mantis]

Wow only 5 bucks? The one at my LFS is 100 bucks but is one of the sweet Zebra striped ones. I want one to live in my 30 gallon sump, but everyone tells me he will punch my glass walls out.

EDIT: NVM just found out that Zebras are spear dudes not clubbers.

[RNich34]

I plan on running a 40 gallon whisper canister filter. What do you guys recommend I use in it? I'm looking for something that will make my tank the most maintenance free.

[Islandoftiki]

A canister filter will make a saltwater tank a maintenance nightmare. Unless you like taking it apart every week. Get a decent hob filter like and AC110 or something and get a media basket from InTank for it. Then it will be much lower maintenance. You have to replace your filter floss/pad every three to five days.

[RNich34]

A canister filter will make a saltwater tank a maintenance nightmare. Unless you like taking it apart every week. Get a decent hob filter like and AC110 or something and get a media basket from InTank for it. Then it will be much lower maintenance. You have to replace your filter floss/pad every three to five days.

I don't plan on using the cartridges for it. I got it for 2 reasons. It has the bio scrubber which will increase surface area for bacteria to grow on and for the water flow. I just didn't know if there was anything else I should add to it like carbon or anything?

Edit: Then chaeto will be in the rear fuge for nitrates.

[RNich34]

Or... What if I did chaeto in both the whisper and the Fuge? Or is there no benefit to that?

[Islandoftiki]

I know people have managed to run canister filters successfully on reef tanks, but they honestly belong on a freshwater tank. In fact, they really shine on a freshwater tank. It's the perfect application for a canister filter. Low maintenance, and depending on the model, reasonably easy to service.

However, on a reef tank, you really do need to be able to easily and quickly access your filter media. You have to change it often enough that cracking open your canister filter every three to five days is going to be a real chore. Personally, I would get lazy and not want to hassle with it and end up not caring for the whole thing properly. Perhaps you're a little more diligent than I, but it doesn't sound like that's your goal.

And AC110 HOB filter on Amazon is 80 bucks. Add in an InTank media basket that will hold a Tunze 9002 skimmer is $72.00. Add the skimmer for $120 and you're ready to roll with one of the better filtration systems that doesn't involve a sump.

Anyhow, I'll leave it at that. I don't think a canister filter is a good choice for a marine tank. I have a really nice canister filter setup out in the garage from my old freshwater tank and have never considered it for any of my marine tanks. It just seems like a pain in the backside.

[RNich34]

You just listed almost $300 worth of stuff... my goal isnt to spend all the money I have. Ive seem.posts from dr. Roy on here where he uses canister.filters on his research tanks. These animals arent anemones. As long as I dont over feed like crazy im sure water quality wont be a problem

[Islandoftiki]

Understood. You certainly can use a canister filter.

[Calappidae]

Canister filter is fine.. but they are a PAAAIN to maintain.. you constantly have to take it appart.. FULL OF WATER.. AND completely unhooking it from the tank just to change a pad.. WHILE trying not to flood your whole house in the process (done it..)

And they're not exactly "Leak proof" 100% of the time either.. (Lol.. good times..)

If you're looking for cheap filteration you can actually just buy a couple sheets of acrylic, an empty 10-20 gallon glass tank.. buy a pump.. and make your own for nearly half the price of a canister. Works better than anything else really. Actually that'd be a general discription of a sump..

HOB filters I'm not a fan of personally.. whether it's the biowheel stalling or the impeller breaking. I do run them on nearly all my tanks though just I'm spoiled with the error free sumps and refugiums.

[RNich34]

Canister filter is fine.. but they are a PAAAIN to maintain.. you constantly have to take it appart.. FULL OF WATER.. AND completely unhooking it from the tank just to change a pad.. WHILE trying not to flood your whole house in the process (done it..)

And they're not exactly "Leak proof" 100% of the time either.. (Lol.. good times..)

If you're looking for cheap filteration you can actually just buy a couple sheets of acrylic, an empty 10-20 gallon glass tank.. buy a pump.. and make your own for nearly half the price of a canister. Works better than anything else really. Actually that'd be a general discription of a sump..

HOB filters I'm not a fan of personally.. whether it's the biowheel stalling or the impeller breaking. I do run them on nearly all my tanks though just I'm spoiled with the error free sumps and refugiums.


One step ahead of you on the "taking it apart" homefront.

http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-25818-Whisper-BioScrubber-40-Gallon/dp/B0002DHYH2/ref=cm_cd_ql_qh_dp_i

No lids. :lolspin: But I'm going to try to fashion some type of filter sock to put in it so take out every night instead of the pads. Similar to a filter sock in a sump.

[Calappidae]

One step ahead of you on the "taking it apart" homefront.

http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-25818-Whisper-BioScrubber-40-Gallon/dp/B0002DHYH2/ref=cm_cd_ql_qh_dp_i

No lids. :lolspin: But I'm going to try to fashion some type of filter sock to put in it so take out every night instead of the pads. Similar to a filter sock in a sump.

Those won't be strong enough. I think the rule of thumb is water must be turned over 10x per hour. Those also don't have enough room for biological and mechanic filteration.

[RNich34]

Those won't be strong enough. I think the rule of thumb is water must be turned over 10x per hour. Those also don't have enough room for biological and mechanic filteration.

The thing on the manufacturers website says 210 GPH for the 40.

[Calappidae]

The thing on the manufacturers website says 210 GPH for the 40.

And those only flow in a small confind space. It ain't like you have a return on one side of the tank and the intake on the other. It's all in one space area no flowing the whole tank.


You should have a biomedia.. preferable bioballs or wheel.. or better a refugium.. a place to put you carbon and other medias.. or don't bother with a filter.

Don't buy anything from tetra to say the least... none of that is for saltwater period.

Your tank should almost look like this with a filter on it.

http://i59.*******.com/htzngm.jpg

[Islandoftiki]

I'm concerned that your budget is going to make you cut too many corners and this whole project is going to be a mess. Salt water tanks are expensive. That's all there is to it. Good equipment costs good money. Cheap stuff is unreliable or won't do what you need. Why not do a cool freshwater invertebrate tank? Maybe with some kind of freshwater lobster or something.

[dclownd]

So just to chime in a bit, I have had a 5.5 set up with my chigara in it for over 10 months also has a fish. It has an ac70 that I modified slightly and a couple cheap lights the filter has live rock and chaeto in it that's it. If you wanna see pictures I could take them and upload them. All together filter was 50, used a some aquarium silicon 10, lights were around 70 tank was 13, oh and a power head 214gph(I Think) 35. So grand total around 178 dollars not including rock water chaeto and the beast.

[Fartin'Gary]

So just to chime in a bit, I have had a 5.5 set up with my chigara in it for over 10 months also has a fish. It has an ac70 that I modified slightly and a couple cheap lights the filter has live rock and chaeto in it that's it. If you wanna see pictures I could take them and upload them. All together filter was 50, used a some aquarium silicon 10, lights were around 70 tank was 13, oh and a power head 214gph(I Think) 35. So grand total around 178 dollars not including rock water chaeto and the beast.

Is this 5.5 the same tank you are having a big ich problem with?
You have a clown and a chiragra in a tiny 5.5 gallon?

[Calappidae]

Chiragra needs a 10.. or larger consituring thinner glass. Most clownfish need from a 20 gallon long to a 55 gallon..

[Fartin'Gary]

Chiragra needs a 10.. or larger consituring thinner glass. Most clownfish need from a 20 gallon long to a 55 gallon..

Maybe he's got another tank. But if he doesn't then there is not a whole lot of credibility with his inexpensive build. And also you would be correct to say that a 5.5 gallon for a chiragra alone would be to small. With a clown and chiragra it is way way over loaded.

[dclownd]

Roys list says for a Gonodactylus chiragra that the size required is 20L to 40L Depending on stormatopods size as mine is only around 50-70mm. He is between 5.5 and 10g, yes he requires an upgrade this year and will get one but as far as starting into the hoby yes this was a great set up and has served me well for almost a year.

Even tho Yes at times he has had a fish housed with him which should be making the tank possibly overloaded and the fish possibly sick in the most recent case being beans my one year old clown fish.