xcreonx Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 (edited) Hello. Over the last 6 months I've been re-doing my 35g tank. Here's my old tank: http://www.austinreefclub.com/index.php?ac...p;f=14&id=4 I decided to do something a little bit different. After living on the ocean in Florida for 10 years I wanted to create a more 'natural' look. I also wanted to focus on my beautiful healthy Elegance and Fox corals as the centerpieces with a few choice corals joining them. This setup may not represent a biotope of any kind, but it does look more like what I'm used to seeing in the ocean. I suspended some red mangrove seeds to encourage prop roots and I added some various macroalgaes. Surprisingly, several macros just showed up including the Halimeda, the Codium and the Razor Caulerpa. I have no idea where they came from! As far as equipment, Im keeping it really simple. Im using a Tunze Nanostream with a controller for movement, an air pump / air stone running constantly (except in the photos... microbubbles) and big water changes for filtration. There's also a Tunze Osmolator for topoff. You will notice a very huge, ugly heater that I need to switch out for a smaller, more concealed unit. Lighting is the same as my old tank, 4-light Teklight T5 fixture. Enough talk, onto the photos: Thanks for checking out my new tank! I'll try to answer any questions you may have. Edited December 20, 2007 by xcreonx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewtoReef Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Amazingly beautiful. another great tank, big props! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcreonx Posted December 20, 2007 Author Share Posted December 20, 2007 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semperfimarine1 Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 very very beautiful tank!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquarius Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 cool to see something truly different! great set up. i have an idea for a tide pool tank were you would have an oversized sump where almost all of the water would go for low tide, then pumped back into the tank for high tide. stock it with anemones and urchins and snails, maybe a couple of blennies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Great job xceronx. I love all the macros. What, if any, fish do you plan on keeping? Have you considered adding a seahorse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcreonx Posted December 20, 2007 Author Share Posted December 20, 2007 Thanks guys. Starfire, I did think about seahorses but Im worried the elegance might decide they were lunch. I do have two fish in there. A Fiji Blue Damsel and a Spotted Cardinalfish, both I've had for YEARS. I think Ill stick with these two guys for now. WIth the water level dropped, the 35g probably becomes 25g and i don't want too much of a bioload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 (edited) Oh my! Beautiful tank! I have a 70 tall with the overflow box 8" shorter than normal. I had planned to do EXACTLY the same type of tank but have never gotten around to setting it up. Thanks for the inspiration! Oh, yeah the elegance and seahorses wouldn't work out. Edited January 3, 2008 by Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apedroza Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Excellent job. I love the way the algae and mangoves blend in with the corals!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sly fox Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 really nice.... i thought about the same thing for my cube before, but was worried about the mangroves roots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mburton Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 what happens when the mangroves grow too large for the tank? Is it a perpetual replacing the mangroves with smaller ones? Oh and I made the move from FL to Austin as well, Creon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sly fox Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 you can nip the buds off to stop the height issue, roots is a problem tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemirn Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Thanks for checking out my new tank! I'll try to answer any questions you may have. That is really amazing! I'm a high school science teacher in south Austin. I'm putting together a "southeast Asian mangrove biotope" for the classroom. I've got a 55g tank, and I'm still waiting on the supplies (filter, substrate, etc.) Then I'll add some mudskippers, archer fish, and maybe a puffer. Questions: 1) Where can I obtain mangrove plants in Austin? (I'm looking for a variety of heights. From "sprouts" to some that are exactly like yours -- long enough to breach the water surface from the tank bottom.) 2) What kind of light would be required? (Right now, the tank has a "stock" light. I haven't looked at it closely yet.) 3) When can the mangroves be planted in the tank? Is is better to wait until the tank has been fully cycled? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Maloney Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 First let me say...WOW that is with a doubt the best looking mangrove tank I have ever seen. Why did you use the blue ribbon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Unfortunately folks this tank has been torn down. I am not sure if there is someone here that can answer your questions though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Maloney Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Oh the suspense! The roots can be trimmed too. You should be judicious when trimming the roots though. Only trim the roots back to the extent they interfere with the normal functioning of the tank, and never chop off more than half of the size of the plant, discounting the size of the original seed. A little bit at a time is the way to do it. There are some good tips on tree stunting and shaping on the bonsai forums, same exact principles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpreefguy Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 What happened to this tank? This is almost exactly what I am planning, and it was awesome to find this tank for some inspiration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Here is what I know for sure: The actual tank is now in the office at Kingfish with some awesome Acans in it. Here is what I am pretty sure happened: xcreonx got out of the hobby. He sold most of the corals and then the rest of the setup to John and Brian. They still have the mangroves but they are in a different tank now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpreefguy Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Thanks for the info Gabriel. My gears are turning now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.