Badfish's Hand Built 45g Rimless Starphire Tank

[Sir Patrick]

Sweet tank! You did an outstanding job on it.

[Badfish]

Thank you everyone, I got most of the ideas from reading everyones build threads on these sites, so thanks to many of you for your help as well!

I will be following along too on this one. Very cool tank. I love that you have made every part of it yourself. That is something to be very proud of! Are you putting the Mantis Shrimp in the sump or display?

I put the mantis in the sumps fuge, its female orange spot and right now its just her, some LR, and Chaeto in the fuge. Unfortunately Im still not sure if she is going to make it, she was left in 60 degree water for 3 days, she was almost dead when I found her. She is slowly getting better (moving around the tank on her back now)but she still doesnt seem to be conscious yet.
Here she is before


And after..

Definitely one heck of a job putting it all together. What did you put around the AI fixture?

The pendant is just a hang kit, and then I made a little box out of birch ply that is stained and trimmed to match the stand. I will can post more pics if you like Jim.

Very nice setup, very well thought out and built. What are your plans for live stock?

Nice set up so far. What are your plans with this tank?

Mostly just corals and Inverts, Im a big fan of Rics,Zoas, Acans... who am I kidding, all of them. Maybe some SPS a little later. Right now I have 2 picos that are over flowing with corals and need a new home, so those are getting transfered to this tank. BadFish's REEFER Madness
Fish wise, honestly I haven't even thought about it. My wife will probably make me get the standard 2 clowns, other than that I'm open to suggestions! Remember reefer math though; Rimless + Jumpers =

[Heidi]

Thank you everyone, I got most of the ideas from reading everyones build threads on these sites, so thanks to many of you for your help as well!


I put the mantis in the sumps fuge, its female orange spot and right now its just her, some LR, and Chaeto in the fuge. Unfortunately Im still not sure if she is going to make it, she was left in 60 degree water for 3 days, she was almost dead when I found her. She is slowly getting better (moving around the tank on her back now)but she still doesnt seem to be conscious yet.
Here she is before


And after..



The pendant is just a hang kit, and then I made a little box out of birch ply that is stained and trimmed to match the stand. I will can post more pics if you like Jim.




Mostly just corals and Inverts, Im a big fan of Rics,Zoas, Acans... who am I kidding, all of them. Maybe some SPS a little later. Right now I have 2 picos that are over flowing with corals and need a new home, so those are getting transfered to this tank. BadFish's REEFER Madness
Fish wise, honestly I haven't even thought about it. My wife will probably make me get the standard 2 clowns, other than that I'm open to suggestions! Remember reefer math though; Rimless + Jumpers =

Oh why would you regret a "sump mantis"? I think that is just a good way to get you to open your sump everyday and be as interested in it as your display. I have a huge crab in my fuge that I am sure isn't reef safe. Hope She makes a recovery for you!!

[Badfish]

Thanks Heidi she seems to be a lot better today, here is a shot from Mantis Crisis 2011. I didnt have an extra little heater, so I made this holding tank and floated it in my pea****'s tank so the water temp would slowly rise and hopefully "resurrect" her.

She stayed in there for almost 2 weeks, at first not moving, the next day she was moving her antenna, the next few she started swigging around, I felt like I was watching someone who was thawing out form being cryogenically frozen. So I think I'm going to name her John Spartan; 10 points for the first person who gets that movie reference.

Awesome early 90s movies aside, my rock got here! I got 35 lbs deco for the display and 20lbs of rubble for the fuge and sump, adding to the 15 lbs in there already in the there that bring the total to around 70lbs.

The rubble rock is very porous and I piled it loosely so it will have good flow through. I put some in the skimmer chamber, some in the fuge but most of it when in the pump chamber. I would like to one day have a mandarin without having to constantly add pods to the tank, so Im hoping all the rubble rock and chaeto will give them place to grow multiply, then they spill in to the main via return pump.

I also add some chaeto to the fuge, I have never used it before, does anyone know how to tell when it needs to be trimmed and do I need to worry about it leaching if it says in there too long?

[Badfish]

I am really impressed with the amount of growth on this rock, I know a lot will die off but there is still some much that I don’t mind.





A few of these rocks look fake, this piece is my favorite.



Some people prefer to use base rock for their tanks, but I love all the little critters that come on LR, I can and have spend hours looking at just these rocks







I still need to come up with some aquascaping ideas. Let me know what you guys think!

[rosebud161616]

Demolition Man!

[Badfish]

Sad news this morning, the Mantis known as John Spartan was found MDK (Murder Death Kill) today under a rock in the sump. After a long 2 week battle with hibernation sickness she finally succumbed to the deadly disease also know as Han Solo Syndrome. You fought bravely John, you will be missed and I promise to avenge your death my friend.

D*NNNNNNMMM YOOOOOOU PHENOOOOOOIX!!!!

[MizTanks]

I'm sorry for your loss Badfish ((hugs)) Now as for your cheato. No need to trim it...just tumble it around every now and then. You have a lot of room for it to grow so no worries there. I have a 3g fuge filled with cheato...when it gets packed, I cut off about a softball size and keep it and then I gladly ship the rest to whom ever wants it

I'm totally loving your tank

[Heidi]

Oh man!! LOVE that live rock!! Where did you get that stuff if you don't mind asking. I am gonna get heck for this I know but I love all the neat kinds of greenery that comes on that stuff too cool. It is beautiful when you first put it in your tank. There are benifits to useing base rock, I get that, but nothing is as cool as the little mini ecosystems that come attached to live rock! Love this tank so far.

[Badfish]

I'm sorry for your loss Badfish ((hugs)) Now as for your cheato. No need to trim it...just tumble it around every now and then. You have a lot of room for it to grow so no worries there. I have a 3g fuge filled with cheato...when it gets packed, I cut off about a softball size and keep it and then I gladly ship the rest to whom ever wants it

I'm totally loving your tank

Thank you Miz, that should be easy enough. Do you use any other macro or just chaeto? And how do you run your fuge light? I have mine reverse form the DT.

Oh man!! LOVE that live rock!! Where did you get that stuff if you don't mind asking. I am gonna get heck for this I know but I love all the neat kinds of greenery that comes on that stuff too cool. It is beautiful when you first put it in your tank. There are benifits to useing base rock, I get that, but nothing is as cool as the little mini ecosystems that come attached to live rock! Love this tank so far.

Thanks, I am still in love with the rock myself. I got it form primo deco live rock,live rock n reef, its their Premo Deco the price for the rock isn't too bad but its the shipping that kills you. But I would still say its worth it the rock is the best I have seen by far, and some of the macro that was on the rock that began to die off already has new growth. I agree with you about the mini ecosystem, I'll take the bad with the good when it comes to LR!