Mike's Aquariums

[Mike]

Ok, I'll go first. Currently, I'm running the following setups:

55 gallon saltwater tank
About 60 pounds of live rock, Aquac Remora Skimmer (2), Yellow Tang, Green Chromis, Yellowtail Blue Damsel, Zoanthids, Pulsing Xenia, 2 acropora corals, Crocea Clam, Turbo Snails, Cleaner Shrimps, Maroon Clownfish with Bubble Tip Anemone. T5-HO lights @ 8 x 54 watts. Water top-offs are with RO water with kalkwasser added using a Kent Marine Aquadose to slow drip when the lights are off. 10% water changes once a week.

Photos:


28 Gallon Nano Cube Reef Tank
Read about how I set up my Nanocube

10 gallon qt
Nothing in QT at the moment

55 gallon freshwater
Silver Dollars, Angelfish, various tetras

Two 6 gallon freshwater tanks (kids rooms) - their tanks, but I clean them. When they get bigger they'll be doing their own tank maintenance.

120 Gallon Reef Tank (more pics towards page 3 or so in this thread of the 120 gallon)

120 gallon specs:
8x54 watt T5 only running 6 bulbs on to save energy
geo calcium reactor
40 gallon sump
eheim return pump
2 ecotech vortech powerheads
biopellet reactor to lower nitrates and phosphates
reef octopus skimmer
diy rock wall background
corals include sps, zoanthids, lps

 

[sirdarksol]

Very cool. How long was the tank running (at the time of the pictures) and how much, if any, had the coral grown?
Also, any progress on the 28g nano-cube?

 

[Mike]

Thanks sirdarksol - the 55 saltwater tank has been up for awhile now... several years primarily a fowlr. Clams maybe 9 months, birdsnest 4 months, acroporas and candy canes about 9 months too. Some montipora frags that are between 2 months and 9 months.

Just posted a pic above of the nanocube and a link to the setup article.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Gozer_1]

Looks fantastic Mike. I like your frag shelf. Very nice.

 

[Mike]

Thanks Gozer

 

[agsansoo]

Really nice looking tanks. The nano cube is a great addition. How do you like the MH ? I bet the color (14K) is awesome in person.

 

[Mike]

Yep, I'm diggin the halide.

 

[Shawnie]

totally awesome!!!!!! how nice that must be to sit and just watch

 

[Mike]

Thanks Shawnie - growing coral frags is a lot of fun.

 

[MissMTS]

Beautiful Tank! I would love to have a saltwater tank someday. It just seems to complicated and much to expensive for me at this point

 

[Mike]

Thanks newbee - expensive yes, not all that complicated though. Just have to research stuff before you buy it to make sure you have the equipment to care for it.

 

[COBettaCouple]

drool I would LOVE your tank! Great pics!

 

[Mike]

Thanks COBC

 

[Gozer_1]

I want Halide lights and a Frag Shelf........ ;D

Looking good. I like the one in the picture second from the left on the top row. Bright yellow polyps. It's stuff like that, that makes me want to start a Nano SPS tank. Like I don't have enough water to change as is, right.

 

[Mike]

Haha! Thanks Goz. I wish I knew what species of coral that was... I was thinking pocillopora, but still not sure.

 

[Angela_96]

Awesome tanks!

 

[cognizant]

So pretty... i'm drooling slightly...

 

[peacemaker92]

So many tanks! WOW! I can't imagine myself having these many tanks. Even if I DID have these many tanks, I couldn't be as hard working as you Mike! Nice!

 

[Matt]

BRILLIANT TANK MIKE!!

1 quick question : Do u have a blue and yellow tang in there ?

also is that a pair of black and white clowns I c? because if it is then u should no that I have 2 black and white clowns aswell.

Is coral fragging easy because I might give it a go and maybe if I am as succesful as u then I might be able to sell them for a bit of cha-ching LOL.

Anyways please reply 2 my questions

From Matt A keen fish keeper (Agsansoo and Mike are my hero's)

 

[Speedy]

WOW great tank! drool Now I'm dehydrated from all the mouth watering...
There is nothing like saltwater....

 

[Mike]

Thanks - that was a blue tang that I was holding for a friend while he was cycling his 120. Makes me want to upgrade though so I could have a few of them they are such cool fish. The clowns are maroon clownfish - Premnas biaculeatus. Some corals are definitely easy to frag, others not so much. Depends on the coral. Montipora capricornis is definitley easy to frag as well as the acropora.

 

[Matt]

Thanks alot. What do I need to fragg corals?

Do you have any links on how to frag and what you need??

Also I agree that blue tangs are awesome fish. I'm getting 1 soon.

From Matt

Thanks for the help mike.

P.S. I added 2 your rep because of that good info


Those 2 corals you meantioned there are awesome mike. They look so cool btw is montipora capricornis a scientific name for plate coral??? and I have seen both of them for sale at my LFS which is great,

Please tell me what I need to start coral fragging?

I have a spare 100 Litre tank with Saltwater t5's in it but the only thing that worries me is that the filter in that tank isn't great but I think it will do.

So all I need 2 no is what I need and if u have a link that will help loads.

From Matt (eagerly awaiting your reply)

 

[Pamphilos]

SW tanks are such work, but so beautiful! Good job sir! Until I have a bigger place to house a similar work of art, I shall live my Saltwater dreams vicariously through you. More pics pls!

 

[Matt]

Yer Mike once again absolutely BRILLIANT tank. Love The Corals and fish.

From Matt

 

[Coryd55]

Do you sell frags Mike?

 

[Mike]

Matt - I answered you coral fragging question in your thread on it.

Do you sell frags Mike?

Cory - Not yet. Someday soon though.

 

[Matt]

Oh Yer Right Sorry.

I am so looking forward to fragging. Is a 100 Litre tank bg enough to grow healthy frags and it has t5 lighting in it?

Do I need to buy a frag shelf or are frag plugs better???

From Matt

 

[glowa8]

55 g is amazing

 

[Mike]

Oh Yer Right Sorry.

I am so looking forward to fragging. Is a 100 Litre tank bg enough to grow healthy frags and it has t5 lighting in it?

Do I need to buy a frag shelf or are frag plugs better???

From Matt

Corals can be affixed to the frag plug and then put on a shelf higher in the tank so they can receive more intense lighting. I was mainly using the frag shelf to see how much faster they'd grow up top versus in the middle of the tank. The montis grew at about the same rate, maybe a little faster but the acroporas definitely grow faster up top versus in the middle of the tank. You can make your own frag shelf out of that ceiling lighting plastic grid type stuff found at home improvement stores. A sheet of it is only about $10 or so.

55 g is amazing

Thanks!

 

[Rosefire]

Very nice. New here myself but I find your comment about it being your kids tanks but you clean them hilarious. My son has a 30 gallon tank that I treat, clean, and feed the fish....but he gets the bragging rights!

 

[Mike]

120 Gallon Reef Tank Pics

I haven't posted any pictures of my 120 gallon reef tank in a long time - here are some recent pics:

 

[Ziggi]

Ah - May - Zing!!! How long have you had it?

 

[Butterfly]

That is just awesome!
Carol

 

[Mike]

Thanks The 120 is about a year old give or take a few months... if I recall correctly.

 

[chevyguy8893]

Those are some really nice pictures of a beautiful tank! Is that a corner overflow covered in coral?

 

[Lucy]

That's just gorgeous Mike!

 

[Mike]

Those are some really nice pictures of a beautiful tank! Is that a corner overflow covered in coral?

Thanks - it's a middle overflow. The back wall is a rock wall with corals growing on it - here is what it looked like right after building the rock wall:

That green acro has been fragged and traded to friends.
Rock wall build info: https://www.fishlore.com/build-live-rock-wall.htm

Now that I think about it, this tank is almost 2 years old. My goodness time flies.

 

[ryanr]

NOT FAIR!!!!! :stamps feet:
I wish mine looked that good after 12 months

Great shots Mike, thanks for sharing

 

[Mike]

Thanks Ryan - I posted an edit, it's almost 2 years old.

Here are some comparison shots where you can see the montipora growth rate (the red plate like middle coral):

 

[chevyguy8893]

Thanks - it's a middle overflow. The back wall is a rock wall with corals growing on it - here is what it looked like right after building the rock wall:

That green acro has been fragged and traded to friends.
Rock wall build info: https://www.fishlore.com/build-live-rock-wall.htm

Now that I think about it, this tank is almost 2 years old. My goodness time flies.

Well, I got one part right . Anyway, you did a really nice job with building that and seeing the start of it, it has been filled in really well. If I ever build a reef tank I may have to do something like that.

 

[Mike]

Thanks Chevyguy It's can be quite fun and satisfying watching corals grow.

 

[baggy007]

 

[Mike]

LOL

 

[Quinn_Lamb98]

it is settled- I am going to start salt water and I am going to track you down and force you to set me up tank. your tanks are gorgeous, I really really really want a 30 gallon bowfront with a single anemone inhabited by a pair of clowns. and maybe a goby.

 

[monkeypie102]

Amazing! Simply stunning tank Mike! Now I am going to see if I can make a live rock wall when I start my 29 gallon

 

[Mike]

it is settled- I am going to start salt water and I am going to track you down and force you to set me up tank. your tanks are gorgeous, I really really really want a 30 gallon bowfront with a single anemone inhabited by a pair of clowns. and maybe a goby.

Definitely doable, harder to keep a smaller tank like a 30 gallon but definitely possible.

Amazing! Simply stunning tank Mike! Now I am going to see if I can make a live rock wall when I start my 29 gallon

thanks! It was fun to build the wall and I really like the look vs. just stacking live rock (and it gives the fish more room to swim) and you can place corals all over it and just let them grow out.

 

[monkeypie102]

Actually do you think this would be do able in a small 5 gallon tank? I will be starting construction tomorrow and if so I can hold off for a few days to do this wall!

 

[Mike]

You could definitely make the rock wall for a 5 gallon but I wouldn't attempt to run a 5 gallon saltwater tank myself. Way to difficult to keep stuff alive/thriving and not much you could keep. Definitely wouldn't keep clownfish with an anemone in a 5g.

 

[monkeypie102]

Think you may be mixing us up haha... I am planning it for hermit crabs and maybe ablue neon go by

 

[Mike]

Ah, sorry, I did get it mixed up there.