Category Archives: Pets

We set this up in 2007 and it’s still going strong. Last night Tony gave me the thumbs up to quote up an ADA set-up. I’ll be designing and quoting up a new tank which will be the same width (4ft) but deeper (2ft) and it’ll feature 10mm starfire glass. A new cabinet + hood needs to be sorted out too (I’m more than happy to help out!).

Almost done! Today we test fitted the doors before painting them.

These kitchen hinges are so awesome. Totally concealed and very adjustable after fitting which will make it easy to line up the doors perfectly.

Top left: there’s the little bastard who’s kicking up all the coral sand into my corals and making my water hazy!

Shame about the visible hinges at the top huh? If you know of any solutions to hide them please let me know. Bit grey outside today so painting tomorrow!

SPS Frags.

I bought some SPS frags off a reef forum member. Small Polyp Stony Fragments (SPS Frags) are pieces of acropora corals which are broken off mother colonies to start new colonies themselves. SPS are harder to keep than most other corals (I’ve tried in the pat and mine only lasted a few months), kinda like the holy grail/top end of reef keeping.

I figure I start with aqua cultured frags from a guy off the forums rather than buy big pieces which have been plucked out of the ocean. Cheaper, frags are more acclimatised to living in an aquarium and better for the environment too.

If all goes well hopefully my tank will end up looking something like this in future!

My hood is painted and done!

2 angled edges under the hood lid make it easy for me to get my fingers under the lid to pull it up and open.

Hood lid open looking up at the LED lights (holes cut through a wooden shelf built into the hood).

Concealed LED lights from the top sitting on their own shelf.

Framing of the lower stand tomorrow, then doors!

My Uncle Tekky came around today with all the components for my aquarium stand (except for the doors). He brought along a compressor and painted the stand in my back yard as his wasn’t big enough!

Uncle Tekky getting ready for primer.

Hood + frame for lower cabinet ready for paint.

I also got a delivery of some goodies. A China made LED clip light for the ADA mantis tank and also a NanoMag, a tiny little magnetic glass cleaner for the ADA tank made by a small Miami based company called Two Little Fishies (you can see it on the right top side corner). It’s absolutely awesome. I’d say ingenious (I also bought their VeggieMag magnetic veggie clip for holding nori in the main tank, also ingenious! No more failing suction cups!).

FTS.

Mia was due for the last of her baby shots today and she took it like a champ! We’re so impressed :)

She’s now 1kg heavier!

Ears back but no fighting and not a sound when she was given the shot.

We also bought a couple of new fishies. A damsel which is going into the Mantis tank (cruelty to animals?!) and a little Coral Goby for the main tank, pics to come.

My 1st attempt at a simple aquascape.

Mr. Mantis lives in the cave on the right. I really need a white light, or blue even and a black background might work nicely, or white even.

I’ve not bothered with the aquascaping just yet. The Ikea lamp is just temporary too. No substrate yet either (still not 100% sure I want to put sand in) but the Mantis is now living in the tank and he’s busy smashing and eating snails. I’ve got a huge hang on back Aquaclear 110 filter loaded with carbon and denitrate too. It’s almost as wide as the tank!

Over filtration = a good thing. I’ve literally got no more room to play with back there too, tight fit, just perfect!

In other good news my main display tank is almost 100% clear. Phew! Now to call Uncle Tekky and see where he’s at with the stand & hood!