It is my pleasure to present MR's March 2011 Tank of the Month to CancerverO (Javier) and his 57g Rimless Tank!!
Congrats Javier!! That is one pretty tank you have there! Happy to have you as our March 2011 ToTM!
WOW !! What an honor and privilege to have my tank selected as "Tank of the Month March 2011". I have always read about TOTM but it really never crossed my mind that one day I was going to be selected.
You should know the question by now since you follow our ToTM Threads...?tell us how you got into reefing?
Early in 2006, I was window shopping in Manhattan and decided to check a fish store, just to kill some time. After walking around the store, I ended up in the marine life section. Oh boy! I fell completely in love, but not with marine fish or corals, it was that intense bright red thing hiding under a rock. Yes, I got into this hobby because of a blood shrimp. Ironically, I have not been able to keep one alive. I tried twice. I was just a noobie and didn't acclimate him right the first time. The second time, my cleaner shrimp killed it.
Lol, sometimes it's the little things that get us!. What was your first tank like?
I started with a simple basic 10 gallon tank with a basic filter and no skimmer. Fortunately, after searching all over the net, I found Manhattan Reefs community, and realized that keeping a colorful shrimp was not as simple as I thought. Slowly I began to acquire better equipment and knowledge. My no longer basic 10 gallon tank was not big enough to hold all my gadgets and livestock, and I was bitten by the upgrading itch. I went from 10 gallons to 24 gal. nano tank to 40 breeder and to finally my 57 rimless reef ready tank.
Your 57g rimless is a beautiful tank, some would call it sexy, tell us more about it?
I really enjoyed my previous tank but I was getting tired of seeing the heater in the back of my tank, or the filters on top of it. I wanted a cleaner, neater and more natural look, and the 57 rimless was born. This time I took my time to research and get all the appropriate equipment. I opted to use less liverock in the main display, but put more in the sump, next to the big heater. I decided to go for a more open aquascape look, a design that will be more beneficial for my corals, fish and for my personal delight.
What equipment are you running on there?
57 Oceanic rimless tank (36x18x21) with Glass-Holes Overflow
MP10 and Tunze 6045
30G sump/refuge w/ Mag-Drive 7
SWC Xtreme 120 Cone Protein Skimmer
TEK HOT5 6 bulbs light system in White
Rapid LEDs and 1 Powerbrite strip
Husbandry practices & other gadgets that you have?
I prefer a basic controllable and stable tank. I know there are quite a few wonderful gadgets out there but I prefer manual dosing since I can control the amount that I dose. I dose Alk every day, and calcium twice per week. I change my carbon every month and I do 15% water change every week. I don't dose anything else.
How are your parameters?
Salinity: 1.026
Alkalinity: 10-11 dKH
Calcium: 400 ppm
Temp: 78 -82
Ph: 8.2
Nitrates: 0
Clearly your husbandry practices are paying off! The tank is beautiful.
Tell us who & what calls your tank home sweet home?
I currently have a blue hippo tang that soon I will have to find him a new home. 6 blue eye cardinals that finally are schooling. A potter leopard and radiant wrasse. A blackfin Chromis, Snowflake Clown-fish and a gold Midas blenny.
As far as corals I prefer branching LPS and I slowly have been introducing some SPS lately. I also have a bunch of snails and a pair of Harlequin shrimp.
What are you feeding the fish?
I feed my fish flakes, mysis shrimp and Nutramar Ova food and all my fish go crazy for that!
You told me a funny story from when you were starting out, care to share that here?
Honestly I am ashamed to admit that when I started my 10 gallons, I had no clue about cycling, or cyano. For me, green algea and aiptasia were some great looking additions to my tank.lol.. But after a few months searching through the awesome threads here at MR, I learned that water changes are a must and not optional as I was told..so I must thank MR site for the information that has provide me through all these years.
Most of our ToTM winners like to say thanks to someone special in their lives, come on, out with it...who is on your list?
My family and especially my loving and caring girlfriend because there were few times that I was so close to give up and breaking down the tank, but she just wouldn't let me and always encouraging me to think out of the box.
You're a lucky guy to have such a great girl friend Javier!!
Any other thanks?
I would like to thank the MR family, members and vendors, for all the great information and all the awesome livestock that I have acquired. Thank you so much!!!!
So...what's next?
Mmmm I believe I am ready to try one more time - blood shrimp you are next!!!
We wish you the very best of luck with that next Blood Shrimp, hopefully the 3rd time is the charm for you! Congrats again, you deserve it!
Do stick around and answer any questions our members might have about your sweet 57g Rimless tank!
-Photo Credits to Javier
Congrats Javier!! That is one pretty tank you have there! Happy to have you as our March 2011 ToTM!
WOW !! What an honor and privilege to have my tank selected as "Tank of the Month March 2011". I have always read about TOTM but it really never crossed my mind that one day I was going to be selected.
You should know the question by now since you follow our ToTM Threads...?tell us how you got into reefing?
Early in 2006, I was window shopping in Manhattan and decided to check a fish store, just to kill some time. After walking around the store, I ended up in the marine life section. Oh boy! I fell completely in love, but not with marine fish or corals, it was that intense bright red thing hiding under a rock. Yes, I got into this hobby because of a blood shrimp. Ironically, I have not been able to keep one alive. I tried twice. I was just a noobie and didn't acclimate him right the first time. The second time, my cleaner shrimp killed it.
Lol, sometimes it's the little things that get us!. What was your first tank like?
I started with a simple basic 10 gallon tank with a basic filter and no skimmer. Fortunately, after searching all over the net, I found Manhattan Reefs community, and realized that keeping a colorful shrimp was not as simple as I thought. Slowly I began to acquire better equipment and knowledge. My no longer basic 10 gallon tank was not big enough to hold all my gadgets and livestock, and I was bitten by the upgrading itch. I went from 10 gallons to 24 gal. nano tank to 40 breeder and to finally my 57 rimless reef ready tank.
Your 57g rimless is a beautiful tank, some would call it sexy, tell us more about it?
I really enjoyed my previous tank but I was getting tired of seeing the heater in the back of my tank, or the filters on top of it. I wanted a cleaner, neater and more natural look, and the 57 rimless was born. This time I took my time to research and get all the appropriate equipment. I opted to use less liverock in the main display, but put more in the sump, next to the big heater. I decided to go for a more open aquascape look, a design that will be more beneficial for my corals, fish and for my personal delight.
What equipment are you running on there?
57 Oceanic rimless tank (36x18x21) with Glass-Holes Overflow
MP10 and Tunze 6045
30G sump/refuge w/ Mag-Drive 7
SWC Xtreme 120 Cone Protein Skimmer
TEK HOT5 6 bulbs light system in White
Rapid LEDs and 1 Powerbrite strip
Husbandry practices & other gadgets that you have?
I prefer a basic controllable and stable tank. I know there are quite a few wonderful gadgets out there but I prefer manual dosing since I can control the amount that I dose. I dose Alk every day, and calcium twice per week. I change my carbon every month and I do 15% water change every week. I don't dose anything else.
How are your parameters?
Salinity: 1.026
Alkalinity: 10-11 dKH
Calcium: 400 ppm
Temp: 78 -82
Ph: 8.2
Nitrates: 0
Clearly your husbandry practices are paying off! The tank is beautiful.
Tell us who & what calls your tank home sweet home?
I currently have a blue hippo tang that soon I will have to find him a new home. 6 blue eye cardinals that finally are schooling. A potter leopard and radiant wrasse. A blackfin Chromis, Snowflake Clown-fish and a gold Midas blenny.
As far as corals I prefer branching LPS and I slowly have been introducing some SPS lately. I also have a bunch of snails and a pair of Harlequin shrimp.
What are you feeding the fish?
I feed my fish flakes, mysis shrimp and Nutramar Ova food and all my fish go crazy for that!
You told me a funny story from when you were starting out, care to share that here?
Honestly I am ashamed to admit that when I started my 10 gallons, I had no clue about cycling, or cyano. For me, green algea and aiptasia were some great looking additions to my tank.lol.. But after a few months searching through the awesome threads here at MR, I learned that water changes are a must and not optional as I was told..so I must thank MR site for the information that has provide me through all these years.
Most of our ToTM winners like to say thanks to someone special in their lives, come on, out with it...who is on your list?
My family and especially my loving and caring girlfriend because there were few times that I was so close to give up and breaking down the tank, but she just wouldn't let me and always encouraging me to think out of the box.
You're a lucky guy to have such a great girl friend Javier!!
Any other thanks?
I would like to thank the MR family, members and vendors, for all the great information and all the awesome livestock that I have acquired. Thank you so much!!!!
So...what's next?
Mmmm I believe I am ready to try one more time - blood shrimp you are next!!!
We wish you the very best of luck with that next Blood Shrimp, hopefully the 3rd time is the charm for you! Congrats again, you deserve it!
Do stick around and answer any questions our members might have about your sweet 57g Rimless tank!
-Photo Credits to Javier
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