# My Expensive Box of Water



## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 10, 2006)

A newer hobby for me, and one that has already given me countless hours of enjoyment, my Nano Reef.

I've had to make a few modifications to the original tank so I could keep some of the more exotic creatures I wanted such as Christmas Tree Worms and a Crocea Clam, but "modding" the tank is also part of the fun.

The Tank






The "Watch Dog", my Royal Gramma





Christmas Tree Worms





Crocea Clam..its vibrant colors are near impossible to capture with a camera





Spaghetti Finger Leather Coral...the same color as a Hi-Lighter Marker





Pulsing Xenia...each little "hand" opens and closes constantly





Striped Mushroom Coral





Frog Spawn





Open Brain Coral...still "waking up" in this photo




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Facebook stocks


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 10, 2006)

And finally some of my favorites, the Zoanthids





















Jon
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HERBALAIRE


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## lienluu (Jun 10, 2006)

Looks awesome Jon! How long have you had it running? What size tank is it? Do you have a chiller on it?

This is my latest addition to mine, a red Goniopora


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 10, 2006)

Incredible Goniopora!! Isn't that what they call a flower pot coral? I am again humbled by your aquatic skills.

I've had it going for about two months and it is a 12 gallon AquaPod. I haven't needed a chiller yet since I am a big fan of air conditioning and computer fans and the tank stays between 78 and 80. The founder of the NanoReef forum actually has his store 5 miles down the road from me, so I lucked out when starting it up.

Jon
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HONDA CROSSROAD


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## lienluu (Jun 10, 2006)

These things get addictive don't they? Yours is coming along really fantastic! You're lucky to have someone you can go to in person for help! 

Any plans for another one yet?


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 10, 2006)

I'm about out of room on this "starter tank". Maybe a little room for some more zoas. There are four incredible coral dealers within 10 miles of me, and something tells me I'm going to eventually need a much bigger tank with a few more metal halides for stony corals. Maybe eventually a coral greenhouse like the one guy near me...definitely just as addictive as orchids. Now to get those guys into orchids:evil: 

Jon
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Marijuana vaporizers


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## couscous74 (Jun 10, 2006)

Coral greenhouse? ... WOW!  

Nice stuff you guys got there :clap:


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## bwester (Jun 10, 2006)

Wow yall, thats amazing!!


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## Marco (Jun 11, 2006)

Those are great boxes of water!!! Lien what kind of you got swimming around those tanks? I would love to see picture if you have any.


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## Heather (Jun 11, 2006)

Spectacular Jon - I am humbled by YOUR aquatic talents as well. 
The clam is gorgeous. I don't think I had seen photos since that addition.


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## streetmorrisart (Jun 11, 2006)

That is just awesome. I love your Royal Gramma...been eyeing those in books and at the Shedd since I was tiny. My husband wants a Nano in the worst way and I'm tempted to make that his (er, our) next gift!

I have a tetra tank filled with live plants and am working on a fancy goldfish tank. Just waiting on some dollars! It's always up for grabs whether I like fish or orchids more. 

Robin


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 11, 2006)

Do your research before buying anything. I can't stress this enough.
The Royal Gramma is a pretty fish, BUT I would never recommend them. He is the only swimming creature I can have in the tank. When I first got him, the first thing he did was swim over and bite the face off my Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, killing it nearly instantly. If I were to try and add another fish, he would quickly go into Kill Mode, because this is HIS tank. He is also a very shy fish, and spends most of his time in the rockwork or darting out quickly to grab some food and back into one of his holes. To sum it up, an a**hole fish that you almost never see...but he is pretty. Maybe I should have bought that six-line wrasse instead...

Also, these little tanks are not necessarily ready to go out of the box. The new model of AquaPod I got is great compared to some of the others, but isn't without it's problems. The heat exhaust for the hood is not adequate, and coupled with the hot running stock pump will quickly take your tank up to 85 degrees. I ended up making a few upgrades to keep my temps between 78 and 80 degrees, added a refugium in the back filter area with some macroalgae, and added some expensive lighting so I could have a clam and some stony corals, so if you decide to get a tank let me know and I'll point you in the right direction. Basically, be prepared to shell out some money because nothing in this hobby is cheap.

Jon
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HERBALAIRE REVIEW


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## L I Jane (Jun 11, 2006)

All I can say is Magnificent!!!!!!!!


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## streetmorrisart (Jun 12, 2006)

Thanks for the info, Jon. This is why I have saltwater aquarium books on my shelves and have never succumbed. There are so many easy freshwater fish (relatively speaking, and only after having done it for 20+ years) that I'd almost rather stick to them. I'll have to find a gentle way to break the news to my man though--his eyes light up every time he sees these little glowing boxes! 

Best of luck with your killer fish...

Robin


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jun 12, 2006)

Great! I'm a reefkeeper too...I have a 55 gal tank (lit by 4 55wt pc's) with Montiporas, Caulastreas, Pavona,and loads of loads of mushrooms...fish include a tricolor wrasse, maroon clown, hippo tang, cleaner wrasse,coral beauty angel, and royal gramma. I also have a 39 gal, with mushrooms, 2 oscellaris clowns and a baby Koran angel. And yes, I have a nano-tank...not reef though. Its a 10 gal tank dedicated to local stuff...a spider crab, hermits, mud crabs, mud snails, and perwinkles. Since I added a pc bulb, I have lots of Ulva and Gracillaria...until they eat it all up. Take care, Eric


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## Park Bear (Jun 14, 2006)

beautiful setup Jon...you are worse than me, I thought I added hobbies fast and jumped in head first, but I think you might have me.....I am a little older and my restaint now


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## Gideon (Jun 15, 2006)

Very nice, I love marine tanks, use to own one many years ago...but then I started dating my wife...and priorities changed...funny how that happens...anyway, my friend is still very happy with it, along with the 23 others he now owns


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 15, 2006)

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I must agree. So here's my newest coral, an encrusting red Goniopora. Look familiar?




This photo was taken an hour after being put in the tank, so the polyps aren't as extended as they are today.

Another good sign, the small pink "rings" are a coral that was all but dead and unnoticible when I bought the porite rock with the christmas tree worms. Now they are growing back quickly and starting to get some color. I am guessing they are an Acan or a Favite, but not sure.





Jon
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Hemp


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## adiaphane (Jun 15, 2006)

It is looking great, Jon! Now all I have to do is get a bigger apartment, find room for orchids, and a room for tanks.


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## Marco (Jun 15, 2006)

adiaphane said:


> It is looking great, Jon! Now all I have to do is get a bigger apartment, find room for orchids, and a room for tanks.



I thought you swore off of fish ever since that 300 gallon tank incident with the arrowana? oke:


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## Heather (Jun 15, 2006)

Gideon said:


> ...my friend is still very happy with it, along with the 23 others he now owns



Does he also have a wife? oke:


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## Gideon (Jun 16, 2006)

She left when tank number 7 or 8 moved in


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 16, 2006)

With how much money I've spent on just this small tank, I can see why she left. Not to mention the coral I'm gonna probably buy today, it would buy a couple roths...but it is pretty. It's a grey and red Acanthastrea lordhowensis, like the one below, only a whole colony instead of just one polyp like in the pic:
http://www.wamas.org/photos123/showphoto.php/photo/50/password/sort/sort/1/size/medium/cat/516/page/

Jon
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Ultimate Fighters


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## adiaphane (Jun 16, 2006)

Marco said:


> I thought you swore off of fish ever since that 300 gallon tank incident with the arrowana? oke:


Yeah, I said fish, not anything corals.


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## Heather (Jun 16, 2006)

Jon in SW Ohio said:


> I can see why she left. ...but it is pretty.



ohh, Jon....I could say something here. Then again, I could also just say, if it is pretty you should get it! 

I can enable when it comes to things other than plants too. Mates aren't everything. :evil:


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 16, 2006)

Actually just got back from buying it, and a few others. I haggled down quite a bit and got it much cheaper than I could find on the internet(or anywhere else). These guys sell for up to $150 a polyp, but more commonly about $20 per polyp...I got mine for about $5 a polyp. I also got a blue Zoanthid that I had seen at the local fish store for $80, at only $15 there since the guy didn't know what he had.

All in all, I spent about half what I was expecting too so I'm happy. Photos to come once they are acclimated tonight.

Jon
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Mercedes-benz w221


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## Jon in SW Ohio (Jun 17, 2006)

Well after doing a more realistic estimate of the number of polyps on this acan, I actually spent much less than I even said above...at least that's my rationale. I've talked enough about it, here it is finally. 





The Gramma is even amazed by it, and wouldn't let me take a picture of it without being shown with it.

And since I had to do some slight remodelling to the tank, here's the updated full tank shot.





Jon
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CONTINENTAL MARK II


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## olin (Jun 21, 2006)

*Your Photos*

Jon,

Amazing And Beautiful Photos. Thanks.

Olin


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