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Mr. Aqua 11.4g Blue Diamond tank/Riparium now with Super Tigers

26K views 137 replies 28 participants last post by  Nubster 
#1 · (Edited)
I started a thread not long ago where I was going to do a Mr. Aqua 12" cube Buddha tank. That's been placed on hold. After speedie408 unleashed his awesome Blue Diamond shrimp on us, I jumped at the chance to be one of the first to obtain these beautiful shrimp. In doing so, I decided that the 12" cube tank just wasn't enough real estate and I wanted to go with a more natural scape. So, I decided to stay frameless and being very happy with the first Mr. Aqua tank, I grabbed another. This time an 11.4g, 18.9" X 11.8" X 11.8" tank.

Plans for this tank include a large rock mound, maybe two filled with Eco-Complete and covered in moss/fissidens. There will be some other low light plants such as a handful of crypts I have on hand and some Hydrocotyle Japan hopefully to form a foreground carpet of sorts. I'll also be heavily planting my HOB filter and possibly going full riparium with the tank.

So here's the break down:

Equipment
  • Tank - Mr. Aqua 11.4g, 18.9" X 11.8" X 11.8"
  • Filter - AquaClear 50 HOB
  • Light - Finnex FugeRay-R Ultra Slim LED Fixture +RED boost, will probably upgrade to afugeRAY soon for more medium light

Scape

  • Locally collect rock and/or lava rock mounds
  • Eco-Complete

Critters

  • Blue Diamond neos
  • Possibly Super Tigers if the water parameters cooperate

Plants

  • Fissidens fontanus
  • Aluminum plant
  • Wandering Jew
  • Pilea cadierei
  • Fittonia argyroneura
  • Ludwigia Hybrid Red
  • Hydrocotyle Japan
  • UG - included in plant package I just grabbed from FS section, doubt I'll have the lights to make it work though. Might try to incorporate it into the planted HOB.

So that's where I'm at right now.

 
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#13 ·
Mr. Aqua 11.4g Blue Diamond tank/Riparium



It really only takes two to three days if planned around busy times. A friend and I who shipped together are also east coast. We did express in winter but priority now. Nick's a pro packer
 
#14 ·
Stand nearly done. I re-purposed an old cabinet that I had. It's really old judging by how it's built. It was in the house when I bought it. I'd have to guess from the 50's or 60's. Lady I bought my house from lived in it since 1927.

Anyways, I stripped it, repainted, and replaced the top. I went with a tile top. Mostly because that was easy and I have stuff on hand. I didn't take progress or before pics, but here's an idea...still need to re-install the doors and paint the trim around the top, which I ripped from old 2x6 from the carport I tore down and rebuilt over the winter, but that can wait...

 
#21 ·
Thanks! I need to look over your thread as well.

So now there's plants and water! Mostly crypts, I have no idea what they are, there's one anubias nana that's been in a old 10g that's been hiding under my 75g tank in complete darkness for literally a couple months, Fissidens tied to the wood, Hydrocotyle Japan in the foreground, hoping it will carpet for me, and some subwassertang in the corner. Not sure if that's staying, but I wanted it in there for the biofilm and for what small amount of biofiltration it might provide. I shoved a well seeded sponge filter sponge in the AC50, there's also a small piece of foam media that's seeded as well as the biomax stuff that came with the AC30 I originally bought that's seeded. I'll leave that stuff in until I'm satisfied the tank is completely seeded and ready to stand on it's own.

Don't mind the big rock up front, it's just there to weight down the end of the branch. It'll come out once the wood is water logged completely...



 
#24 ·
Thanks! I need to look over your thread as well.

So now there's plants and water! Mostly crypts, I have no idea what they are, there's one anubias nana that's been in a old 10g that's been hiding under my 75g tank in complete darkness for literally a couple months, Fissidens tied to the wood, Hydrocotyle Japan in the foreground, hoping it will carpet for me, and some subwassertang in the corner. Not sure if that's staying, but I wanted it in there for the biofilm and for what small amount of biofiltration it might provide. I shoved a well seeded sponge filter sponge in the AC50, there's also a small piece of foam media that's seeded as well as the biomax stuff that came with the AC30 I originally bought that's seeded. I'll leave that stuff in until I'm satisfied the tank is completely seeded and ready to stand on it's own.

Don't mind the big rock up front, it's just there to weight down the end of the branch. It'll come out once the wood is water logged completely...



Scape looks great! Good luck with your shrimp today.
 
#25 ·
Thanks. Water really clear up a lot over night. Still lots of bubbles everywhere but they should be gone before long. Plants looking a little sad but I figure it's just transplant shock. Hopefully they rebound quick. I'm hoping to get the HOB planted or partially planted this evening.

Not sure if the shrimp will make it here today or not. They went from CA to MD since yesterday, I'm hoping they get here to WV today. Already too late to be delivered to my house but if they get to my PO before 5pm I can at least pick them up.
 
#26 ·
Mr. Aqua 11.4g Blue Diamond tank/Riparium

Fingers crossed! I'm counting on mine tomorrow or Friday

Let me tell you what.. My tank looks awesome. Everything cleared up. I think I've got something they'll enjoy.
 
#28 ·
Mr. Aqua 11.4g Blue Diamond tank/Riparium



I like the term. I have a super small flagship tank. I set it up so other than moss growing out, it is pretty much fail proof. My CRS spec. Super tiny, pretty self sustaining.
 
#29 ·
Nice. I want to do a small tank for my office. Probably not as small as yours...I'm thinking a 3g tank or something. Probably just a neo cull tank. I need to get the 12" cube up and running. I'll probably put all my PFR's in it and shut down the last 20L I have running. Then I might, I might get one more tank, another frameless, and try super tigers again...if I don't try them in one of the other tanks.

Shrimp were about 45 minutes from me at 11:30 this morning according to updated shipping. So...they should be here before 5pm with the PO closes so I'm hoping that I'll have this this evening.
 
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