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Thanks for the compliment. I guess it depends on whether you are asking about nano tanks in general or this one in particular. The way it is currently set up, I could leave the tank alone for two weeks and it would be fine. (The longest I have left it so far though is only five days - all I had to do when I got back was clean the glass). I've got pretty good turnover (30+) and good filtration (LR, chaeto, and gracilaria). The biggest thing is keeping the salinity from fluctuating. I have set up my autotopoff to dose freshwater every two minutes so the livestock never has to experience a change in salinity. - Chad

Here's some new photos that I just took: Hope you enjoy! - Chad

Haha, thanks Frogman . In another month I will be moving the tank home from work and plan on making a new video for the occasion. I will post it here when I do. - Chad

Thanks! That coral is a pulsing xenia. One of my favorites because of the movement. - Chad

It was my pleasure guys! I'm glad you liked it. - Chad

Thanks! It depends, most LFSs should be able to get in a peacock, but I had a real hard time locating a smaller smasher. I posted on bulletin boards and emailed all kinds of online venders. The only one that could gaurantee a g. smithii was a store in the States that said my costs to import it would be $100US. Fortunately, after a couple months, AndyL spotted this one in a shipment of LR and held it for me. Bless his heart. - Chad

That's the one, good memory. And thanks! - Chad

Thanks bro! I think we met at a Canreef meeting here in Calgary once. - Chad

Hello all, Andy just referred me to the site and I thought I would introduce myself with these videos of my 8" and 12" cubes: http://www.truenorthreef.com/PicoMovie.wmv http://www.truenorthreef.com/mantis.wmv http://www.truenorthreef.com/newcube.wmv Enjoy! - Chad

Here is a video of my g. smithii feeding: http://www.truenorthreef.com/mantis.wmv I love peacocks but my tank is too small. Most people that I spoke to recommended a 20gal. They hit incredibly hard - for their size. But as long as your glass is not real thin, and your mantis is small, you will be fine with a glass tank. I have only read of a couple documented cases where a stomatopod has actually broken glass and I think they were over 8" in length. JME - Chad

I personally think that a cannister filter is the ultimate solution to filtration for nano tanks. Just fill it with LR and it will be no more of a nitrate risk than if you had a sump with LR. Live rock does not need any light to privide filtration. You may need a light source for photosynthetic organisms living on the outside of the rock, but not for the denirtrifying bacteria. Even if you had a light shining on the outside of the rock, unless it is shining right through it, 99% of the rocks mass is still in the dark. My cannister filter is illuminated but that is just because I also grow chaeto inside it. Only with a cannister filter could I do this: Cheers, - Chad I'd hate to 'stir up' the age old sandbed debate, but from what I've been reading lately, it seems that many people view DSBs as being the worst nitrate factories of all. They all seem to have success until they reach the two year mark and then they crash? I don't personally know but intuitively it makes sense to me - and anyone who has taken out a sandbed and seen how nasty it is on the bottom. And I think Albert is not the first one to raise the point that a captive sandbed lacks the diversity necessary to function properly. Even if you do start out with a diverse population of critters, there's not enough room for each to carve out a niche. Within a short time, one or two species have outcompeted all the others and you are left with a relatively homogenous sandbed. The recommendation is that you constantly update your sandbed with new additions in order to be successful.

Yup, I personally would be interested in any and all small hitchikers you pulled out. Just let me know what you want for shipping. Andy contacted me on canreef to let me know about this post - thanks bro - Chad