MIRACLES AQUARIUMS ARE AWESOME

Jason

Member
Went out to spec and order "Panda's" new home from "Miracles Aquariums" in Orangeville, Ontario this morning.

Met the owner Derek and most of his staff, was treated to a tour of the facility and fabrication process.

All my questions were answered and I left amazed by the knowledge and experience that Derek has in this industry.

So I thought I would share a photo of a little tank with 1.5" laminated glass and welded steel frame they were working on.

Yes that is a step stool inside, a full size pylon underneath and 14ft commercial ladder beside it.
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Jason

Member
That one there I believe is 1200 Gallons, I believe it is for a hotel in the US. It is actually a replacement.

When the hotel was in the original process of building the lobby which contains 2 identical tanks across the lobby from each other, they rejected "Miracles" quote because it was too expensive due to the 1.5" laminated safety glass and other specs.

They chose a different company that could do the job much cheaper. That company used 3/4" glass.

Somewhere on YouTube there is a video from the lobby surveillance camera as the tank blows out.

It took exactly 4 seconds for the tank to completely empty its contents.

There is now a lawsuit filed as the company refuses to replace the existing functional before it fails as well.

So long story short, "Miracles" is now doing the job, the right way after quite an expensive error in judgment on the part of the hotel. Apparently total value of the saltwater tank and its contents was upwards of $250,000 u.s.d

I personally have ordered a standard size 72×24×24 / 180 / all glass 3/4" aquarium, fully eurobraced w/glass bracing drilled to accommodate 2 Fluval fx6, 1 per side including fluval fx hose brackets.
It will sit on a 2" square steel stand 36"" high.

I am very excited.
 

Jason

Member
* update * so "Panda's" current setup has been improved and he has a new batch of friends.

Everything still settling in so pictures are not the best.

What is in the tank now is exactly what will be going in to the "Miracles 180G".

I added a couple more pieces of mopani wood, two more artificial plants and some new fish.

The livestock (all eat commercial)
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is as follows:

- "Panda Gold Supreme"
- 5 × Indo Tiger Datnoid
- 1 Flagtail
- L200 Green Phantom Pleco
- L047 Mango Pleco

- L ??? Gold Nugget Pleco (thoughts???)

I want the new tank bare bottom or as close to it as possible.
Does anyone have any ideas to color up the bottom without paint, tons of substrate or tiles?

Was thinking of placing fabric over top of styrofoam base underneath?
Or using very little (1/2lrgbg) natural colors fine gravel?
Or likely both.

Will be using wood planted type background or solid blue background, not paint.
Painted all my previous tank backgrounds black and do not want the finality of that on my new tank.

I will drill larger pieces of mopani wood to permanently insert and silicone artificial plant stems.

I want my arowana displayed proudly but I also want a somewhat natural looking home for him and his friends.

Getting so excited.
 

Jason

Member
* update * so "Panda's" current setup has been improved and he has a new batch of friends.

Everything still settling in so pictures are not the best.

What is in the tank now is exactly what will be going in to the "Miracles 180G".

I added a couple more pieces of mopani wood, two more artificial plants and some new fish.

The livestock (all eat commercial) View attachment 6576View attachment 6576View attachment 6579View attachment 6576View attachment 6577View attachment 6578View attachment 6579is as follows:

- "Panda Gold Supreme"
- 5 × Indo Tiger Datnoid
- 1 Flagtail
- L200 Green Phantom Pleco
- L047 Mango Pleco

- L ??? Gold Nugget Pleco (thoughts???)

I want the new tank bare bottom or as close to it as possible.
Does anyone have any ideas to color up the bottom without paint, tons of substrate or tiles?

Was thinking of placing fabric over top of styrofoam base underneath?
Or using very little (1/2lrgbg) natural colors fine gravel?
Or likely both.

Will be using wood planted type background or solid blue background, not paint.
Painted all my previous tank backgrounds black and do not want the finality of that on my new tank.

I will drill larger pieces of mopani wood to permanently insert and silicone artificial plant stems.

I want my arowana displayed proudly but I also want a somewhat natural looking home for him and his friends.

Getting so excited.
 

Jason

Member
*** Miracles 180 & Panda's Progress

Ok so I was speaking with Derek from "Miracle's" yesterday and we made some changes and added some options to the 180 eurobraced aquarium and stand.

I have decided to raise the stand height to 36" and add 5/8" inch plywood with self tapping screws and the styrofoam on top of that.

"Royal Blue 3M" adhesive film will be applied to both the back and underside of the aquarium, as I really wanted to avoid painting the tank.

"Miracle's" will also be delivering and placing the aquarium and stand, and I am still only a couple hundred dollars above what lower end department store equipment would cost.

I have already purchased much of the additional equipment I will require.

I have an existing Fluval FX6 filter & E300 heater in use on the current system.
I have purchased an additional FX6 & E300, as well as a Coralife 12x UV sterilizer, 5L of Eheim substrat pro to add to the existing Seachem Matrix and De*nitrate my filters are packed with.

* looked at biohome ultimate but decided that it would be of no additional benefit with this species or setup.
 

Jason

Member
So in roughly 3 weeks I will have my new dream tank.

As far as the current set up and recent added fish, everything is going swimmingly!!!

"Panda" is looking and behaving incredible!!!

He's competing for food, well not really competing, when the tigers snatch his sticks he just ends up snatching them!!! He's remarkably fast and accurate. I don't think he's impressed by their really sharp dorsal spines but I know the tigers really appreciate that fact. The tigers are the perfect size to be grabbed and beat on but not swallowed.

I think eventually I will bring the number of tigers down from 5 to 3.

The flagtail is doing well, he is very brave and thankfully very quick. I actually added a small flagtail to my baby flowerhorns tank as well. Its kinda funny. Its an on/off relationship as the tiny flowerhorn is moody and bipolar.

I've been looking at BD stingrays and the end result will be to eventually add one and re-adjust the tiger dats (1?) and pleco's accordingly.

I'm beyond excited as I feel like I did with my first tank all over again only much much better!!!
 

Jason

Member
*** should anyone be in the GTA, once the transfer and transition is complete I will be selling...

Aprox. 10 bags worth of Seachem fluorite black sand substrate, started out as 12 bags two years ago, about 4"-5" deep in s 48 × 18 aquarium.
Easily fills (3 ×) 5 Gallon pails.

75 Gallon Aquarium (48×18) with Glass canopy and excellent DIY stand.

I usually list on kijiji and don't have any problems selling as I price reasonably and take exceptional care of my stuff.
 

Jason

Member
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Current stock...
- ❤ Panda Gold Supreme Arowana
- (5×) Indo Tiger Datnoid
- 1 Flagtail
- (4×) Pleco L018/L200/L047/L190
 

Jason

Member
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My photos don't do Panda's fish justice, I visit alot of the best arowana and aquarium stores in the gta, and can ultimately say that genetics and breeding are everything.

My fish arrived directly from Singapore at 4.5",
6 months ago and is still very small and very young.

He has been fed only Arowana sticks from day one, no live, no shrimp, no worms.

I use only a standard aquarium led dimmed to half.

My tank has a painted black background and black sand substrate, as well as being in a very very high traffic area of my condo.

$1200-$1500 fish, and even some priced and graded much much higher, never mind the grooming and wtt, lighting, food tricks implemented by the experienced shop keepers do not remotely compare with my fish, and this is an opinion shared by everyone who has seen my fish for comparison.
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