Powell River Jasper's New Reef tank (donated Biocube 14 g build)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

So, this will be a different tank journal than most in that I will be posting most of the pics and info, rather than Jasper, the owner of his very own first reef tank.

This reef tank is the result of a lot of very generous aquarists (mostly reefers from BC, AB, SK, and PQ) who all donated tank, stand, equipment, supplies, frags, livestock, and funds to help this fifteen years old boy get his wish come true.

Here's Tyler "spitfire", who donated the Biocube, stand & other goodies, along with Laurie "The Guy" who donated frags to this endeavour too.

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/622_zps5690a290.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/622_zps5690a290.jpg.html)

This is what the donated frags looked like in my holding tank at home in Burnaby:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/786_zps9c7801e7.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/786_zps9c7801e7.jpg.html)

What it looked like on the BC Ferry ride up to Powell River Monday morning:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/798_zps8516db31.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/798_zps8516db31.jpg.html)

Felicia (who is NOT a morning person, just like Daddy) came for a Father-Daughter trip:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/789_zps32646607.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/789_zps32646607.jpg.html)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Waiting for the second ferry:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/793_zpsdc76c142.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/793_zpsdc76c142.jpg.html)

The build pics will have to wait until Jasper's mom uploads them since my hands were kind of wet and busy putting the tank together. So here is Jasper getting his first look at his new reef tank:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/803_zpse95ae7bc.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/803_zpse95ae7bc.jpg.html)

Some pics of the reef (first day - cloudy, Tuesday - much clearer):

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/805_zps544972e2.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/805_zps544972e2.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/819_zpsef9b874a.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/819_zpsef9b874a.jpg.html)

Pair of beautiful Grade A Snowflakes from Mindy (Myka):

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/808_zpsf611d5f6.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/808_zpsf611d5f6.jpg.html)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

More random pics of new reef tank:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/829_zpsc14d0b35.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/829_zpsc14d0b35.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/830_zpscfbd65a1.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/830_zpscfbd65a1.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/832_zps40a232bb.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/832_zps40a232bb.jpg.html)

Thanks everyone who donated and made it possible to make Jasper's wish come true.

Sincerely,

Anthony & Felicia

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Some more pics:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/835_zps7f84b03f.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/835_zps7f84b03f.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/836_zpse4c0b250.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/836_zpse4c0b250.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/831_zpseeaae6f6.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/831_zpseeaae6f6.jpg.html)

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp donated by J&L Aquatics:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/837_zpsa396353e.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/837_zpsa396353e.jpg.html)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

On our way home Wednesday:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/838_zpse2f1fc0c.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/838_zpse2f1fc0c.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/846_zps11e541db.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/846_zps11e541db.jpg.html)

Daddy's little helper:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/852_zpsbb189140.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/852_zpsbb189140.jpg.html)

Again, huge thanks to all who got involved to help a young boy none of us even knew or had met before.

Everyone's involvement and generosity really renewed my faith in the human race. There may be hope for us after all:bigsmile:

Anthony

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yes, it was a tiring trip and long commute (5 hours each way with two ferries to catch, each way), but well worth the effort.

We started setting up (Marie & I) around 12:30pm and finished by 1:45pm. After that, Jasper and his family spent 6 to 7 hours that afternoon/evening just sitting by their new reef tank looking at all the cool new inhabitants. So yeah, well worth the effort.

Wish I could have stayed longer but I had to catch up on my work after taking off for almost 3 days to go to Powell River.

Here's an extra treat for you photo-hungry reefers:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/823_zpsb4eeb16a.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/823_zpsb4eeb16a.jpg.html)

A quick snapshot of Marie's new 300g reef (yes, pic is too blue but just thought I'd add this into this thread anyways).

Thanks Marie for giving Felicia and I a place to stay while getting Jasper's reef tank up and running. Also major thanks for agreeing to provide the pre-mixed saltwater and taking care of the tank when Jasper's family are out-of-town. Literally could not have done this without you.

Sincerely,

Anthony & Felicia

[The Guy]

Great pictures there Anthony, glad it all went well.

[Myka]

It looks great Anthony! Job well done! Many thanks to you for setting all this up and making it happen and Marie for helping you out. The curiosity and happiness is very evident in Jasper`s face when he`s looking at the tank. That makes it all worth it. I`m glad my kids (the Clowns) were troopers in the 1800 km journey. :D

...And Marie`s tank looks awesome!

[Jakegr]

Thanks for posting pictures, great to see Jasper and the tank.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

A few more pics:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/833_zps71bf00e2.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/833_zps71bf00e2.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/818_zpsb41c7a23.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/818_zpsb41c7a23.jpg.html)

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a623/AnthonyShieh/812_zps8dfee75c.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/AnthonyShieh/media/812_zps8dfee75c.jpg.html)

I believe these pics are among the ones taken by Jasper himself.

[emeraldeyes_bc]

Very cool!! Amazing job everyone

[Oceanic]

I have not posted on here for a long time but I am most impressed with how everyone came together for all of this, I hope the tank gives Jasper the joy he needs.

Good job everyone...

[Skimmerking]

Anthony you are a truly amazing person and all who helped out I thank you.

[naesco]

God bless you Anthony!
wayne

[Solo7319]

Hello All,

First – apologies for not posting sooner. Jasper has been experiencing some declining health, and with moving into our new house, the hosting of a box-war…and non-stop company, we’ve been swamped!

We are all delighted with the BioCube14. Anthony (and his daughter Felicia) and Marie came and spent a few hours setting it up and checked up on it the next day. We are finding it more compelling than television! We have a number of corals whose names we are still learning, a pair of snowflake clownfish Suture and Dex, a cleaner shrimp Sir Edmund Hilary, a mandarin goby Bond, a royal gramma Francisco “Pistols” Scaramanga otherwise known as Paco or the Man with the Golden Gun, three hermit crabs named after sherpas; Tenzing Norgay, Sano Babu Sunuwar (Babu) and Nima Chhamzi, a snail and two tube worms (bonus!) as yet unnamed. Many many thanks must go out to those who donated equipment and fish and corals. Anthony explained how rare some were and how far away they have come from. This has been an excellent gift – not just for Jasper, but for our whole family and has inspired many hours of together-time gazing at the tank.

We’ve had quite a bit of action already – the climbing antics of the shrimp and crabs inspiring their names. Also – Bond must have put a hit out on Paco – because he was dead and being devoured by the snail one morning. (We suspect transport shock as we rarely saw it). We are already talking about a replacement with Anthony. The corals have all popped out and everyone seems to be doing well now. Yesterday morning my husband exclaimed “There’s a second shrimp…it must have been hiding all this time – it’s totally transparent!” We soon learned that the shrimp had simply molted – very exciting.

We are all learning more about aquaria every day, as are our friends and family. Thanks for getting us started in this fascinating hobby!

We’ll post more as our tank evolves.

The Mohans

[Solo7319]

Note the messaging on the box - awesome

[Solo7319]

Sorry for the double post; I was unable to edit my previous post to add pics.
http://imageshack.us/a/img20/9231/nabv.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img14/5569/gut0.jpg
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http://imageshack.us/a/img189/8272/e9ph.jpg

[Skimmerking]

friggin awesome

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Thanks for posting the pics. Yeah, the message was from Mindy, who sent the Grade A Snowflake clowns 1800 km from Saskatoon.

We are all hoping (and praying) that Jasper will start to feel better again. It was a real pleasure meeting all of you and Felicia had such a good time playing over at your new home. I will be talking to my friend Dean about whether he is coming down to visit & if so, I will try to send up a replacement Royal Gramma or some equally colourful fish/character.

Anthony

[dino]

amazing job and such big hearts you guys have may I ask who will be doing w.c and other stuff besides feeding fish? im assuming they are new to fishkeeping and probley really busy

[Jakegr]

Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about your experience with the tank. Moulting shrimp have tricked me many times too! It is amazing how closely a fresh moult can resemble real live shrimp.

Best wishes and I hope Jasper feels better again soon.

[Claudia]

I love the fact the Jasper has a chair in from too the tank lol Sorry about Paco but t least Bond is ok :D

[marie]

amazing job and such big hearts you guys have may I ask who will be doing w.c and other stuff besides feeding fish? im assuming they are new to fishkeeping and probley really busy

I am supplying new salt water, mixed and heated for water changes and I am also on call any time they are in need of help

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I am supplying new salt water, mixed and heated for water changes and I am also on call any time they are in need of help

Yes, and if it wasn't for Marie being willing to provide this long-term, in-town support, this whole project would probably have been a non-starter since its a 10 hours round-trip with 2 ferry rides each way to run up to Powell River to do a water change:surprise::wink:

Luckily, Marie lives less than 5 minutes from Jasper's new house where his new reef tank is set up. Thanks again Marie. Please let me know when you are running low on salt again and I'll see what I can do to send more buckets up.

Sincerely,

Anthony

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

So my friend Dean from Powell River will probably be coming down to visit this coming weekend. I will be sending some more stuff up for Jasper's tank so if anybody wants to send something up please let me know and we can arrange it.

Anthony

[ScubaSteve]

So my friend Dean from Powell River will probably be coming down to visit this coming weekend. I will be sending some more stuff up for Jasper's tank so if anybody wants to send something up please let me know and we can arrange it.

Anthony

I wasn't able to swing by the BBQ the other weekend because my grandfather passed away that day but I've been wanting drop stuff off. Is there anything Jasper is still looking for?

I have a whole bunch of different zoas and palys I can bring over (mohawks, variable stars, cat's eyes, nuclear green, Electric orange lunar palys, etc), some electric green GSP with super long tentacles, some hardy SPS frags? (red digi, etc).

I'm not sure how packed the tank is yet but let me know if there is something I can add!

[Lance]

:redface: OMG! I feel terrible! Right in my backyard and I didn't know a thing about it. Haven't been on here in months.
Anthony and Marie, what a wonderful thing to do. If you need any help or supplies or whatever,do not hesitate to give me a call. I would love to help out.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Lance,

I even called you when I came up to PR a couple weeks ago & left a message with your wife. She must still be POed with you about the whole backwash incidents back in the day & didn't pass on the message.;)

Was going to ask you two to join us for dinner at that Asian fusion place across from Marie's.

You can check with Marie to see if there's anything needed. I will be sending up a second round of frags & goodies for Jasper's tank this weekend with my buddy Dean.

Anthony

[Lance]

No, she's over that. :lol: I just asked her about it and she said that you had called and she forgot to relay the message. Would have been fun to go for dinner though. Damn Woman! :mrgreen:
Anyway, don't hesitate to ask, I would love to help out.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Horrible news. Jasper passed away today. Our condolences and prayers are with the family. RIP Jasper. Sorry, got to stop typing now.

Anthony

[Borderjumper]

:sad: so sorry to hear this!

[Jakegr]

I don't know what to say :( I'm so sorry.

[wreck]

im so sorry to read the sad news.:sad:

[Acrowhora]

sad news indeed:cry: those who were involved, take solace in knowing you put a smile on Jasper's face before he passed.you helped realized one of his dreams...my sincere condolences to his family.

[Ken]

So sorry to hear of news, our sincere condolence to the family. This is heartbreaking news. Regards Ken

[Tom R]

Very sad

However at least the tank project was completed in time for him to enjoy it

Tom R

[daplatapus]

Very sad indeed. :( Our sincerest condolences and know that our thoughts are with his family and friends.

[Myka]

I didn't realize this thread was being updated...I'm happy the message on the box put a smile on everyone's face.

I'm so heartbroken to hear that Jasper has passed. Words can't describe how unfair life is sometimes. My most sincere condolences to Jasper's family. I feel honored to be a part of this project.

[JmeJReefer]

Condolences to the family. Positive thoughts heading that way.

[Lance]

Very sad!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Haven't updated in a while.

From my conversations with Jasper's parents, it is clear he really enjoyed the tank during the weeks he had it. They actually moved it into his bedroom so he could look at his fish and corals all day when it became difficult to be his normal active self. I think we should all take great comfort from the fact that Jasper thoroughly enjoyed his reef tank during that time and his parents still love the tank today.

When I went up to Powell River in late August, I brought them a new fish (candy hogfish) to replace the Royal Gramma that didn't last very long when I first installed the tank. Marie continues to help keep an eye on the tank and provide freshly mixed saltwater for water changes. I am overjoyed that Jasper's tank brings his parents some comfort and happy memories during the last couple of months which must have been the toughest anyone can imagine.

I will continue to keep in touch with Jasper's parents by text and phone. When I go up to visit Powell River in the future, we will also bring them fresh frags and new fish (as needed) so they have something new and colourful to look at.

I again want and need to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who took on this cause as their own and helped provide Jasper with something he could enjoy during the time he had it. I just thought everyone would want to know that his parents are keeping Jasper's tank and enjoying it everyday. It is now sort of a living memorial to that brave little boy.

Going to go kiss my little girls (Felicia and Isabella) now, even though they are asleep.

Anthony

[The Guy]

Anthony
I was happy to be a small part of Jasper's tank project, thanks for the update on your contact with his parents. I'm glad to hear they are enjoying the reef tank, with the memory of their brave little boy in their hearts.
You are a true humanitarian and I'm proud to be your friend.
Cheers Laurie

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

One last update. Texted with Jasper's dad and found out that they were eventually unable to keep up with maintaining the tank and most of the frags & fish were re-homed with Marie. They again want to thank everyone who donated to making their son's, Jasper, dream of having his very own reef tank a reality. They have really enjoyed having the tank and it brought untold amounts of joy to Jasper during his last weeks, which is really more than we could have ever hoped for. I am sorry Jasper only got to enjoy his reef tank for a few weeks, but anything that can bring a smile at that time in his life is really well worth the effort and expense.

Reading this thread and the related threads on this project, from conception to completion, has brought me great happiness and sadness at the same time. I only met Jasper on that first trip (didn't make it back in time on the second trip), but he made a lasting impression on myself and my own little girl, Felicia, who made that memorable father-daughter trip up to Powell River with me. She still sometimes mentions Jasper and we talk about that trip and why we went up.

Again, I need to express my deepest thanks to everyone who donated, participated or gave moral support for this very worthwhile project. The tank may now be dismantled, but the spirit of community and human kindness expressed by everyone on Canreef and BCAquaria, from across Canada for an ill little boy who wanted to have a reef tank continues to inspire me and renew my faith in the goodness in people. Thanks from myself, Felicia and Jasper's family for making this project a reality.

Sincerely,

Anthony

[Myka]

I was thinking about Jasper and his tank a few weeks ago and wondering what ever came about. Does Marie have the Clownfish I donated?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

In response to another thread on BCA, I took the opportunity to revisit this thread.

Sorry for the late reply Mindy. I believe when Jasper's parents eventually shut down Jasper's tank, all the livestock including your donated clownfish went to live with Marie.

Just spent the last few minutes reading this thread from start to finish and still ended up bawling like a little girl. So many memories, good and bad, brought up and as the father of two little girls I love more than life itself, I just cannot imagine losing a child. One of them, my Felicia, even went up with me to meet Jasper and help with this project.

All you Canreef parents, please go hug and kiss your kids now.

Merry Christmas to my Canreef family and again, thanks to everyone who helped support this project from start to finish. Know that it was all worth it.

Anthony

[Myka]

This was certainly an easy project to be a part of, and a tough project to close. I shed many tears, and I never met Jasper or his family. I'm sure I'm not the only one.