Which tank do you like best?
- Thread starter Mike Johnson
- Start date
reeferman
Well-Known Member
it might not have went down as you say,i have no idea though.he could have upgraded from another system and grew all those corals in his previous tank.when i changed tanks a few years ago,i had full size colonies that didnt "grow in their space" but i certainly grew them from frags.
someone said it has been set up for a month so i would hardly call that a setup staged for a photoshoot.im sure its his reef for the immediate future,it just happens to have colonies that he may or may not have grown himself in his previous tank.
i still vote for new school even if he just put them in there for a minute and snapped a picture.the question was "which do you like better" and visually,the new school blows them gorgonians and brown leathers out the water.
*edit* going back to the link,the owner of the "new school" gives his take on it and shows pics of the same tank before he redid it.his old reef had the old "rock wall" lots of folks are so fond of.looks like he rolled a wheelbarrow full of rocks in and dumped them in the tank.also looks like all those corals came from his tank and he grew them all,just weeded out what he didnt want anymore for the new aquascape.
so it certainly is not a tank just setup for a photoshoot.hes grown and cared for those corals for a while it seems and he just wanted a clean non jumbled reef.
I agree with what you are saying that the tank wasn't just staged for the video, but even though the new style looks amazing I simply don't believe it is sustainable in its present form. If you go back and read it again the two pictures he used for comparison aren't "the same tank". In the month since he set the new tank up it has gone through many transformations. The old tank in that picture is one he owned yeard ago, and I expect this new one to look something like his old one in a year from now.This guy use to be into tanks and got out for a few years, and has only recently gotten back into the hobby.
I'll give him credit, he is damn good at building systems and creating beautiful tanks. The new style tank in the video cost him a ton of money. If you look at all of the links on the various web sites, he must have invested at least $5,000 in that one small tank with all of the dosing equipment, lighting and automatic features. At one point he had 4 Kessil lights hanging above it, and those alone would cost around $1,500.
Here is more on that tank for anybody who is interested.
http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=148&t=257903&sid=a73cd8c9a347c75363eef7e7e2928800
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mazm7utIC4
I'll give him credit, he is damn good at building systems and creating beautiful tanks. The new style tank in the video cost him a ton of money. If you look at all of the links on the various web sites, he must have invested at least $5,000 in that one small tank with all of the dosing equipment, lighting and automatic features. At one point he had 4 Kessil lights hanging above it, and those alone would cost around $1,500.
Here is more on that tank for anybody who is interested.
http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=148&t=257903&sid=a73cd8c9a347c75363eef7e7e2928800
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mazm7utIC4
reeferman
Well-Known Member
the only thing i disagree with is "its not sustainable in its present form".why would it not?there are tons of minimalistic aquascaped tanks that flourish.we dont need half the rock we like to stuff in our tanks.
honestly,i didnt even watch the video,just looked at the pics
honestly,i didnt even watch the video,just looked at the pics
Mike Johnson
Well-Known Member
Well, Steve L, do you have a blood hound? (When you get on a trail.) This guy really knows his way around a computer. Also, has some very beautiful tanks. Might even be able to learn a couple things from him.
Although, the tank in question is definitely staged. The not deep enough sand bed is a problem waiting to happen. The clam is definitely not in good health. I might be able to pick apart a few other things, but, I'm not going to because - well, I'm impressed.
I actually have a bunch of acro frags in an observation tank right now that are going to go into a grow out tank next. My end goal is to put encrusted corals into my planned SPS tank. Well, pretty similar.
I was going to talk about clams and a mature tank, but, instead I'll just say that there is no way to cut corners on time.
Although, the tank in question is definitely staged. The not deep enough sand bed is a problem waiting to happen. The clam is definitely not in good health. I might be able to pick apart a few other things, but, I'm not going to because - well, I'm impressed.
I actually have a bunch of acro frags in an observation tank right now that are going to go into a grow out tank next. My end goal is to put encrusted corals into my planned SPS tank. Well, pretty similar.
I was going to talk about clams and a mature tank, but, instead I'll just say that there is no way to cut corners on time.
Akshay
Member
Old school any day, looks like a natural shallow reef.
The new tank is too flashy & very unnatural. Don't like the purple light hues, it gets blue not purple as you dive deeper.
Also do not like such super clean tanks.
IMO if you want to keep something so clean, where a natural look is not your intention (like some of those german tanks) and you're just looking for shock n awe, then you should just keep those gaudy fluorescent PLASTIC corals.
The new tank is too flashy & very unnatural. Don't like the purple light hues, it gets blue not purple as you dive deeper.
Also do not like such super clean tanks.
IMO if you want to keep something so clean, where a natural look is not your intention (like some of those german tanks) and you're just looking for shock n awe, then you should just keep those gaudy fluorescent PLASTIC corals.
reeferman
Well-Known Member
keeping an ultra clean tank is never a bad thing.so if hes gonna keep a pristine tank with beautiful colorful corals then he should just keep plastic decorations???that makes absolutely zero sense to me.not everyone wants a nasty drab brown reef tank.his goal is to keep colorful healthy stonies,not simulate an ugly brown lagoon.just because it doesnt look natural[in you guys opinions]then he shouldnt even attempt it?ive never been diving but if i did,i wouldnt be searching out spots with monotone brown gorgonians and xenias,i would want to go to the coral triangle and see some real colorful stony reefs.thats my idea of a natural reef,not one devoid of color.
i also dont believe the sandbed is a problem waiting to happen.theres people who keep bare bottom tanks with zero problems[that stem from the lack of a deep sandbed that is].
i think Frankie pointed out the biggest problem with the new school and it was the cheap blinds
i also dont believe the sandbed is a problem waiting to happen.theres people who keep bare bottom tanks with zero problems[that stem from the lack of a deep sandbed that is].
i think Frankie pointed out the biggest problem with the new school and it was the cheap blinds
reeferman
Well-Known Member
not disputing that at all.
thats the beauty of reefkeeping.different strokes for different folks.some people really enjoy the real challenge of maintaining a clean,vibrantly colored stony reef tank.some folks go for the less demanding "natural" type reefs with sea fans,softies and algae...neither one being wrong.totally different philosophies and ideas involved.
my favorite reef tanks are the bonsai inspired with minimal rock work and lots of open spaces.they just visually appeal to me.
thats the beauty of reefkeeping.different strokes for different folks.some people really enjoy the real challenge of maintaining a clean,vibrantly colored stony reef tank.some folks go for the less demanding "natural" type reefs with sea fans,softies and algae...neither one being wrong.totally different philosophies and ideas involved.
my favorite reef tanks are the bonsai inspired with minimal rock work and lots of open spaces.they just visually appeal to me.