OP
OP
OK, thank God. I can't hide all this stuff
You have blessings from "The Fellman:" (LOL) - Your tank officially does NOT suck! :hail:
Scott
How to tell if your aquarium sucks ("What did you just say, Fellman?")
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You have blessings from "The Fellman:" (LOL) - Your tank officially does NOT suck! :hail:
Scott
OP
OP
Nailed it. Being a reefer is more than having a glass box with lots of animals glued to rocks. It is part of a community. I recently squirrel a frag not for my tank, but to get a new coral into the club. I brought it home, and still in its bag, gave it to another member to care for. No money or frags changed hands. Sure I could have gotten some mote acans, but this was for the club.
redtop03
Well-Known Member
my tank has always sucked, all the ugly stuff exposed, plumbing hanging everywhere, unfinished for over 4 years, but up until we moved and I had to tear it down, i didn't realize just how much I loved it 
OP
OP
Great attitude and great to hear...There is more to this hobby than just scoring the best corals, and I think you nailed it on the head!
-Scott
Thereeferboss
Active Member
Ah S*** my reef sucks!!!!
Scott: "Don't take the 'sucky' to seriously"
I think every reefer has those moments where one day the tank 'rocks'...and maybe the next day it 'sucks'. Sometimes it's the little things like waking up to an Acro frag that fell into a Ricorida...for the 3rd time. Or maybe a persistent algae species that just won't go away...
To reduce the 'sucky' feeling, I find it's really important to hide as much of the equipment as possible (which you mentioned) and getting in the habit of keeping it well maintained. Making it EASY to keep all the glass clean and providing easy access to equipment is extremely important for the long term. Just like a car, if servicing it is a pain, you're less likely to do it! Then the tank will surely 'Suck'!
I think every reefer has those moments where one day the tank 'rocks'...and maybe the next day it 'sucks'. Sometimes it's the little things like waking up to an Acro frag that fell into a Ricorida...for the 3rd time. Or maybe a persistent algae species that just won't go away...
To reduce the 'sucky' feeling, I find it's really important to hide as much of the equipment as possible (which you mentioned) and getting in the habit of keeping it well maintained. Making it EASY to keep all the glass clean and providing easy access to equipment is extremely important for the long term. Just like a car, if servicing it is a pain, you're less likely to do it! Then the tank will surely 'Suck'!
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
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Rock Pool Reef Keepers
I don't take anything in this "Hobby" seriously. That's why they call it a hobby and not building space shuttles, curing cancer, discovering fusion, or figuring out why people would pay to see Myley Cyrus. 
I don't take anything in this "Hobby" seriously. That's why they call it a hobby and not building space shuttles, curing cancer, discovering fusion, or figuring out why people would pay to see Myley Cyrus.
Myley = fish in broken bottle (or is that a can)?
Eienna
5000 Club Member
Thank you n.n I have to move it tomorrow so I expect the rockwork will be ripped up, but I'm going to try to approximate that again because I love how it turned out.
OP
OP
Scott: "Don't take the 'sucky' to seriously"
I think every reefer has those moments where one day the tank 'rocks'...and maybe the next day it 'sucks'. Sometimes it's the little things like waking up to an Acro frag that fell into a Ricorida...for the 3rd time. Or maybe a persistent algae species that just won't go away...
To reduce the 'sucky' feeling, I find it's really important to hide as much of the equipment as possible (which you mentioned) and getting in the habit of keeping it well maintained. Making it EASY to keep all the glass clean and providing easy access to equipment is extremely important for the long term. Just like a car, if servicing it is a pain, you're less likely to do it! Then the tank will surely 'Suck'!
Amen to that! I mean, it's okay not to be totally OCD about your reef... I agree so much to your thought about making the tank easier to maintain...it prevents benign apathy from sneaking in and stealing your masterpiece!
Woosh!
Scott
OP
OP
I don't take anything in this "Hobby" seriously. That's why they call it a hobby and not building space shuttles, curing cancer, discovering fusion, or figuring out why people would pay to see Myley Cyrus.
That's what I'm talking about!
-Scott
OP
OP
..and you'll probably get it even better the next time...Building on YOUR OWN work is always cool! Think of it as a new challenge!
-Scott
Eienna
5000 Club Member
Thanks n.n it's going to be fun doing it again. Only one of my corals is currently glued down, so I have some room to play. Just gotta be careful to keep my bristleworms and all that safe. I'm thinking about partially filling it before putting in the rockwork. In any case, I love what I tend to call "arting." It's therapeutic for me to design and build things. ♡
seancc317
Active Member
These are pictures of the day when I officially decided that my reef sucked. Moreover, I decided that as a reefer I sucked because I let it get this way. I did, however, fix it and abandoned the good old 55 and built a whole new 80 gallon setup and I did it the right way with research and planning so that this time my reef wouldn't suck
Big E
Valuable Member
"Steve Weast's tank. Perhaps the "Tank of the Century." But if you mimic it, even Steve will tell you that your tank..sucks."
Well, maybe, but Steve did mimic this tank and it was the basis for his plan -----
[/URL][/IMG]
Your point is still well taken, an original aquascape can make the difference between average and spectacular. My two biggest pet peeves are frag racks in display tanks and coral/frags littered across the bottom of the tank. They both absolutely kill the look.
Here's some great comments by Steve----
"Greg (Bonsainut) posted the best example of aquascaping perfection. It's the one I always come back to for inspiration....and why ? ....because I believe the answer to all your aquascaping questions are right there in that pic..... you just need to notice its philosophies...
1) have just as much postive space (rocks and corals) as negative space (open water and sand)
2) Don't worry about creating nooks/crannies/caves/etc....they just will be eventually covered by livestock. Instead focus on the general rock shape that has both low and high points...perhaps even breaking the surface. Focus on large details...not small crevises (especially if you have a large tank).
3) Maintain an algae free back (and sides if possible) to create an illusion of infinite depth....contrary to what we'd all like to believe, coralline does not create an attractive back drop...only a distracting one.
4) hide all the things of man.....overflows...pumps...pipes....etc.
5) don't clutter the sand bed with a bunch of livestock....a clam or two...maybe...but that's it. Cluttered sandbeds just make the overall display look too busy. You can improve the overall display tremendously by just removing all the frags, zoas, blastos, etc that so many people seem to keep on the sandbed these days......it just distracting.
And finally....the aquascaping will have to be adjusted every so often.....growth eventually will destroy the best of aquascaping. I've seen so many tanks start off so promising, with fantastic rockwork.... only to spiral down into something less so..... just because the aquarist didn't take action to prevent its downfall or simply just over stocked it.. It usually ends up with a solid line of rock....all at the same height....covered in livestock....from end to end. There could be all the purple monsters, acans and superman monties in the world in there....but, if the overall structure is two dimensional and over crowded, it's just blah.....OR you could have the most ordinary of corals....and softies at that....as long as the rock structure follows the above guidlines, it will inspire all who view it and deliver the oooohs an aaaahs......just like the Japanese tank above.
This subject is very dear to my heart....I spent this whole three day weekend re-working my aquascaping.....it was just that time again."
More great comments---
"1) When I look at a tank like the Japanese tank, it just soothes my soul....but why is what I want to know....afterall, it's just a bunch of common softies. Maybe it's a Zen thing....or maybe...just maybe....it's great aquascaping......and I want to know why it's so good. So I try to break it down into its individual components....what about it speaks to me ? Definately an example of something greater than the sum of its parts.
2) I would consider an over hang a major component and not a detail. In the subject tank, it's the major components....a ridge on the left.....a mound on the right.....with an unobstructed channel....that are the stars of the show.....not tiny crevises or caves.
3/4) Hiding plumbing is easy.....you just have to make it a priority. In my case, the circulation is provided through a closed loop that is hidden by the rockwork and just jets out from nozzles hidden throughout the rockwork. The overflows are hidden by having the rock work break the surface in front of the overflow....obscuring its view from the front. Of course, hiding plumbing is more difficult if the tank has multiple viewable sides.....but, that's no excuse for not limiting their visual pollution....you just have work harder at it. In my case, my tank is viewable only from the front since it is built into the wall.....I use the rockwork to obscure all traces of plumbing from that view point....if you were to remove the rear panel and look from the rear....there would be plumbing seen everywhere. One more point...in the Japanese tank, the plumbing isn't 100% concealed....but, it doesn't scream at the viewer "here I am....look at me" like so many tanks these days. When I see plumbing, or worse powerheads, my eye goes right to it instead of the aquascapng. It's as if there was a big bee on the Mona Lisa....I just can't stop looking at the bee."
Well, maybe, but Steve did mimic this tank and it was the basis for his plan -----
Your point is still well taken, an original aquascape can make the difference between average and spectacular. My two biggest pet peeves are frag racks in display tanks and coral/frags littered across the bottom of the tank. They both absolutely kill the look.
Here's some great comments by Steve----
"Greg (Bonsainut) posted the best example of aquascaping perfection. It's the one I always come back to for inspiration....and why ? ....because I believe the answer to all your aquascaping questions are right there in that pic..... you just need to notice its philosophies...
1) have just as much postive space (rocks and corals) as negative space (open water and sand)
2) Don't worry about creating nooks/crannies/caves/etc....they just will be eventually covered by livestock. Instead focus on the general rock shape that has both low and high points...perhaps even breaking the surface. Focus on large details...not small crevises (especially if you have a large tank).
3) Maintain an algae free back (and sides if possible) to create an illusion of infinite depth....contrary to what we'd all like to believe, coralline does not create an attractive back drop...only a distracting one.
4) hide all the things of man.....overflows...pumps...pipes....etc.
5) don't clutter the sand bed with a bunch of livestock....a clam or two...maybe...but that's it. Cluttered sandbeds just make the overall display look too busy. You can improve the overall display tremendously by just removing all the frags, zoas, blastos, etc that so many people seem to keep on the sandbed these days......it just distracting.
And finally....the aquascaping will have to be adjusted every so often.....growth eventually will destroy the best of aquascaping. I've seen so many tanks start off so promising, with fantastic rockwork.... only to spiral down into something less so..... just because the aquarist didn't take action to prevent its downfall or simply just over stocked it.. It usually ends up with a solid line of rock....all at the same height....covered in livestock....from end to end. There could be all the purple monsters, acans and superman monties in the world in there....but, if the overall structure is two dimensional and over crowded, it's just blah.....OR you could have the most ordinary of corals....and softies at that....as long as the rock structure follows the above guidlines, it will inspire all who view it and deliver the oooohs an aaaahs......just like the Japanese tank above.
This subject is very dear to my heart....I spent this whole three day weekend re-working my aquascaping.....it was just that time again."
More great comments---
"1) When I look at a tank like the Japanese tank, it just soothes my soul....but why is what I want to know....afterall, it's just a bunch of common softies. Maybe it's a Zen thing....or maybe...just maybe....it's great aquascaping......and I want to know why it's so good. So I try to break it down into its individual components....what about it speaks to me ? Definately an example of something greater than the sum of its parts.
2) I would consider an over hang a major component and not a detail. In the subject tank, it's the major components....a ridge on the left.....a mound on the right.....with an unobstructed channel....that are the stars of the show.....not tiny crevises or caves.
3/4) Hiding plumbing is easy.....you just have to make it a priority. In my case, the circulation is provided through a closed loop that is hidden by the rockwork and just jets out from nozzles hidden throughout the rockwork. The overflows are hidden by having the rock work break the surface in front of the overflow....obscuring its view from the front. Of course, hiding plumbing is more difficult if the tank has multiple viewable sides.....but, that's no excuse for not limiting their visual pollution....you just have work harder at it. In my case, my tank is viewable only from the front since it is built into the wall.....I use the rockwork to obscure all traces of plumbing from that view point....if you were to remove the rear panel and look from the rear....there would be plumbing seen everywhere. One more point...in the Japanese tank, the plumbing isn't 100% concealed....but, it doesn't scream at the viewer "here I am....look at me" like so many tanks these days. When I see plumbing, or worse powerheads, my eye goes right to it instead of the aquascapng. It's as if there was a big bee on the Mona Lisa....I just can't stop looking at the bee."
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
I agree with Big E. There are a few simple things you can do to make your reef look much better. If I buy a frag, the first thing I do with it is break off that ceramic base and glue it on to a rock. Nothing should be in the tank that looks like it just fell there and the thing that really makes me nuts is when people take a picture of their tank with a lettuce clip in the picture or if you can see another room through the tank. Shut off the lights behind it.
I have no sump so everything is in my reef, but you don't see any of it and I positioned the lights so you don't see the back of the tank. Even if your tank sucks, not seeing the back will go a long way to make it look much more natural.
I have no sump so everything is in my reef, but you don't see any of it and I positioned the lights so you don't see the back of the tank. Even if your tank sucks, not seeing the back will go a long way to make it look much more natural.
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