Is That Really Real: Would you consider using artificial decor in your saltwater aquarium?

[Tonycass12]

Take it from a guy who used to have to scrub the fake stuff, you dont want it. The year after these photos the guys from "tanked" built new pillars to go in these aquariums. Colors were gone in a couple months and we had a bunch of algae covered fake corals that were green and brown. It was awful.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

oh awful! i would get claustrophobic in that thing!!

 

[DanyL]

@Tonycass12 seriously?
They aren’t even been made to last?
And I assume they charged premium too, that’s pathetic.

 

[Tonycass12]

oh awful! i would get claustrophobic in that thing!!

Some spots were better but yeah it was pretty tight around the pillars. The worst part was the puffers and triggers pulling your hair while you work.

 

[Tonycass12]

@Tonycass12 seriously?
They aren’t even been made to last?
And I assume they charged premium too, that’s pathetic.

Nope it's all junk. I think our place paid over 20k. And moving the fish and everything for the work to be done cost us dearly. We had panther groupers that were 2' and French angels the size of large serving platters. None of the large fish survived. It's a long story about awful planning by higher ups in the company.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Some spots were better but yeah it was pretty tight around the pillars. The worst part was the puffers and triggers pulling your hair while you work.

Rain forest cafe?

 

[LimpElephant]

I have used Instant Reef artificial decor.

Now i will say this about the decor, it looks really nice when its submerged. Strangely the marketing pictures do not do these things any favors. They are dyed fully through so if you do end up breaking them or one of your creatures digs in, it doesnt leave white patches everywhere. They are not completely rigid so they do move with the water flow to make them 'more natural' looking which was very noticeable vs the plastics I've used on the freshwater side.

Would i pull them out of storage and use them again? Yes, but.

The thing to clarify here is that I would use them for a new tank while cycling. They look nice in these early months and any of that early brown crud wipes and brushes off very easily. Once you get algae growth though, game over as its too difficult to keep clean at that point. If you want color to look at with your ugly rock and have something fun for your fish to swim through, i would say that a small piece like those from Instant Reef are worth the $100.

edit: For clarity, I do not currently have any in a tank right now, and you MUST soak these things for a couple days in some RO water, especially when brand new, before adding to a tank or your fish will suffer.

 

[AlyciaMarie]

Do we consider urchin hats to be artificial decor? Because if so, I'm changing my answer to yes.

Awesome photo from @jjbunn

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Not only are the live rock and corals beautiful they serve a function. They truly help with algae control and maintaining nitrates. Fake corals grow algae like weeds and look like poop without a significant amount of effort.

 

[Doctorgori]

Nope it's all junk. I think our place paid over 20k. And moving the fish and everything for the work to be done cost us dearly. We had panther groupers that were 2' and French angels the size of large serving platters. None of the large fish survived. It's a long story about awful planning by higher ups in the company.

I don’t think the crew from “Tanked” are sponsors here, so a new separate thread on your experiences with this story would be welcome if not wrongly amusing ….
speaking for myself of course…

 

[GARRIGA]

We already use man-made rock as if real rock

 

[Cmccarthy]

I have some Star Wars decorations that I am getting corals to cover. It is in my second reef tank. Just experimenting.

 

[Tonycass12]

Rain forest cafe?

Yup

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Yup

I’ve always wondered how they keep the inside of those tanks clean!

 

[Tonycass12]

I’ve always wondered how they keep the inside of those tanks clean!

I've heard conflicting stuff on if they still dive those tanks. The company had a couple fatalities at non rainforest locations right after I left.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I've heard conflicting stuff on if they still dive those tanks. The company had a couple fatalities at non rainforest locations right after I left.

I've only been in a rainforest cafe twice (never to eat, just to look around) when I was at Disney Springs. The inside of those tanks always looked clean, but I can see where it can be a liability to allow people to dive in those tight, confined spaces like that.

 

[Tonycass12]

I've only been in a rainforest cafe twice (never to eat, just to look around) when I was at Disney Springs. The inside of those tanks always looked clean, but I can see where it can be a liability to allow people to dive in those tight, confined spaces like that.

I think the 2 accidents were related to costumes, one dressed as santa and another dressed as a mermaid. We used to dress up as Santa and dive for the kids during holiday breakfast type of thing. It was always sketchy and we had extra safety personally around as well as a rope secured to the diver to pull them up in a worst case scenario. The beard getting tangled into your regulator was not fun. Only those of us that didn't have issues with panicking were allowed to do that stuff.

 

[justdeb1107]

I'm growing some clove polyp "hair" on this skull, partly because it's funny, partly because you have to contain clove polyps somewhere or they take over. It's in my small tank, not my "real" reef. I think it's fun!

 

[Ef4life]

I’d put this little guy in for the bacteria

‘Catch of the week’: fisher lands Lego shark lost at sea for 27 years

Man finds rare item from ‘Great Lego Spill of 1997’ on top of his fishing nets after an expedition in Cornwall

www.theguardian.com