my new baby... AKA The Café

sfin52 · Apr 29, 2023

Nate Chalk said:
Upside down picture!

Nope
The fish is upside down

sfin52 · Apr 29, 2023

Petcrazyson said:

I love all those leathers

Alfie · Apr 29, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
What a cool tank. Very unique aquascape.

Is that a massive Stylo up top?

Yes it is. Not really unique, it was originally 3 pillars but the corals joined them all together

Lost in the Sauce · Apr 29, 2023

Alfie said:
Yes it is. Not really unique, it was originally 3 pillars but the corals joined them all together

Unique to me.

Do you have pics of it, before the growth?

Alfie · Apr 29, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
Unique to me.

Do you have pics of it, before the growth?

I think i put one on the build thread. this tank has been up for nearly 4 years, but I moved the rock and the current stock over from the previous tank. I had to move the tank a few months ago and had to take half the water out to give me a chance, this pic sort of shows it a bit better though

Screenshot 2023-04-09 at 02-17-40 Alfie on Instagram I had to drain half the tank to move it l...png

Lost in the Sauce · Apr 29, 2023

Alfie said:
I think i put one on the build thread. this tank has been up for nearly 4 years, but I moved the rock and the current stock over from the previous tank. I had to move the tank a few months ago and had to take half the water out to give me a chance, this pic sort of shows it a bit better though

That is what I call, a mature tank!

Alfie · Apr 29, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
That is what I call, a mature tank!

Thank you. People are so used to the Bonsai scapes these days, my look isnt very fashionable lol Im having to chop out the montis on the left now to make room for some of the acros I have on the racks, just doing bits at a time. I really should do something with the middle section but I cant bring myself to do it. There are 2 big hairy crabs living in the stylo, I keep chopping bits of it and they come to the front not looking impressed lol

Lost in the Sauce · Apr 29, 2023

Alfie said:
Thank you. People are so used to the Bonsai scapes these days, my look isnt very fashionable lol Im having to chop out the montis on the left now to make room for some of the acros I have on the racks, just doing bits at a time. I really should do something with the middle section but I cant bring myself to do it. There are 2 big hairy crabs living in the stylo, I keep chopping bits of it and they come to the front not looking impressed lol

How much are you having to dose?

Petcrazyson · Apr 29, 2023

Alfie said:
Thank you. People are so used to the Bonsai scapes these days, my look isnt very fashionable lol Im having to chop out the montis on the left now to make room for some of the acros I have on the racks, just doing bits at a time. I really should do something with the middle section but I cant bring myself to do it. There are 2 big hairy crabs living in the stylo, I keep chopping bits of it and they come to the front not looking impressed lol

I disagree. I think yours is definitely fashionable! It’s all natural lol. Honestly I love the crowded tons of coral look, bonsai may look “aesthetically” pleasing (to some) but that’s not what you see in the wild, technically it’s not aesthetical pleasing (to most) but I just think it looks the best. I think the key though of making it work in our tanks is having lots of coral and rock but in key areas, but also to make it look as if there is ”breathing room”, and I think you captured that really well. And once there is large enough colonies like in the wild in our dt’s then you get to see more of that natural behavior these animals have, like your crabs living in the stylo, and damsels or chromis or anthia living in and around and taking refuge in large acro and stag colonies.

Alfie · Apr 29, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
How much are you having to dose?

Currently 3.5L of Kalk and 100ml of a Uk 2 part brand that is concentrated, it equates to about 400ml of Alk and 400ml Cal/mag a day of a standard two part.

Petcrazyson said:
I disagree. I think yours is definitely fashionable! It’s all natural lol. Honestly I love the crowded tons of coral look, bonsai may look “aesthetically” pleasing (to some) but that’s not what you see in the wild, technically it’s not aesthetical pleasing (to most) but I just think it looks the best. I think the key though of making it work in our tanks is having lots of coral and rock but in key areas, but also to make it look as if there is ”breathing room”, and I think you captured that really well. And once there is large enough colonies like in the wild in our dt’s then you get to see more of that natural behavior these animals have, like your crabs living in the stylo, and damsels or chromis or anthia living in and around and taking refuge in large acro and stag colonies.

I agree 100% but I suspect you have been in the hobby a while. Its definitly changing. I will always create scapes where fish can hide away if they want, in fact on more than one occasion I have thought I had lost fish for them only to show up weeks later. It is nice to hear positives from people though so thank you for commenting