Why have a Gross Tank?

[Captain45]

This is going to be quite the controversial question and no means to offend but it often comes to mind quite a bit, especially when I'm browsing forums. Why do people put so much time, money and effort into an aquarium to have it look gross and neglected? Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I dont know.

Tonight I was browsing water mixing station idea's and came across tons of really impressive RODI/SW reservoirs setup's run to external sumps with advanced plumbing through walls along with state of the art ATO and AWC systems automated by expensive controllers etc that appear to be meticulously installed by someone with OCD. I think to myself whos still manually mixing in 5g buckets like "man I'm really behind the times here" and then I see their tank.... and it looks like someone pulled an aquarium out from the bottom of the marina thats been sunk for 3 years undisturbed; coralline everywhere, glass hasn't been scraped in months, salt water drips and splatters all down the front of the glass, zero cable management, substrate missing from half of the tank all blown to one side, crap piled up next to the stand...I could go on. Why spend all the time and money and energy? Its like having a state of the art, beautifully finished garage just to park a bunch of run down, rusted up cars in it. Is it just the technology that people like and not really the aquarium itself?

I don't claim to have the most beautiful tank, but I do pride myself on its appearance. For me having a tank in my home is like having a piece of artwork on display, a centerpiece that I can stare at and find peace and calm within it and feel a sense of pride that my time and money has gone into something that adds beauty into my home, not a swampy turd in the the middle of my living room

/shrug idk

 

[Kfactor]

I think ppl just get bored or somthing that happens in there life and tank comes last

 

[Cthulukelele]

I think it comes down to goals. A tank caked in coralline is likely incredibly healthy. For some that's by far the most important thing. Also pristine isn't the desired aesthetic for a lot if reefers. I really feel this is a different strokes for different folks situation

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I think it depends on what some people are into. Some people are driven by the equipment while others are into the science. I can say my organization of all my stuff leaves a lot to be desired. However, I keep my focus on the inhabitants and the tank. The tank is where it is for me. I hate anything on the glass, salt creep and grossness in the tank. I’m struggling with not doing too much to my tank since it’s still new.

 

[Captain45]

I think it comes down to goals. A tank caked in coralline is likely incredibly healthy. For some that's by far the most important thing. Also pristine isn't the desired aesthetic for a lot if reefers. I really feel this is a different strokes for different folks situation

I can see letting the back glass go coralline, some people really like that aesthetic and I can understand that. Personally I like black background but there are some tanks that the front glass is covered and you can barely see the inhabitants, that I will never understand.

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

The answer to this question is very straightforward. Can I get back to you tomorrow about it though?

 

[Cthulukelele]

I can see letting the back glass go coralline, some people really like that aesthetic and I can understand that. Personally I like black background but there are some tanks that the front glass is covered and you can barely see the inhabitants, that I will never understand.

Again I think this has to do with goal. Not everyone is worried about how effective a living room centerpiece their tank is and are more interested in the health of its inhabitants. Neither option is wrong or even hard to understand. Also sometimes people just get busy, and scraping away coralline is often far down the list as it's typically strictly a vanity venture.

 

[JC1977]

This is going to be quite the controversial question and no means to offend but it often comes to mind quite a bit, especially when I'm browsing forums. Why do people put so much time, money and effort into an aquarium to have it look gross and neglected? Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I dont know.

Tonight I was browsing water mixing station idea's and came across tons of really impressive RODI/SW reservoirs setup's run to external sumps with advanced plumbing through walls along with state of the art ATO and AWC systems automated by expensive controllers etc that appear to be meticulously installed by someone with OCD. I think to myself whos still manually mixing in 5g buckets like "man I'm really behind the times here" and then I see their tank.... and it looks like someone pulled an aquarium out from the bottom of the marina thats been sunk for 3 years undisturbed; coralline everywhere, glass hasn't been scraped in months, salt water drips and splatters all down the front of the glass, zero cable management, substrate missing from half of the tank all blown to one side, crap piled up next to the stand...I could go on. Why spend all the time and money and energy? Its like having a state of the art, beautifully finished garage just to park a bunch of run down, rusted up cars in it. Is it just the technology that people like and not really the aquarium itself?

I don't claim to have the most beautiful tank, but I do pride myself on its appearance. For me having a tank in my home is like having a piece of artwork on display, a centerpiece that I can stare at and find peace and calm within it and feel a sense of pride that my time and money has gone into something that adds beauty into my home, not a swampy turd in the the middle of my living room

/shrug idk

I know where you’re coming from. I’ve seen several videos posted on you tube of tanks caked with diatoms on the glass and I’m thinking you’re going to post this video online where potentially thousands of people are going to view it why wouldn’t you clean the tank?? Lol as someone else said different strokes for different folks but me personally I can’t stand my tank being unsightly.

 

[ElementReefer]

The answer to this question is very straightforward. Can I get back to you tomorrow about it though?

I see what you did there!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I think people just get busy with life. Cleaning a tank is another thing that someone has to do along with whatever else the individual might be dealing with. I know for me I want my tank to look clean since its almost a center piece in my living room but it might be different for someone's tank being in their basement or garage where not many people may see it on a daily basis.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

great post.. i really love the people with 30 inch deep tanks that only scrap half way down..

 

[EricR]

I only ever notice how nasty my tank looks AFTER I post a picture and see it online.
...but at least that motivates me to do some cleaning,,, well, sometimes

 

[Dbichler]

When you have three kids and all have multiple select sports at all times you don’t always have the time to clean a tank. Granted my tanks glass gets covered often but I never neglect to the point anything suffers other than appearance.

 

[Potatohead]

Some people live in filth and some people drive around with their cars like this... You're never going to understand them all, just do your thing and don't worry about it.

 

[JC1977]

Some people live in filth and some people drive around with their cars like this... You're never going to understand them all, just do your thing and don't worry about it.

 

[Captain45]

Some people live in filth and some people drive around with their cars like this... You're never going to understand them all, just do your thing and don't worry about it.

Haha I suppose this is true, this is basically the trash equivalent of my wife's side of the closet, just a bunch of unworn clothes and shoes piled up in the corner.

 

[lynn.reef.nerd]

Some people live in filth and some people drive around with their cars like this... You're never going to understand them all, just do your thing and don't worry about it.

hey ... don't judge .... I spend all my time on the tanks ....

 

[brandon429]

People starting off new tanks with dry rock:

Delay your sandbed input until you guide those rocks into total coralline coverage. You don't need a sandbed the first year, you need to remove excuses that prevent you from hand removing growths as long as it takes to be invasion free, this is the price of dry rocking

Later on after some maturity in the rock biome the invasion work will lessen a little, then you can add perfectly pre rinsed cloudless sand in ziplock bags down into the reef and it will fall like snowglobe grains

Do a staggered reef sandbed addition to have less excuses to be invaded, clean bottom management is fast and easy with a siphon hose.

This also prevents you from doubling up on phosphate sinks and the resulting problems compared to the masses all copying dry rock + sand on day one. You have fifteen years of online postings to see what that mix does, it's messy.

 

[brandon429]

Also factors: don't glue in a rock arch. Then you'll claim inaccessibility due to that. Pre remove all invasion excuses in your design so your most underperforming rocks can easily be lifted out, corrected, set back

Don't follow the masses in leaving them in and dosing things through the water. Do opposite of the invaded masses.

I too can't stand invaded investments, it's why everyday is a rip clean sales day for me. I catch two fish a week this way, every week

 

[His Coral Highness]

I think these are some optimistic answers hahaha. Like someone else pointed out - some people just live in filth. I mean honestly, look at home many people get dogs they don't take care of. Look at home gross some peoples home are. People get aquariums because that's what they wanted to do that minute, then they didn't want to put any effort into maintaining it.