DChemist Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 "a very unrealistic but stunningly colorful group of tanks and corals in Oregon - the kind most reefkeepers dream of having" An interesting quote. I'm wondering what everyone is trying to achieve with their own reef tanks; realistic, stunningly colorful, diverse, species tank, etc? I'll have to come up with a "mission statement" for my own tank and share... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Here's a cut/paste from a very early (and naive) posting to my blog: What I want to end up with is a healthy balanced reef ecosystem in miniature. I’d like to keep a small number of fish, along with a selection of SPS, LPS and Mushroom Corals and invertibrates. While I’m more interested in the aesthetics of the reef than adherance to ecosystem “purity,” I do want to try and represent something not too different than what nature creates. On a less abstract level, I have other goals and requirements. First and foremost, the process has to be enjoyable. If it becomes a drag, or worse a bore, I’m sunk. I know myself well enough to realize that I can lose interest in something with frightening speed; if there are new things to see, learn or do I’ll persist much longer than if not. In support of this, routine maintenance must be relatively easy. Spending a whole day once a week to keep things afloat is a guaranteed failure. In addition to the higher level attributes mentioned above, the aquarium must be relatively inexpensive — yes, yes.. I know… I did say relatively. I can’t afford to plop down $2500 cash to get this going. Fortunately, there does seem to be an active buyers-market economy for used aquarium bits and I’ve benefited from it already. Getting down to much lower level details, they aquarium must be safe, secure and inoffensive. Safe and secure because I have children, and because I don’t want to have to clean up 50 gallons of salty water off of the living room floor. Inoffensive because irritating noises and unpleasant odors won’t go over well with my wife.. or with me. All in all, I've managed to stay pretty true to those goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piero Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I try not to smell Steve's b-hind too much but who can resist when it answers that question so simply and involves a plug, lol...www.oregonreef.com. Quite honestly meticulous approach, design, execution, and presentation both in front and from behind...the tank that is. And if that's his first reef... apologies for the old code and table structure for anyone viewing source. Needs a gallery update too, hint. hint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 I was kind of thinking about Steve's display when I posted the question. His is the most colorful display I've seen (thanks to the summer BBQ). As well as a well-defined philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I want a tank that is colorful, healthy, and exciting to me. If other people are to enjoy my tank then that's a bonus. I have changed my idea of that a few times since I started this hobby. It now includes having mostly sps corals and a few lps varieties, (started w/ 'shrooms). Not a ton of fish but several. Mainly I want to look at my tank and know that I'm doing my best to reach my desired end. But I would like it to still remain somewhat challenging. Since it is fun to learn about it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I want a diverse tank with colorful corals and fish, mixed with some nice softies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mbeef61 Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 realistic, stunningly colorful, diverse that sums it up for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Who is Steve? Where in Oregon is he? 850g? Jezuz. That's giganticonormous. :eek: Seriously, if you all had unlimited room, time, and funds, how big would you guys go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piero Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Steve's a local reefkeeper, in pdx. I don't think size is a huge factor in a stellar reef though...I'm more a stickler for methodology and presentation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nu2reef-n Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I've never seen his tank in person. But judging from his website, his methods and presentation look pretty good to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loke Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 now i'm keeping a colorful softie tank, awhiles ago i was thinking about a mixed reef but i leave home too often and get paranoid when i'm away so decided to stick with the hardier corals. i then was going for the softie corals to be all cool colors, while the fish are warm colors so the fish would stand out, but the pink psudochromis looks purple in the tank, and I couldn't resist on a good deal of warm colored yuma's and zoas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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