My 125 "reef"
- Thread starter pegasus
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Kristin1234
Active Member
Man that looks great, Pegasus.
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the likes and comments, everyone. The tank has finally gotten to the point where it's not as much work to keep up... and now that my hair algae issue seems to be under control (not eliminated, but manageable), I'm starting to enjoy it a whole lot more. I still feel like there's something missing. Perhaps it the illusive "centerpiece coral". I'll know it when I see it... lol!
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Wow... thanks, Mandy! That means a lot coming from someone with as beautiful a tank as yours. The rock work kind of evolved over time, as I added more and more rock. I didn't want the "fruit stand" look, and I added too much rock for "islands", so I basically ended up with a mountain range. A lot of thought went into rock placement, and I tried to create as natural an environment as possible. Although it appears to be piles of rocks, it's actually very open. I kept as much sand open underneath the rocks as I could, and although it's hard to see it in the picture, there are literally hundreds of caves, caverns, and passages between the rocks. The fish seem to enjoy it, and as long as they're happy, I'm happy. LOL!!!
You'll have to excuse me, I'm a little slow sometimes... what's fts.?
(Full Tank Shot???)
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mandy111
Active Member
Hahahah, yes fts, (full tank shot)
You can actually see the rock work well in the picture , its very impressive, very natural looking and I can see why your fish enjoy it so much.
That will look like a very genuine reef once it covered and aged some what. I congratulate you on it. you can see its well loved.
You can actually see the rock work well in the picture , its very impressive, very natural looking and I can see why your fish enjoy it so much.
That will look like a very genuine reef once it covered and aged some what. I congratulate you on it. you can see its well loved.
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Thanks again, Mandy. It is well loved. It's my passion. I love the way people who come into my home walk through the foyer... then freeze when they get to the tank. Trust me when I say the pictures I post don't do the tank justice. My cell phone can't come close to capturing the true image... especially in the picture above. The colors are muted and everything looks rather bland. There's a good bit of "ghosting" in the panorama above, which isn't very noticeable unless you know what to look for. The most obvious spot is the thermometer, but the rest is more subtle because it blends into the background, making it harder to detect. It highly degrades the photo quality. Hopefully, one day I'll have a "real" camera and be able to replicate a true image in a photo. Since I just bought a new 5 ton air conditioner, the camera will have to wait... *sigh*.
mandy111
Active Member
I don't think any photos do our tanks justice. People that have seen pics of my tank then visit say exactly the same thing. My god the pictures don't really reflect it. So I hear you ! Us reefers can't afford bloody cameras because we are always broke !!!!!!!!! Well that's why I am anyway !!!!
pegasus
Well-Known Member
LOL! So true...
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Anywho... I decided to make a video showing the openings in the rock work, or at least it's an attempt to show the openings. Of course, it was shot with my cell phone, so don't expect HD quality... lol!
The description on Youtube: This video shows the rock placement in my reef tank. My goal was to expose as much sand as possible, and to create a lot of openings of different sizes between the rocks. It starts with "pillars" which suspend the larger rocks above the sand, with smaller rocks placed in strategic positions to create caverns, caves, and passages. These openings provide lots of places for fish to explore, sleep in, and escape into... should the need arise. As a bonus, it also provides plenty of space for coral placement!
The description on Youtube: This video shows the rock placement in my reef tank. My goal was to expose as much sand as possible, and to create a lot of openings of different sizes between the rocks. It starts with "pillars" which suspend the larger rocks above the sand, with smaller rocks placed in strategic positions to create caverns, caves, and passages. These openings provide lots of places for fish to explore, sleep in, and escape into... should the need arise. As a bonus, it also provides plenty of space for coral placement!
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robertmathern1
Member
That lawn mower blenny did not look happy to be on camera lol
pegasus
Well-Known Member
It always looks like a grumpy old man... lol!
Kristin1234
Active Member
Love the vid!
Pegasus. What is the coral swaying like crazy in the upper right corner?
Pegasus. What is the coral swaying like crazy in the upper right corner?
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Kristin! I'm not 100% sure what that anemone is. I think it's either a Stichodactyla Gigantea, or a Heteractis Crispa. I'm leaning towards H. Crispa. It was about the size of a quarter and snow white when I got it. It's about 12" across now (2 1/2 years later). You're only seeing part of it, since most of it is behind the rocks. Funny... many people say to direct the flow of a power head towards an anemone to make it move. This nem is a rebel, because it moved from the left front of the tank, all the way across the back, and settled in right under the right rear power head. Like me, it doesn't mind going against the grain... lol!!!
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pegasus
Well-Known Member
If you want to see it swaying like crazy, this should give you a good idea of what it does all day... every day.
Kristin1234
Active Member
Wow. That's nuts. That's a nem? Will mine grow to be that big? That thing is wild!
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Yep... it's a nem. Can't remember what kind yours is, but under ideal conditions, even bubble tip anemones can grow to 1' in diameter. Yeah, it's pretty wild... almost hypnotizing. People always get drawn to it when looking at the tank. To me, it resembles a cross between Cousin Itt (Adams Family), and the Tasmanian Devil (Bugs Bunny). I think it would be happy in a washing machine on the heavy-duty cycle, as long as it was in saltwater... lol!