Resin reef insert opinions [Instant Reef]

[Tham121988]

I'm thinking about getting this reef insert instead of live rock and just doing fish only for this new 30 gallon tank. Has anyone had any experience with this company or have any suggestions?

https://www.instantreef.com/collect...eef-aquarium-decoration-for-marine-fish-tanks

 

[Flippers4pups]

Bump

 

[Tham121988]

Bump

 

[norfolkgarden]

For $250 you can do some beautiful live rock, either pukani or tonga branches. For a 30 gallon tank $150 might be plenty!

Many Soft corals are pretty indestructable, at least in terms of parameters.

What type of fish were you considering? I can't think of too many fish that eat soft corals that will fit in a 30 gallon tank. (Except a small file fish)

Going the 'regular' route with live rock and easy to care for soft corals should give you added filtration as well as a beautiful easy to care for tank.

Stony coral require perfect conditions 100% of the time.

Soft corals will outlive your fish in terms of bad parameters.
You should always try to maintain good parameters for the health and well being of your animals. But a temporary blip won't send the beautiful soft corals crashing like the hard corals.

 

[Maritimer]

Pretty.

Until algae grows on it, and covers those colors.

Real liverock is porous, providing homes for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrate and nitrogen gas - how's the porosity of this stuff?

What will be your filtration system, if the resin decor isn't a good home for nitrifying bacteria?

Our local Public Aquarium has a 3,000 gallon tank using resin / plastic / rubber corals. Folks enjoy it, and they love finding Dory and unicorn (tangs...) and all the pretty colors - but they've got an alternative place in the sump for growing bacteria.

~Bruce

 

[Tham121988]

I have a ton of live rock and many reef tanks. I just wanted to try something different. This will have a refugium with live rock in it which will serve as a biological filtration. It has dual overflow for the filtration as well. I find that live rock from LFS has caused a ton of issues as far as nuisance algae. I have had good luck with cured pukani, but that is no longer available.

Pretty.

Until algae grows on it, and covers those colors.

Real liverock is porous, providing homes for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrate and nitrogen gas - how's the porosity of this stuff?

What will be your filtration system, if the resin decor isn't a good home for nitrifying bacteria?

Our local Public Aquarium has a 3,000 gallon tank using resin / plastic / rubber corals. Folks enjoy it, and they love finding Dory and unicorn (tangs...) and all the pretty colors - but they've got an alternative place in the sump for growing bacteria.

~Bruce

 

[Maritimer]

Excellent.

Just making sure you'd given that aspect of it some thought!

Do what makes you happy - it's supposed to be fun.

~Bruce

 

[Tham121988]

Excellent.

Just making sure you'd given that aspect of it some thought!

Do what makes you happy - it's supposed to be fun.

~Bruce

Absolutely, thanks for the input!

 

[hart24601]

I pretty much echo maritimer, if you have bio capacity and like it give it a shot! I have heard of algae growing on them a lot so might be good idea to think of some grazers to add when that starts to happen.

 

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Go for it. I have live rock with some resin artificial corals. My snails really like to clean them so I haven’t had algae problems.