Chessmanmark
Well-Known Member
How do we revive interest in our reef tanks and bring it to the next level?
Initially we are drawn to: the fish? the corals? contrasting complementary colors? movement? micro fauna?
A while ago I went scuba diving in Barbados and was excited by sea turtles, barracuda, anything large. Meanwhile the dive master was pointing out shrimp. It is all in a person’s perspective which changes over time.
My first tanks 16 years ago had no vision. I dumped into those tanks anything I could get my hands on. It looked good for a while but didn’t have any legs.
My next build was more thoughtful. No more brown acros or leathers. I discovered ORA and added a calcium reactor. I had a good run, until moving day.
Hurricane Katrina wiped my out again. I got ahold of a generator for Sandy.
My focus was mostly on acros over the years. Looking for shaggy acros inspired movement. Eventually soft corals were put in a smaller tank which left the SPS and LPS in my main display. I added a few LPS pieces that move, but I want to talk about fish.
Which ones get noticed only after watching the tank for a long period of time? That goby that crawls out of a burrow with his symbiotic pistol shrimp. That file fish that is camouflaged within the branches of a sinularia. That assessor that hides under a ledge. A psuedochromis at the base of the reef structure. The cleaner shrimp upside down under an exposure. The brittle star hiding in the dark.
Which are those organisms in your tank that you sometimes sit waiting for, hoping to catch a glimpse of? What’s missing from your reef that will add interest?
Initially we are drawn to: the fish? the corals? contrasting complementary colors? movement? micro fauna?
A while ago I went scuba diving in Barbados and was excited by sea turtles, barracuda, anything large. Meanwhile the dive master was pointing out shrimp. It is all in a person’s perspective which changes over time.
My first tanks 16 years ago had no vision. I dumped into those tanks anything I could get my hands on. It looked good for a while but didn’t have any legs.
My next build was more thoughtful. No more brown acros or leathers. I discovered ORA and added a calcium reactor. I had a good run, until moving day.
Hurricane Katrina wiped my out again. I got ahold of a generator for Sandy.
My focus was mostly on acros over the years. Looking for shaggy acros inspired movement. Eventually soft corals were put in a smaller tank which left the SPS and LPS in my main display. I added a few LPS pieces that move, but I want to talk about fish.
Which ones get noticed only after watching the tank for a long period of time? That goby that crawls out of a burrow with his symbiotic pistol shrimp. That file fish that is camouflaged within the branches of a sinularia. That assessor that hides under a ledge. A psuedochromis at the base of the reef structure. The cleaner shrimp upside down under an exposure. The brittle star hiding in the dark.
Which are those organisms in your tank that you sometimes sit waiting for, hoping to catch a glimpse of? What’s missing from your reef that will add interest?
