Waking up from the nightmare build: the reboot

[Rybren]

I like it. Makes me think of diving.

 

[Ronny Bello]

I like it, it's more natural looking.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Ditch it, looks like a monolith.

Right now, it’s love/hate for me.

I don’t like the way it looks as it is currently. But if I switch it up a little (and make it shorter), it could look pretty cool once the corals have grown on top of it.

It’s filled with small/medium holes that the fish love. It’s like a small fish condo building.

It also does something really cool with how it funnels flow through that narrow space. The fish set up in that current and just hold there, all facing into the current and picking off pieces of food. It’s one of the most natural looking things I’ve seen in a tank.

But...I don’t really like how it looks and don’t think it fits the overall picture very well. Just trying to figure out what to do with it.

 

[ncaldwell]

I think it will look pretty great grown out, just looks a little weird bare.

 

[Ronny Bello]

If you look at it it's like a crack in a reef bed and all sorts of critters will live there. Buts that's me I like how rock looks and island and ridges you can make. Imo it's fascinating to see which side will grow what and who lives behind and front. But hey you do what you think is best and love what you did there

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Yeah...ince I get the light placement the way I want it, I’ll start to move some stuff around. I was initially going to have a more substantial structure along the bottom, but I’ve started to like the was the vertical wall all the way to the bottom looks.

I have about 100lbs of rock sitting in the filter, so I can change some stuff up.

I’m really liking how much open floor space there is. Here’s a cool semi-accidental outcome...just enough flow over the sand bed to create natural waves/ridges in the sand. The gobies seem to like them:

 

[Ronny Bello]

That's awesome got to love this hobby.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Really looks great.

 

[Burrito]

Are the owners happier with this “new” tank?

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Are the owners happier with this “new” tank?

We’ll find out. They’re not thrilled with the loss of coral and fish, but that was out of my hands.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I think what I’m might try to do with that stand-alone piece is to take the top mounted rocks off, get a bigger flatter piece to attach to the top, and then glue some of the lower-light Monti caps around the edges, and then mix in whatever on the top...Stylos, Pocilos, whatever else I can get to grow there to go more vertically up from the plates.

Not sure what I can get to grow underneath, though.

 

[Ronny Bello]

I was thinking underneath featherdusters and non photosynthesis coral filter feeders. Just a thought low light level coral stuff like that.

 

[dantimdad]

I was thinking underneath featherdusters and non photosynthesis coral filter feeders. Just a thought low light level coral stuff like that.

I really like the overhang. Looks very natural. The NPS idea is very good.

 

[dantimdad]

Dangit Greg! Now, I want to do something on the back corner of the 93 cube like this! You are an enabler!

 

[Ronny Bello]

Dangit Greg! Now, I want to do something on the back corner of the 93 cube like this! You are an enabler!

I know right, I got rock curing right now.

 

[dantimdad]

I know right, I got rock curing right now.

Well, I had to drain the 93 because a faulty process but, while it's empty...

 

[NoWaiAma]

Ive greatly enjoyed both threads. Thank you for sharing this journey

 

[Sallstrom]

Sneak peek

Not sure how I feel about the free standing piece. Still moving some stuff around and still working on the light arrangement.

This is great IMO. That structure make the tank more interesting than most other tanks. And some corals on that, it'll be really good in a couple of months. Great job!

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

This is great IMO. That structure make the tank more interesting than most other tanks. And some corals on that, it'll be really good in a couple of months. Great job!

Thanks!

As you know well, sometimes making tank structures go from ‘meh’ to ‘wow’ is as simple as moving it a few cm or shifting it a few degrees. I’m going to mess with it a little and hopefully will find that perfect placement.

And as you said, once corals are growing on it, it will be a totally different look.

I really, really enjoy the current flowing between the wall and the stand-alone, as well as the flow going over the more expansive sandbed. It’s creating some interesting natural behaviors from the fish.

 

[mmw64]

Sneak peek

Not sure how I feel about the free standing piece. Still moving some stuff around and still working on the light arrangement.

I love it!