Bare very bare tank?

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flappy

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I am thinking of setting up my tank in a way I have not seen yet.
If anyone has done this or knows of someone that has please let me know as I would love to see photos.
I want to empty the tank completely.
Repaint the black fibreglass so it becomes pitch black on the back and bottom and one side(the other side and front are acrylic)
Then put in the water and just have stunning fish against a pitch black background nothing else in the tank.
The only thing in the tank will be the mounted Tunzes at the bottom for max nutrient export and return pipes from the sump(I will ensure they are installed as high as possible)
For all the guys who will ask what about filtration,I have plenty of DSB and Plennum and liverock in the various sumps plumbed into the main display.
So what do you think?
Im am just struggling to imagine what it will look like...
Oh the tank is 3.2m long by 1.2m wide by 1m high.
Please let me know what you think.....
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Not keen. Besides the "pure black" will soon be black with purple polka dots! Not as cool haha
 
I think it would be good to have LR in the DT, not only in the sump.
Fish need to graze and hide when it's sleeping time.
Im sure you or anyone for that matter will know what happens when lights are out. Fish just dart to their homes.By not having LR or even ceramic for that matter, they would feel homeless. :)
 
Mekaeel said:
Fish need to graze and hide when it's sleeping time.
Im sure you or anyone for that matter will know what happens when lights are out. Fish just dart to their homes.By not having LR or even ceramic for that matter, they would feel homeless. :)
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I agree, all but 2 of my fish disappear into the rocks at night, it would be a very unnatural environment for them.
 
to keep the sides and back black means cleaning in the same way as your viewing pane,some rock/decor is important,any grazing fish will peck if algae,pods,worms etc reside in rock.The fish also sleep,usually wedged into a gap in the reef.I suggest an open rock arrangement,lots of space,the placement of your rock will provide dimension an the illusion of more space.
 
the other adavantage of such a tank would be to fill a tank like this with live rock would cost a fortune in a reef setting.
Prehaps a minimal look with very little rockwork and lots of swimming space.
How many kg of liverock do you think I would need for minimal rockwork and lots of open spaces taking the size into account?
I was thinking of building 3 eggcrate structures and building rockwork on the structures with lots of swimming space in between each structure.
Does anyone have any photos or threads of tanks that look like this?
 
yes your tank is large,raising the reef off the floor will create the illusion of more space and depth...can you get base rock to take up the bulk of aquascape?then use the liverock for details.
 
Hi Flappy - great idea - BUT BUT BUT.......

Only problem I have with this, is:
Fish wants hiding place - this is in order to hide away from "so called predators" (which does not really exist in our tanks, but that's what the fish has in their gene's)....

Without this hiding place, the fish will most likely be stressed out, unless you can have so MANY of the same species, that they can shoal, which means that they will have "safety in numbers", and would not be able to create "territories" either. Both of these problems (to few fish and territoriality) would force them the seek hiding spaces to go and feel safe in.....

This also means, that they would most likely be spooked and stressed a lot of the time, causing white-spot and all other funny ilnesses...

BTW: my fish are funny - during the day time, they want to go hide away and even fight for "lekker" hiding spots...... at night time they all shoal together in one corner of my tank - out in the open..... they do not "sleep" in these hiding spots... :)
 
Flappy - have a look at Simon Garratt's tank on Ultimate Reef. He has a VERY sparse setting in his big tank.... with NO live rock in his tank.

He made his own fake bio-rock, and actually "built" the coral bommies in his tank...

This, for me, is the ultimate in a reef tank.... My "role model" for a tank, if I can put it that way.....

Here's the URL:
Reef-Eden 2006 (Its got Bigger) - Page 13 - UltimateReef.com
 
What happened to the rock that was in the tank?if i remember correctly Billy made that rock? It looked good! was it messing with your alkilinity?
 
holy shit that guy don't mess about, some serious stuff there. i think one could do it a bit differently by perhaps joining bits of LR with pratly putty and make a few caves that way. then you got the hiding places, the wast removing property and a possible food sours in pods and other gogo's found in LR.

well that's the rout i'd go, but that's just me
 
dv8 said:
holy shit that guy don't mess about, some serious stuff there. i think one could do it a bit differently by perhaps joining bits of LR with pratly putty and make a few caves that way. then you got the hiding places, the wast removing property and a possible food sours in pods and other gogo's found in LR.

well that's the rout i'd go, but that's just me
Click to expand...

Simon is a very nice bloke too, i've met him a few times at various do's in the UK, his knowledge is vast and the article is well worth a good read.
 
he definately has some innovative idea's, i dn't know the guy , but i like some1 who can think outside the box. this time it's a glass box, he he.

but seriously, looking at his set up , he has flow from under his rock... holes at the bottom of his tank:wacky: you can hardly see any plumbing from his display. realy an awsome setup.

inspireing stuff :3:
 
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