What I want my new tank to look like

[soyadrink]

I'm getting my new tank in a few weeks. It's gonna be around 40gallons(26L 26H 18H) and I want to try make it look like in the picture... possible or not:doubt:? I'm not sure....

what do you think of it??

Does anyone know what corals the orange SPS are?

I even have it as my desktop background so I can think about different ways to do it

 

[trido]

Good luck on that one. There are what looks like closed brain (maze) corals, favites, and some sort of browned out acropora. I tend to think the acros in the front are brown and are just catching the light just right giving the impression of being orange.

There is no good way to ID an acro from a pic like that.

 

[soyadrink]

well, lets call it inspiration

 

[danno14]

The quickest and easiest is similar to what you have done on your computer..... print it and attach to the back of your tank

The liklihood of reaping that in a 40g is slim, but your inspiration is fantastic. The time you will need to allow for that level of growth (out of those corals) will be long (years). The result, if you have the patience, would be stunning.

The other factor pertains to the fish....don't even try to acheive that comparison in a 40. Destined to misery.

Again, fantastic inspiration!

you may quote me:
"Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank"

 

[soyadrink]

haha, I ment the aquascaping not exactly the fish/corals, although I am looking for a nice brain.

 

[Snowboarda42]

Also, you're not going to be able to keep all those anthias in one tank lol

It might behoove you to post up your plan on this site.

That is, include every single piece of equipment you plan on getting, what inhabitants, what salt you use, how much LR, how to set up the live rock, how much sand, flow rate, blah blah blah. This way, we can tell you what will and won't work, how good of quality something is or isn't, etc.

 

[soyadrink]

as sayd before, just the aquascape I'm not gonna have any anthias in a 40g

 

[360reefer]

Wow,look at all those beautiful anthias!

 

[Damsel13]

was that picture taken in the ocean? :shock:

 

[krisfal]

So if I understand, what you are wanting is to build the appearance of a cliff in your tank. I think you can achieve that by stacking your live rock, with bigger pieces on the bottom and gradually getting smaller as you go to the top. A couple things to consider: 1. You need to protect against avalanches, which could be done by drilling and pegging the rock together with acrylic rods. 2. Flow: If you stack against the back wall of the tank you could cause dead spots in your flow which would lead to a build up of dietrus that would be difficult to get to while doing tank maintenance. Also if your rock is tightly stacked it will also lead to disrupting the flow.

Beautiful picture and great inspiration. I had a picture of someones tank taped to the front of my empty tank for months as I planned and learned about this hobby in anticipation of setting up the tank

 

[Reeferdude]

Thinking outside the box are ya?

Achieving a similar look can be done in your tank, even the concentration of fish...Or close to it. All you need is a large sump or secondary system to house an over sized skimmer and do plenty of consistent water changes. Aquascaping should be easy as Krishfal laid out and the assortment of coral can be chosen to closely match the picture..Give it a go.

Nothing ventured...Nothing gained...

 

[macronut]

I think the pic is stunning. Achievable by all means. Go for it! Be a trend setter, not a follower. I think many times hobbyist try to cram to many corals of different types in one tank. Corals that are alike, in larger numbers (as the maze depicted) will give your tank a more realistic replication of a reef. This tank planned right will be unique and not like many other beautiful tanks.

 

[soyadrink]

very true what you all said and thanks for the support, but I'm already thinking of new ideas...
but I'll still take it as inspiration!

 

[Sherman]

With my current 120g, I decided to "think outside of the box" as mentioned above, also. I wanted an "edge of the reef" appearance. Sort of the outer edge of the reef before open water, similar to the photo you posted.

To me, the key is planning and patience. My tank isn't a lot to look at right now, but as the corals come in, it will come together. I've placed three tabling milleporas on the edge, one of them already formed (yellow-ish green), and a blue and a rose, still forming shape. My hopes are, in 3-5 years, that these tabling corals will sort of stair step over each other, creating layers of coral.

I also currently have 4 anthias, and am heavily debating adding many more. They just so strongly typify the reef.

Here's what I have, so far. This tank is only 4 months old.

 

[soyadrink]

thats beautiful but I dont think I would be able to add anthias to a 40g I was more thinking like green chromies or cardinals? any other suggestions?

 

[Sherman]

Chromis are another great schooling fish, certainly. I'd probably choose those over any of the cardinals because:

1: The bangaii cardinal is expensive ($25/fish means at least a $100-150 school)
2: The pajama cardinal is nocturnal, and boring during the day, IMO
3: The chromis has a much higher survival rate in captivity than the cardinal. They're considered an "easy" fish.

 

[joker577]

I love Chromis, bought 5 for 25$ and are schooling beautifully!

You can't tell by the picture but when they swim they show different shades of blue and light green and aren't aggresive at all

 

[danno14]

I echo the opinion on cardinals vs. chromis... I currently have 15 or so chromis and have had mixed success in the past with cardinals. The latter seem to eventually pair up and cease the schooling behavior, along with increased aggressiveness toward the other pairs. Eventually, survival of the fittest rules. Chromis on the other hand seem to stabilize as a group, leaving the small ones to "fit in" unless truly weak. Good luck! D

 

[soyadrink]

the only thing with chromis is that ones they mature, they get territorial and kinda aggressive. I was thinking of having one cliff on the back of the tank and a big giga clam on the sand bed. would you say, with that much swim space I could keep 4-5 anthias? (dont tell me what I want to hear, tell me what you think is true) and the tank size is going to be 26"-26"-18" so its probably just over 40 gallons.

 

[macronut]

Personally, I would not put Anthias in a 40 gal tank as when the fish mature they will be to large in my opinion, plus they need ample swiming room and fed at least three times per day to keep them healthy, fat and sassy.

A school of chromis is a good idea. Let me think about this some more. I need to get ready for a family function.