Monthly Reef Profile (TOTM) Nominations

[uwdanno]

+1 Lawn

[jack1978]

+1 for Lawndart.

[righttirefire]

Lawn can suck a bag...

I mean +1

[Sancho]

I think this one is worth a mention:

 

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/366969-mikeymikemikes-shallow-reef-iwagumi-sps-edition-updated-july/page-14

agree that is an awesome tank but sticks.........meh Both tanks are worthy but I have to give it to lawn this time around.

[RollaJase]

+1 for Lawn

[markalot]

I think this one is worth a mention:

 

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/366969-mikeymikemikes-shallow-reef-iwagumi-sps-edition-updated-july/page-14

 

*gasp*

[uwdanno]

 

*gasp*

Pretty to look at but controversial -IMO

[Arce]

Pretty to look at but controversial -IMO

Agreed

[HarryPotter]

Pretty to look at but controversial -IMO

 

 

Yep

[ninjamyst]

Pretty to look at but controversial -IMO

Yup. I haven't said anything cuz I didn't want to sound harsh but you phrased it perfectly.

[gena]

New page so another plus one for Lawn . And a plus one for Markalot!!!! Two of the nicest and most helpful reefers on NanoReef .

[Law]

I think this one is worth a mention:

 

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/366969-mikeymikemikes-shallow-reef-iwagumi-sps-edition-updated-july/page-14

Tank is nice but easy to replicate by anyone who have unlimited access to Coral colonies.

[holy carp]

Tank is nice but easy to replicate by anyone who have unlimited access to Coral colonies.

 

I think this is a little unfair. We all have different means financially, geographically, or otherwise. I don't think that we should be trying to take all these (often unknown) factors into account to level the imaginary playing field.

 

It's more about whether or not someone created a beautiful, sustainable, impressive reef ecosystem that is aesthetically pleasing due to artistic arrangement, stocking selections, build/design/integration into surrounding space, or other elements that make the aquarium unique.

 

Whether or not your LFS sells overpriced $200 frags or cheap $40 colonies or you scuba dive and haul in your own locally available reef legally or illegally may be significant factors in what one could accomplish, but doesn't automatically define what one does accomplish. Mikeymikemike created a beautiful reef. And while it may be too young to be eligible at this point if we take stability and longevity into account, he did create what we see (and in many cases admire). As jealous as we may be about what's available to him down under, it doesn't change the fact that his tank is his creation. As such, I find it only fair to keep an open mind in its consideration.

[ninjamyst]

I dont think we need to get into specifics about Mikeymikemike's tank (it is really beautiful) but I would appreciate nominations to include reason why the tank is nominated to show that careful consideration has been made for the nomination, which should involve reading / skimming through the nominated tank's thread. It would also be helpful to list the suggested requirements for TOTM in the first post or sticky somewhere. IMO, I care more about the journey and the person behind it than the pretty picture at the end.

[metrokat]

 

I think this is a little unfair. We all have different means financially, geographically, or otherwise. I don't think that we should be trying to take all these (often unknown) factors into account to level the imaginary playing field.

 

It's more about whether or not someone created a beautiful, sustainable, impressive reef ecosystem that is aesthetically pleasing due to artistic arrangement, stocking selections, build/design/integration into surrounding space, or other elements that make the aquarium unique.

 

Whether or not your LFS sells overpriced $200 frags or cheap $40 colonies or you scuba dive and haul in your own locally available reef legally or illegally may be significant factors in what one could accomplish, but doesn't automatically define what one does accomplish. Mikeymikemike created a beautiful reef. And while it may be too young to be eligible at this point if we take stability and longevity into account, he did create what we see (and in many cases admire). As jealous as we may be about what's available to him down under, it doesn't change the fact that his tank is his creation. As such, I find it only fair to keep an open mind in its consideration.

I agree with a lot of what you said HC. In recent pages on this thread the collective opinion of forum members was that the tank that is nominated or chosen to be featured should have been at least one year old if not more. There also have been a couple of insta-reefs that were chosen and while online nobody made a mention, there were PMs and texts flying around which showed that people weren't happy. You can't please everybody right. IMO, if a hobbyist stocks their tank with mature colonies, and they were able to sustain it for a year, they should be considered for TOTM. It is essentially the same unwritten rule as waiting a year to be considered. I'm not sure if this is a middle ground. Thoughts?

I dont think we need to get into specifics about Mikeymikemike's tank but I would appreciate nominations to include reason why the tank is nominated to show that careful consideration has been made for the nomination, which should involve reading / skimming through the nominated tank's thread. It would also be helpful to list the suggested requirements TOTM in the first post or sticky somewhere. IMO, I care more about the journey than the pretty picture at the end.

Agree 100%

[uwdanno]

IMO, I care more about the journey than the pretty picture at the end.

 

TRUTH!

[jedimasterben]

I dont think we need to get into specifics about Mikeymikemike's tank (it is really beautiful) but I would appreciate nominations to include reason why the tank is nominated to show that careful consideration has been made for the nomination, which should involve reading / skimming through the nominated tank's thread. It would also be helpful to list the suggested requirements for TOTM in the first post or sticky somewhere. IMO, I care more about the journey and the person behind it than the pretty picture at the end.

this.

[Lawnman]

Thanks for the nominations everyone very much appreciated

[RollaJase]

I agree with a lot of what has been said in the last few posts. I can also attest to the variety of corals (particularly SPS) corals that are readily available and cheaply obtainable in Australia. But, to be honest, most of the colonies you see in that tank (size wise) are typically what we find at our LFS's. Fragging is pretty much non existent in Australia with the exception of a few online retailers and aquacultured coral farms. I have had to pass on a number of beautiful SPS colonies as they are simply far too big for my tank. Sometimes my LFS is nice enough to break off a branch for me but usually you have to leave empty handed. Most of our SPS is collected for export so they harvest big colonies like this, ship them to the states or Asia and chop them up to make more money. There isn't much money in small colonies so we don't really see them and when we do they are pretty average. Just speaking from experience anyway.

 

As for the criteria for nomination I though the 1 year mark was a loose recommendation, I believe Christopher Marks has stated this before also. I do like the idea of people having to justify their nominations though.

[Sk8n Reefer]

New page so another plus one for Lawn . And a plus one for Markalot!!!! Two of the nicest and most helpful reefers on NanoReef .

I think this is perfect ? Lawn and Mark rule

[Mikeymikemike]

IMO, if a hobbyist stocks their tank with mature colonies, and they were able to sustain it for a year, they should be considered for TOTM. It is essentially the same unwritten rule as waiting a year to be considered. I'm not sure if this is a middle ground. Thoughts?

 

 

 

I agree. My tank is still young.

There are better reefers out there with nicer tanks on this forum. At 11 months now and it still has a long way to go, I've kept my corals growing since I put them in but they have along way to go yet with the sps which have only been added over the past 5 months or so. Keep nominating other people as there are many nicer tanks here

[vlangel]

Lots of great discussion and perspectives, this is great! I love the idea of tank birthday threads, and helping encourage community members with older aquariums to post new updates.

 

I feel like I should start out by saying that in the history of featured reef profiles, I've never had any hard rules, just general guidelines to steer me in choosing an aquarium. Featuring aquariums that are at least a year old has always been a target, but as history shows, that's not a firm rule. I've generally considered aquariums 40 gallons and under to qualify as nano reefs as well, but again, that's not an exact rule, just a guide. We've seen a number of aquariums that fall outside of the average, but that doesn't make them any less deserving.

 

I should also point out that I've always intentionally called these 'Monthly Reef Profiles' and 'Featured Reef Profiles' in an attempt to shy away from the term 'tank of the month,' because I feel that term comes with too many preconceptions. It has always been my goal to feature members and their aquariums for a myriad of reasons, not just because they have the rarest coral, or the nicest equipment, the best photos, or the longest running tank. The goal of featured reef profiles is to share one hobbyist's perspective and experience in keeping their aquarium. Sharing their successes and failures, challenges they've faced, and their past experiences in aquarium keeping. In this hobby there are numerous methodologies behind reef keeping, so many different approaches towards the same goal. Featured Reef Profiles are a window into just one successful approach.

 

It's important to me that all sorts of aquariums be featured in all stages of their evolution, because these different perspectives and approaches are helpful to others who are trying to decide what direction to go with their own aquarium. If we tried to catch every aquarium at its absolute 'peak' we'd probably never feature any aquariums at all. Pretty much every aquarium that has been featured continued on to become more beautiful as it matured - does that make their featured profiles any less valid or educational?

 

Also, let's not forget the human element here. Not every member is able (or sometimes willing) to be featured when the offer is extended. It's a lot of homework that I assign, sometimes they're just too busy. Over the last 8 years there have been countless aquariums I had hoped to feature in later months, but the member was no longer active when the opportunity arrived, or their tank was taken down, or upgraded, or crashed, etc. etc. Believe me, I've had a lot of heartbreak over aquariums missed, but that's the nature of this hobby, aquariums are constantly changing. Being an active member of the community has always been a requirement of mine, even being inactive for just a few months might cause a member to be passed over for that month. There are just so many variables that go into putting this together each and every month, year after year.

 

TOTM means different things to different people. My goal with these featured reef profiles is to share great perspectives on reef keeping, to be educational, and to show off successful and unique aquarium systems from within the community. It's an opportunity to draw attention to some of the great ones, because unfortunately I cannot feature all the great ones. What I do not want to see is for this to become just another popularity contest, because this should have far more depth than that.

 

Christopher Marks posted this at the beginning of the year and I think that these are good guidelines. As he stated the featured reef isn't always a year or more old but usually is. Also he states that there are different creatures, methods and styles of reefing and the monthly reef profiles tries to feature those. Sometimes when we nominate different tanks its tricky since not everything is determined in concrete terms. Its always interesting to me to see how different reefers accomplish the desired effects they are seeking in their aquariums. That is one reason I enjoy the featured reef profiles.

[Christopher Marks]

Yup, still holds true!

 

I'll see about updating the very first post in this topic to reflect my comments from earlier this year.

 

...I would appreciate nominations to include reason why the tank is nominated to show that careful consideration has been made for the nomination...

 

Now this I like! A little insight into why a tank has been nominated goes a long way in helping me choose. It's also helpful to other community members, I think this topic also helps others discover new tanks to follow, even if they've not yet been featured.

[ReefWeeds]

I would like to nominate Sancho's 8 gallon! It's a great little tank with diverse life and has been up and running for quite some time! Sancho shares the good and the bad and has always persevered - even when his adopted pistol shrimp works frags off the rocks to use as cave decorations. Take a look at this sweet little tank!

 

FTS today. The pistol shrimp was able to grab the gold ocotospwn and drag it to its lair. I need to get the glue out. This shrimp is crazy. I see him out on the rocks all the time. He is a frag clepto.

The shrimps lair

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/358196-sanchos-cad-8-a-few-new-pics/?p=5404467

[jack1978]

I would like to nominate Sancho's 8 gallon! It's a great little tank with diverse life and has been up and running for quite some time! Sancho shares the good and the bad and has always persevered - even when his adopted pistol shrimp works frags off the rocks to use as cave decorations. Take a look at this sweet little tank!

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/358196-sanchos-cad-8-a-few-new-pics/?p=5404467

I also vote for Sancho......for all the above reasons stated by Stella.

+1 for Sancho!