metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 NOBODY PANIC! So yesterday I think, Xiaoxly posted a video of an Asian tank with their bloody amazing bonsai style, minimalist, very zen, totally perfect tanks. and it got my imagination going. I wanted to see if I could take it as inspiration and do something new in my tank. Benny tried to talk me out of it. This morning I put on the pond gloves that go up to the armpit and I started moving shit around. Tank is still cloudy, but, I present to you THE DONG! I'm not sold on it yet. The left side is all that I worked on. The right side has much to be done. I twisted the left island so the slime-a-lot is to the back left now instead of in front of the corner of the overflow. When it grows more it will still be in front of the corner of the overflow. Oreo the clam now has her back to us instead of side. Setosa is twisted to the right instead of front and center. I'll post close ups when the tank clears more, maybe the left side will need a lot more tweaking. Before & After: A work in progress for now. The right side needs to be angled correctly, pushed back to the corner. The tonga branch will look stunning when it is encrusted with corals. Be nice to see a waving chilli coral on the very tip. Hanging upside down. Yellow, or maybe that hot red. Or a tabling acro colony would look nice there, fanning out. I could possibly put the slimer on the tonga branch, and build shelves against the overflow wall in it's place. Possibilities... 5 Quote Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 NOBODY PANIC! So yesterday I think, Xiaoxly posted a video of an Asian tank with their bloody amazing bonsai style, minimalist, very zen, totally perfect tanks. and it got my imagination going. I wanted to see if I could take it as inspiration and do something new in my tank. Benny tried to talk me out of it. This morning I put on the pond gloves that go up to the armpit and I started moving shit around. Tank is still cloudy, but, I present to you THE DONG! I'm not sold on it yet. The left side is all that I worked on. The right side has much to be done. I twisted the left island so the slime-a-lot is to the back left now instead of in front of the corner of the overflow. When it grows more it will still be in front of the corner of the overflow. Oreo the clam now has her back to us instead of side. Setosa is twisted to the right instead of front and center. I'll post close ups when the tank clears more, maybe the left side will need a lot more tweaking. Before & After: A work in progress for now. The right side needs to be angled correctly, pushed back to the corner. The tonga branch will look stunning when it is encrusted with corals. Be nice to see a waving chilli coral on the very tip. Hanging upside down. Yellow, or maybe that hot red. Or a tabling acro colony would look nice there, fanning out. I could possibly put the slimer on the tonga branch, and build shelves against the overflow wall in it's place. Possibilities... Wow!! So, how did you suspend that tonga branch? I don't get how it is hanging there! I like how the left side gets wider towards the top. very cool. Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Magical zip ties, sprinkled with diamond dust OH! Just had an idea hit me, for the left side! aha! going to move the tenuis colony from the back left, to more towards the center. Will play with having it at that height or lower. 2 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Since it's been renamed "the dong" and all 2 Quote Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I do like the rescape miss kat. I put a new pic of the puppy up too ; ) 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Pictures looked great, everything looked great until the ..... .... rescape. There, I said it. I might have to buy another blue tenuis, mine is pretty much done for. Maybe now with my full scale war on phosphates I can keep one alive. 3 Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 You don't like the new scape eh? It's going to take some getting used to. My original was pretty good, I always thought though that the heights on the 2 sides were too similar. Now I've got another structure in there. Throws everything off I think. And I like that it won't be symmetrical. I think that's the reason I changed it up a little. 3 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 You don't like the new scape eh? It's going to take some getting used to. My original was pretty good, I always thought though that the heights on the 2 sides were too similar. Now I've got another structure in there. Throws everything off I think. And I like that it won't be symmetrical. I think that's the reason I changed it up a little. I like towers sticking up from the base, but not from the back or side, I just don't think it looks realistic. I've been considering getting a dong piece to stick up in front of my red cap so the cap is forced to grow around it. I'm doing it only to provide another acro spot, not for anything artistic. Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 I have extra dongs, I can send you a piece 1 Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Also the towers are still where they used to be. The left one is twisted, but still exactly where it used to be Quote Link to comment
MikeTR Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 ok so maybe you can hang the NPS coral where the zip ties are and.... wait for it... the signature pink seriatopora... on the end of the tonga. also, I think the slimer is rotated just a tad too far... like rotate it back about 1" so the setosa gets more wub. Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Seriatopora! That huge colony is with Zeph. I can rotate the slimer, but I might cut and re glue instead. Regardless of the rotation. It sticks put too far on the back and might break if it hits the overflow again Quote Link to comment
TheKleinReef Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I like everything except the suspended tonga. It almost feels like an after thought. if there was a way to make it a tad more cohesive it'd look way better. Quote Link to comment
MikeTR Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Seriatopora! That huge colony is with Zeph. yes, just look how much room she'd have to grow. I no longer think they are beginner corals after killing all of mine. I just pulled my tubs purple polyp bird out which was about 8" in diameter. Gonna bleach it and add it to my collection of reminders as to why we do regular tank maintenence in my entertainment center. 1 Quote Link to comment
cnseekatz Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The dong confuses me. 2 Quote Link to comment
vlangel Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Wow, it seems most folks don't like the suspended tonga and I liked it so much that I am thinking of suspending an empty coco worm tube in my seahorse tank! Personally I agree Kat, the bigger difference in height of the main structures is an improvement. Just my opinion. 2 Quote Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I also like the suspended tonga/dong/thingy with the fairy dust and zip ties. I think it will look really cool with coral on it. 1 Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Better picture. The Tonga branch should be covered like this in about a year or 2, depending on the coral. 4 Quote Link to comment
tibbsy07 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I need to see that video. I can't wait to see what you do. I need to work on mine, too, lol 2 Quote Link to comment
reefdiver88 Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I like the slimer in the back left.....The tonga looks a little thick and rough textured for its position. 1 Quote Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Better picture. The Tonga branch should be covered like this in about a year or 2, depending on the coral. I love full reefs like this. It just looks so awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment
markalot Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Better picture. The Tonga branch should be covered like this in about a year or 2, depending on the coral. Ahhh. Hmmm. 2 Quote Link to comment
BluCrab Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I'm currently helping a friend with his first marine set up and I told him to practice his aqua scaping outside the tank. His sister said why does your rock look like dicks!?! err dongs! haha 1 Quote Link to comment
metrokat Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 A few subtle changes Mike - I turned the left island a tad. Thanks for the suggestion. Also moved the tenuis colony down and out towards the center. The clowns are snuggling with the goniopora there but I will be moving that to give a clear path to the back of the tank. Need to make it more meandering, with sandbed coral placement. Before and After 2 Quote Link to comment
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