2022 contest?

[Grundler]

20 hours ago, Frozen_Reef said:

Building off this, maybe do a tank under 10 gallons and limit species count to like 5 types of corals? Like a tank of zoas, Duncans, hammers, montipora, and GSP would be 5 coral types

I made a nearly identical suggestion a few years back. I'd love to see what people could do with a limited list of corals (and macro algae). A species/variety constraint would force some real creativity and put an emphasis on the aquascape. Instead of stuffing lots of frags into a small space, contestants would need to plan ahead for aesthetics much more diligently. Like the FW planted Nature Aquarium style where a limited number of plant species are used cleverly to create a "natural feel". Many corals are so pretty that achieving a gorgeous reef is almost cheating; the aquascape's design is often much less important than just having lots of brilliant colors (assuming the aquarist can grow corals). By contrast, the skill involved with achieving a gorgeous planted Nature Aquarium comes from the successful execution of a plan (assuming the aquarist can grow plants); merely growing pretty plants does not achieve the same "wow factor" as growing those same plants used "correctly" with the rest of the design elements in the tank (hardscape and negative space).

Building on what you said, have a 10 gallon size limit (this is nano-reef.com after all) and maybe a 3-7 coral (and macro algae) species/varieties limit. Bonus points for using less species. I think this would incentivize keeping costs down and designs simple; we might see a lot of "beginner trash" corals being employed to fill in space and fulfill design goals (e.g. carpeting corals as foreground, leathers or xenia as background). The inclusion of something like a bounce mushroom centerpiece suddenly becomes a critical design decision instead of a "flex" (okay, probably still a flex). I want to see "artsy" tanks! 😁

[Murphs_Reef]

13 hours ago, NoOneLikesADryTang said:

That would definitely be fun. I really like the participation aspect. It’d definitely encourage me to follow more build threads. 
 

I can see my own polls now:

 

Should I add a new fish I don’t tell the tank keeper about beforehand?

OR

Should I add a new coral I don’t tell the tank keeper about beforehand?

 

Should I have the tank keeper bring back 4 corals from her work trip out of town?

OR

Should I have the tank keeper bring back 6 corals from her work trip out of town?

 

Should the tank keeper rub my back tonight?

OR

Should the tank keeper rub my feet tonight?

 

Really, the possibilities are endless!

I'm missing a piece of the puzzle here.. who the fu.ck is the "tank keeper" 🤣 please tell me it's the name you use for your Rodger.

[seabass]

Nano-Reef SURVIVOR.  Each week the tribe (Nano-Reef members via a poll) votes one contestant out.

[The Rainy Day Aquarium]

46 minutes ago, seabass said:

Nano-Reef SURVIVOR.  Each week the tribe (Nano-Reef members via a poll) votes one contestant out.

Savage......I like it👌😂

[banasophia]

Well… I’d be out in week one. 😂🤣 

 

#iamakarenafterall

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

3 hours ago, Murphych said:

I'm missing a piece of the puzzle here.. who the fu.ck is the "tank keeper" 🤣 please tell me it's the name you use for your Rodger.

The Tank Keeper is quite literally our tank keeper. She’s been doing aquariums most of her life, and is mostly a lurker among NanoReef, but she occasionally posts. I think she’s been on NanoReef for 15+ years. When Christopher Marks came by the house for some zoas and snails the two of them reminisced about the old days, while his wife and I had no earthly idea who, or what, the hell they were talking about. 
 

Here’s one of the Tank Keepers better known threads :

 

She also posted occasionally in our Two Tanks One Thread tank journal… But most of that heavy lifting was carried on my broad shoulders. She takes care of the tanks, and I boast about them. Seems like a perfect division of responsibilities if you ask me. 

[seabass]

Reef in a Bottle

Use a glass or plastic carboy to create a "ship in a bottle" reef (bottle orientation not limited).  Follow along as contestants use their skills and ingenuity to create spectacular reef-scapes in a bottle.

[Kindanewtothis]

On 8/9/2021 at 5:03 PM, seabass said:

I might have a leg up on a dino-dominant tank.

 

Nano-Reef's dynamite dino challenge.

Would win this one easily. Want some to seed your tank?

[Murphs_Reef]

11 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Would wind this one easily. Want some to seed your tank?

Yeah ill have some 🤣

[Kindanewtothis]

Just now, Murphych said:

Yeah ill have some 🤣

Shipping is on me. "Kinda's small cell amphidiniums special"

[seabass]

9 hours ago, seabass said:

Reef in a Bottle

Use a glass or plastic carboy to create a "ship in a bottle" reef (bottle orientation not limited).  Follow along as contestants use their skills and ingenuity to create spectacular reef-scapes in a bottle.

Sure the dinos contest was a joke; but I was totally serious about the Reef in a Bottle contest (even the Survivor contest and the 5 Gallon Bucket Challenge).  Let's shake it up a bit.  Standard contests have been done already.

[CD_Scapes]

13 minutes ago, seabass said:

Sure the dinos contest was a joke; but I was totally serious about the Reef in a Bottle contest (even the Survivor contest).  Let's shake it up a bit.  Standard contests have been done already.

Survivor contest won’t work, people are too soft and will rage over getting voted off. Bottle one also wouldn’t work due to lack of equipment use, smaller unconventional sizes, and poor viewing 

[M. Tournesol]

17 minutes ago, Frozen_Reef said:

Bottle one also wouldn’t work due to lack of equipment use, smaller unconventional sizes, and poor viewing 

I would think the biggest problem would have been the size of the opening.

7 hours ago, seabass said:

Reef in a Bottle

I don't know if a rock or even a frag plug could fit in the bottle neck. 🙃

 

[seabass]

45 minutes ago, Frozen_Reef said:

Survivor contest won’t work, people are too soft and will rage over getting voted off. Bottle one also wouldn’t work due to lack of equipment use, smaller unconventional sizes, and poor viewing 

I'll agree to disagree.

 

I think the bigger problem with the "Survivor" contest is that the more popular members might get more of a pass.  People might have a case if there was an entrance fee.  Otherwise, people would be aware of the rules beforehand.  This was mostly me just throwing something out there trying to get people to think about different ideas; it's not actually my favorite idea.

 

Although I do kind of like the Reef in a Bottle idea.  Yeah, viewing (photographing) through a cylindrical tank isn't ideal (we've seen this with cookie jar tanks).  However, it isn't a show stopper either.  I feel the challenges, and how we resolve them, would make for an interesting contest.

 

22 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

I would think the biggest problem would have been the size of the opening.

I don't know if a rock or even a frag plug could fit in the bottle neck. 🙃

I feel that's why it would be compelling.  Someone might decide to painstakingly assemble their rock work with small bits of rubble, another contestant might decide to use spray foam, another contestant might drill an access hole in their glass carboy, another might cut the whole top off of a plastic carboy.  How you solve this obvious problem would make it interesting.

 

As far as livestock, simple take the frags off of their plugs if they don't fit.  Maybe you'd have to frag your frags to make them fit.  Macroalgae, mushrooms, GSP, even hard corals would all fit through the neck.

 

Again, trying to get people thinking outside the box.  Maybe @Christopher Marks has some thoughts on a contest?

[M. Tournesol]

If I have time and money In January, I would gladly try this carboy reef 😆 

[seabass]

2 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

If I have time and money In January, I would gladly try this carboy reef 😆 

I'm totally with you.  I've been thinking about doing one for awhile now.  I think it'd be really neat to see a couple of dozen people doing the same.

[seabass]

45 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

If I have time and money

The money part should be very reasonable.  A PAR38 bulb and air pump would probably be sufficient (pretty inexpensive).  I believe there are a few betta heaters which might fit through the neck.  IDK, maybe these would even fit:

I know that I have a heater that would fit.  I'll do some more searching for a small heater, and maybe find out how large some of these necks are.

 

If you cut an access hole, obviously you'd be able to fit a small fountain pump and standard heater, and opening up a lot more aquascaping options.

 

I'd like to see a couple of people try a horizontal orientation:

You could even use a stopper and have an access hole in the top/side.

 

Or even prop the jug on angle to provide more depth.

 

How about upside down like a water cooler (hiding all the cables and tubing through the neck).  Again, an access hole in the top/bottom.  Remember the movie Real Genius?

[CD_Scapes]

While is does look like a cool idea not too many people would get into that contest, it’s a very niche thing to do. Have you seen all the freshwater Aquascaping contests? How many differnt tanks and styles are made? They really don’t have too many limitations and you get a ton of people doing it and lots of variety 

[M. Tournesol]

12 minutes ago, Frozen_Reef said:

not too many people would get into that contest, it’s a very niche thing to do.

Precisely, that's the goal. Do something new and strange that you wouldn't do otherwise. 

14 minutes ago, Frozen_Reef said:

How many differnt tanks and styles are made? They really don’t have too many limitations and you get a ton of people doing it and lots of variety 

Yes, like in 2020, the contest was AIO tank. But, you don't need to have a classic contest every year.

2022 could be wild 😝 

[seabass]

35 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

Yes, like in 2020, the contest was AIO tank. But, you don't need to have a classic contest every year.  2022 could be wild 😝

 

Plus, there seems to always be an aquascaping component to these contests.

[The Rainy Day Aquarium]

1 hour ago, seabass said:

This was mostly me just throwing something out there trying to get people to think about different ideas

We appreciate this 😊 

 

1 hour ago, seabass said:

Someone might decide to painstakingly assemble their rock work with small bits of rubble

I am pro at this, given 100% of my rock work in my tanks are made this way 😅😭

 

From what I've seen in the past, NR has come to be known for it's unique contests. From oddball containers to standardized size tanks I like the diversity in them. They're rarely just a "plain jane grab a tank and put salt water in it" kind of contest. I like challenging tank ideas. Although, a "plain jane" contest could be the way to go? I'm sure there is a compromise, kind of like last year with AIO types? The more contestants the merrier too. 

 

[The Rainy Day Aquarium]

I don't excel at coming up with ideas for this kind of thing, but maybe we could have a "Low Tech/Back To Basics" themed contest?

 

 I know in todays industry, tech is a big thing, automation is a big thing, but is it all necessary for our tanks to be succesful and healthy, or is it just to get sales? I know this question has been answered several times and in many ways, but having a simple setup with no filtration might be fun. Say, just a light, heater, and wavemaker. Also it might force us to really learn more about the biology of our reef tanks and about what makes a balanced reef system without having to rely on expensive equipment to achieve it? I think it would be pretty obtainable for most as well due to the setup costs being minimal?

[seabass]

1 minute ago, Chowder's Reef said:

...maybe we could have a "Low Tech/Back To Basics" themed contest?

I do feel that keeping the costs down will allow more people to participate.

 

 

One last thing about a Carboy Contest, is that the sizes vary from 1 gallon to 6 gallons in size.  People could choose what suits them best (and spend as little or as much as they wish).

[seabass]

Oh, sorry, but I just thought that a closed loop could be implemented with a carboy.  Also, you could setup a water cooler setup with an overflow in the carboy going down to a sump in the stand (to hold the heater and filtration if desired).  OK, I'll stop now.

[The Rainy Day Aquarium]

9 minutes ago, seabass said:

Oh, sorry, but I just thought that a closed loop could be implemented with a carboy.  Also, you could setup a water cooler setup with an overflow in the carboy going down to a sump in the stand (to hold the heater and filtration if desired).  OK, I'll stop now.

 

I mean, water changes would be a breeze?