Considering removing all rock and sand from display. Letting Mags have free reign....

[Seancj]

I've got the itch to try something different with the Magnifica reef. I'm considering removing all the rock, sand, and all other corals from the display and letting my Mag collection have the entire tank to themselves and attach directly to the glass. I'm picturing a 'wall to wall carpet', er, I mean 'wall to wall Magnifica' look to the tank with a mosaic of Mags covering the bottom and back glass. This would keep the entire upper column of water open for my damsels and clowns to swim over the nems rather than just in front of like they do now with the current rocks cape. I'm also thinking this will give the nems more surface area to attach and spread out, without the confines of the rocks. As we know, Mags do like to attach to the smooth glass surface so I think they would handle this well. The rock and sand would go into my large refugium so I'd be keeping all the 'goodies' in the system. Thoughts?
Fairly recent video of the tank:

 

[lapin]

It’s just me : why fix it if ain’t broke

 

[OrionN]

I think it will look ugly and unnatural. They won’t stay on the bottom but will climb the wall and difficult to provide too light to them on top of the wall. They will also get to the PH and overflow. I think this is a really bad idea.
You can make a platform in the middle of the tank and keep multiple Magnifica on it. This will keep the wall free which is important IMO in keeping the Magnifica from getting chew up, but also not at the top of the water will make it much easier to view and more natural it you created the platform with a, or several pieces of flat rock.

 

[chizerbunoi]

I did exactly what you’re thinking and I agree with Minh. It looks terrible with them on the walls vs on the rocks.

 

[garygb]

I have one mag on the wall of the tank because of a lack of real estate in my tank. It's been there for years at this point. And it still kinda bugs me. I would prefer to have them all attached to rocks, as they would be in nature. So, I wouldn't suggest you do that.

 

[Seancj]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I almost did it last night, but the tank was looking so good, second thoughts crept in and I couldn't do it. When I do eventually get my bigger tank upgrade, which will be a shallow tank, all rock scape will be very shallow, just above the sand level, so that I can attain a similar effect but still have the rocks to anchor to. I'll be using the nice flat Marco shelf rock that's coming out now.

 

[D-Nak]

Mags will also try to creep up to the very top of the tank, and it looks terrible, particularly the tentacles at the surface of the water.

My anemone tank is similar to how you described -- shallow though the rocks in the back are higher. My mags are on rocks, the gigs are lower, and the haddoni in the sandbed.

 

[MnFish1]

I've got the itch to try something different with the Magnifica reef. I'm considering removing all the rock, sand, and all other corals from the display and letting my Mag collection have the entire tank to themselves and attach directly to the glass. I'm picturing a 'wall to wall carpet', er, I mean 'wall to wall Magnifica' look to the tank with a mosaic of Mags covering the bottom and back glass. This would keep the entire upper column of water open for my damsels and clowns to swim over the nems rather than just in front of like they do now with the current rocks cape. I'm also thinking this will give the nems more surface area to attach and spread out, without the confines of the rocks. As we know, Mags do like to attach to the smooth glass surface so I think they would handle this well. The rock and sand would go into my large refugium so I'd be keeping all the 'goodies' in the system. Thoughts?
Fairly recent video of the tank:

I honestly think you might get bored with the tank if you do it the way you're planning - However, you can do what looks, seems best to you. Personally, I would not change it. Second - realize that a lot of your filtration, is coming from the rocks. Though your bio load isn't that high. Removing them could cause an issue. I really like the look of the current tank

 

[D-Nak]

Something else to consider... if you have an overflow on the back or side of the tank, the mags may crawl up and block it. I had this happen once and I woke up to a mess.