Your reefing "perception of reality?"

[Terr-c]

The best decision I made was to put the tank in the wall and have an equipment room behind. This way I it can be pristine up front and a mess in the back. Kinda like a mullet.

This is what everyone gets to see:

And this is what's really going on:

Sisterlimonpot I would LOVE to have a tank in the wall like this!! How many gallons? My future dream

 

[a4edwin]

This thread makes me sad! Makes me realize my sad reality is worse than I thought.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Sisterlimonpot I would LOVE to have a tank in the wall like this!! How many gallons? My future dream

It's a 300, if you're interested you can check out my build thread, I do have to warn you that it's heavy on the "build" part and light on the "tank inhabitants" part.

 

[F i s h y]

I choose to reject your reality and substitute my own not my reef, its @cmiller5617 I've been helping her build it out. Need to update our build thread

 

[Kevin Hayward]

i am on the rebound after a really bad alkalinity swing on a sps tank can be crazy. i might be ok this time

 

[Dburr1014]

My tank is colorful and dirty. I haven't done a water change in quite some time but everything is growing. My biggest problem is the aptaisia is getting out of control. F'aptasia didn't work on vertical surfaces as well as Kalk paste. The berghia started working but I believe my CBS developed a taste for them and hunted them all down after a month as the aptaisia are coming back.

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

It's kind of an odd feeling for me, but for the first time in my 7 years in the hobby I think I can say my tank is "finished" and is pretty close to the perceived picture (I think). Lucky for me, I have a basement room dedicated as a fish room/laundry but even that looks fairly good at this point. And I've been struggling to find any room to add any more coral to the display, so I'm not even considering adding more coral at this point, at least not unless I sell/trade enough frags that I actually free up some space in the display Now I just clean the glass and feed the fish and enjoy the tank. It's weird not having a tank project ongoing that I spend all of my free time doing.

For those still in the reality picture stages, I can say that the journey is the funnest part. At least if your spouse isn't on you about the mess.

 

[tamanning]

My tank is doing well but will never be finished. There is always a pump to replace a clogged line a worn out bulb. Glass to scrape .You get the idea. A glass box full of saltwater I love to throw money in!

 

[bigjgmac]

“perception of reality”

Perception acts as a lens through which we view reality. Our perceptions influence how we focus on, process, remember, interpret, understand, synthesize, decide about, and act on reality. In doing so, our tendency is to assume that how we perceive reality is an accurate representation of what reality truly is.

It’s widely understood that this hobby doesn’t have a finish line, our tanks are always a work in progress. It’s all about the journey, not the destination. However, we long for that beautiful over grown tank with lots of colorful corals and fish that complement the décor of our home. But, more times than not, our perception doesn’t necessarily align with reality. Instead of having that living piece of furniture in our house, it more closely resembles a mad scientist’s lab.

1. What’s your perception of reality when it comes to your reef tank?

2. Have you set high standards for how you perceive your reef tank to be in the future? What are they?


Perception?

Reality?

Thank you Jimmy @Sisterlimonpot for today's QOTD topic!

I think my tank is looking pretty good. It’s still quite young and needs to grow out. All in all, I’m happy with it (for now ).

I suppose I have set high standards for what it should be like down the road. I’ll go with beautiful, which is obviously open to interpretation. I’m trying hard to enjoy the journey!

 

[mucky1957]

8 yrs in the making and probably still unfinished simply because we are always on the look out for that 'something' to add a little more 'pop. The tank is the centre piece in the main lounge/tv room and the colours look fantastic in the evening under blues. The boss takes no active role in the tank maintenance but loves watching it. It just makes me smile when I look at it.

 

[Rodrigo Segnini]

Mine is beautiful as is! But always room for improvements, just lost my BTA that was on the right side, before that I thought was finished!

 

[Rodrigo Segnini]

Tried to upload video on different format but still did not worked.

 

[RJKain-777]

I find my tank very bleh recently. Maybe it’s the equipment failing (one of my lights), or the other reef related issues I’ve been experiencing.

I’m impatiently awaiting the approval of our house, so we can move, and I can set up my dream tank. Maybe that will spark my interest again.

 

[Urban]

I love this poll because I really do often wonder what others truly think of their systems. I truly wonder who is and who is not satisfied on these forums - especially after some of the posts and comments that are made; both the soft and gentle variety and the ones originating from what is most certainly tough love (the ones for which we have filters that preserve our innocence via the asterisk, and I know when I see a set of these asterisks where words should be, “This person cares”).

1. What’s your perception of reality when it comes to your reef tank? Overall I’m pleased with it, but I would like to find a way to make more of the equipment less visible and vacation friendly as well. I do not trust technology long term. The tank is definitely a centerpiece, because it is the first thing you see when you walk into my home. I’m one of those hobbyists who for some reason can find one coral that doesn’t quite seem to be doing as well as it should be (or as well as I have seen it look elsewhere) and it is as if I cannot focus on anything else. One of these issues is never being able to get the perfect color it seems.

2. Have you set high standards for how you perceive your reef tank to be in the future? What are they? Truthfully I just want to keep everything healthy and happy. I have stuck with the same dosing regimen for years. Had I not moved to California I would still run metal halide, but doing so here would probably require that I sell everything but the tank just keep the power bill paid (And what good with an aquarium day with no roof over its head). I’m lucky in that my wife also supports the hobby despite some of the inhabitants she seems to be bent on owning. There will never be a porcupine puffer fish or a blue ring octopus placed in either of my systems regardless of those heartfelt pleas, hardline threats, and the multiple assurances of Each and every other joy in my life being withheld for a long, long, time. I don’t know that I really have an ultimate goal for my system, but what I do hope to accomplish ultimately is passing on the love the hobby has given me (even during the bad times which eventually subsided). There’s a part of me that always would like to have just a little bit more room, but I’ve also learned the hard way not to overfill the tank – especially as a newcomer. Probably one of the things that I love most aside from the number of people I have met within this hobby is being able to pass along frags and helping newcomers. I also get somewhat of a thrill whenever I can turn around and Reduce some of the ridiculous market prices of some of these frags.

- Dustin

 

[Easy Reefing]

Unfinished but I know it’ll be a long fun process. Can’t wait to add more