Your thoughts on a true rock column tank?

[Electrobes]

I always have ideas running through my head, and rock scaping usually tops out as my number one mind occupier. One design I have been wanting to try is a true rock column tank. In short I want to place a couple of these in the tank:

Now, normally I would actually pull this off, I have a couple columns a made a while ago, without hesitation. My problem is that 1) My tank is doing well and who wants to stomp that party? 2) I have a shallow tank, and I think this would be best suited for a much bigger tank... taller tank.

Avoiding that subject my other thoughts include the following:

- The columns won't have much in terms of bottom width, so corals will more than likely shadow each other... do you think it's possible to coral-scape well enough to avoid most of this.. or should I just anticipate putting non-photosynthetic towards the bottom?

- I am just not sure there will be enough ground support for the columns.. which means I may have to come up with a top of the tank mini-engineering feat to stabilize them.

- Using a column tank like this doesn't serve the fishes too well for lack of hiding spots... that is until the corals grow in. Would you just wait till the corals were big enough and then get fish... or would you hollow out parts of the column to give them a home?

Any other suggestions or opinions are welcome!

 

[CJO]

That might be interesting, but I'd hate to mess with an established tank. To stabilize them, you could aways secure them to a base and bury the base under the sand (assuming you don't have a bare bottom tank).

CJ

 

[Electrobes]

I thought about the base securing but not sure if it wouldn't take up too much space. With eggcrate it would be fine... but i know some people question it's use. Meh I won't mess with my tank, but I need to find someone to try this! ;)