The ZEN 90 Build Inspired by Takashi Amano

[asonitez]

I have never had more than 3 different types of corals in my tank at any given time. AS a matter of fact I upgraded my tank 3 times the same year. I have finally settled on a 90 Gallon tank that I have decided to do right with good equip and care.

I have been looking at some of the aquascaping around and one thing I have never noticed is anyone using a fast growing coral to cover their sand bed or something of the nature.

It would seem that with placement and such most people ultimately just stuff as many corals as they can to create a lush colorful landscape.

I love that but Its been done before. Instead I was thinking of doing something more artistic and creative. Something like this...

Obviously the Color and the Texture as well as the actual stock used will differ. At first when I started this project I decided that I would try and Search for tanks that were Coral Specific... But I did not find any. So I decided I would make it my goal to create it.

Goals:
The Tank must "Light Up" under Flourescent Lighting
It must be functional and inherently easy to maintain with minimal moving around.
It will require Periodic Trimming and "training" but not in over excess.


Over the past month or so I have been collecting and Storing various amounts of Kenya Tree and GSP.

Now to many people these particular Corals are literally weeds. GSP gets out of hand very easilly and will over take many corals without care. Kenya Trees Will drop children all over the place and even after Cutting them off they will grow again. PERFECT!

GSP Glows Brilliantly Green under Actinics and Kenya Tree although not as flourescent they Glow Red/Pink depending on your Actinics.

Ultimately the GSP will Cover My sand bed except in certain areas that I will Surround by Live Rock(Creating a Wall that can be Grown on but defining an area that I can easily trim to keep it at bay.

The GSP will look like This...

Obviously My Live Rock will need to be placed in the Aquarium as well.

I ordered 12 feet of Acrylic rod from USPlastics.com 5/8" and I have been drilling and dry fitting them together to create the structures I'm going for. Over all there will be 2/3 Arches Stemming from 1 Mountain and 1 Skinnier Tower. There the Kenya Tree will Sit in Valleys Surrounded by GSP on Posts made of Live Rock. The Sand "beds" will be there mostly for the Wrasses that Call it home and other fish that might like to play in it. Over All my tank will look like this after Completion.

For those of you who will inevitably ask.

Lighting 8X 54Watt T5 HO - Current USA Nova Extreme
Skimming Aqua Euro Classic 250
Sump 30 Gallon Oceanic Model 2
Flow
3 X SureFlow Modded MaxiJet 900's + Return Flow Mag 12
Cooling
Ultra Quiet Zero Chill Fans Under Cabinet Venting Air In and Out as well as 2 fans in the Canopy Doing the same In addition to the Current-USA Fans in the Canopy.

All fans are Wired to a DigiDoc

Designed for PC's but work Fine for Aquaria. They Key is to Seal the Thermo Probe with Silicone in a mold and Leave the Probing Tip open. I use the cheap Bubbles you get for 25 cents from the vending machine drill a hole in it and then feed the probe sensor through it. i then fill it carefully with silicone until the probe wires are encased and wait 48 hours. Its water tight after that. Even Then... I've used the probes in water cooling situations for 3 years on my current pc and no problems. And I never sealed it with silicone or anything for that matter.

I purchased a small power supply from Newegg which powers all of the PC Fans AND the DigiDoc easilly. Best part is that it is only a few inches big and fits in a Standard Radio Shack project box.

In all Including the Digidoc from ebay and the fans from there as well + the power Supply my entire cooling setup cost me
less than 100$ It comes with 8 Probes.

I will be cutting a Suitable Hole in the Side of the stand and Placing the DigiDoc in there. I can control all fans independently set them on a temperature sensor or have them cycle. Oh.. And its Backlit.

If All Goes to Plan then pics of the live tank should be up soon.

I don't plan to Just keep those corals but I will have things like Monti's etc Growing precariously off of cliffs and the like. And Zoo's covering other things.

Thanks for reading this Very Long Post. I promise pictures are sure to follow.

 

[sinkingbeach]

It sounds like a very interesting and unique reef and I really look forward to seeing this come alive.

 

[Phyl]

Very intriguing. Scott Fellman would be so proud. He calls them Biotopes (species specific, in this case). The one thing you didn't mention was what fish you were planning on stocking with.

Have you looked into Sea Grasses? I'm not sure if they flouresce, but they would give you the ground cover effect as well.

Good luck. Looking forward to the pictures!

 

[panmanmatt]

I noticed you said you were using fluorescent lighting. What type specifically; NO, HO T5, VHO or Power Compact?

Most corals won't thrive and spread under NO fluorescents. Sea grasses require a deep sand bed of at least 4 inches and minimum of T5 or VHO lighting with metal halides being best for them.

 

[sinkingbeach]

You gotta read it Matt : Lighting 8X 54Watt T5 HO - Current USA Nova Extreme

I noticed you said you were using fluorescent lighting. What type specifically; NO, HO T5, VHO or Power Compact?

Most corals won't thrive and spread under NO fluorescents. Sea grasses require a deep sand bed of at least 4 inches and minimum of T5 or VHO lighting with metal halides being best for them.

 

[panmanmatt]

:-\ :-\

I'm gonna head back under my rock now.

 

[ReeferNets]

Those freshwater tanks are sooooo nice. IMO sea grass would def look sooooo much sweeter then GSP.

A women i work with has a tank modeled after one of those guys set ups and it really puts alot of reef tanks to shame.

 

[MikeNapoli]

Lots of CO2 in those tanks. One of the more recent issues of Tropical Fish have a contest of Freshwater Planted Tanks .. those tanks are gorgous. I was reading it at A.O. it made me want to do a planted tank at first but then I realized that the fish that go in them aren't as cool as a reef tank.

I have some reallllly flouresent GSP and if you want I can frag a piece or you can have the whole thing. Mine spread onto a small spot on my back glass and the main colony isn't needed anymore after that. It's about 2"x4". I'm in Woodbridge or you can pick it up at next months meeting. Let me know.

 

[asonitez]

Aye thats what really made me do it. At first I have a little 10 gallon that I was gonna do a minature planted tank but I didn't want to buy a CO2 for just that little guy. I decided since i really loved Amano's work that i might as well be different and try it in the 90 gallon.

For those who asked I did not go the route of Sea Grass because it dosen't look as nice flourescing under the T'5's I did purchase a small bit of it to try it out and I didn't like the outcome. My tang nibbled on it but I guess he didn't like it either lol. I like the GSP because its "coral" and its fast growing hardy and looks great Swaying in the current. At night neon green Grass swaying as yellow tangs or beautiful anthias play in the foliage might be great to witness. A lot of this is going up this weekend. A kind reefer has offered me some grass at a great price "lol... sounds like a drug deal." I'm gonna go and pick up the grass and rock later tonight and place them in holding.

 

[Hawkeye]

if only your other fish were still around...you'll be naming the new guys too right??

 

[asonitez]

Of course I will be naming them my girlfriend gave me such a cool present for christmas that i decided to marry her. She gave me a full collection of all the popular Aquarium books and even gave me one on corals. She says Now I can identify them instead of calling them "that little red thingie with the blue and swirly tentacle thingies." she gave me little postits to put in my books to identify the species I'm keeping.

 

[Phyl]

Very cool. Sounds like you've got a keeper.

 

[Subliminal]

I have about 1/3 of my exposed sand covered in GSP. I think it looks great, except where it tries to grow up the front glass.

 

[algaeguy]

asonitez:

This sounds like it will be an incredible system!

I am a big fan of biotopes, as Phyl pointed out- and I love your species-oriented concept. It's about time someone takes an Amano-like approach to reef systems...I think we'll see more and more of this in the coming years, as reefers search for something just a bit different!

I've seen a few people's concepts for these types of approaches to aquascapes of late, but I have not seen anyone actually build one yet...mayb you will be the first!

PLEASE do post pics of this tank as it evolves...should be incredible! Keep thinking outside of the box!

Scott F.

 

[blange3]

Over the past month or so I have been collecting and Storing various amounts of Kenya Tree and GSP.

Now to many people these particular Corals are literally weeds. GSP gets out of hand very easilly and will over take many corals without care. Kenya Trees Will drop children all over the place and even after Cutting them off they will grow again. PERFECT!

GSP Glows Brilliantly Green under Actinics and Kenya Tree although not as flourescent they Glow Red/Pink depending on your Actinics.

I'm re-doing my 55 and I was going to post the large group of colonies in the center for sale. They are attached to a good sized piece of dead elkhorn from my original tank in 1972, before we used rock. I also have very green GSP's. If you are interested, I will be working on the tank tonight if you want to stop by. I'm in Woodbridge. I'll hold off posting them in the for sale until I hear from you.

 

[KillaGoby]

Sounds neat! Tagging along...

 

[Altohombre]

any updates on this?