TOTM Diversity. Where is it? - Page 3

Electrobes · 04/12/2008, 06:42 AM

I guess it's all in the eyes of the beholders. Truth be told I have never thought of a softie tank as "unique". Granted I've been gone for a year, but when I got back into reefing (Still in the middle of my build) I went straight for what I love most... softies.

I've done SPS, but out of helping others, not for my own sake. My reef represents what I like... my goal is just do the best job I can for it as I would hope my caretaker would do for me. If it happens to be considered TOTM material then great but in the mean time I love reading what's provided.

I do hope this thread brings out more of the unique tanks out there to pictured threads. I am sure there are members out there who have these beautiful reef tanks (lagoons, sponges, carnation, etc) that just need some camera love.. and the rest will come

Regardless... keep up the good work Reefkeeping.com staff!

chingchai · 04/12/2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by seapug
Chingchai, are you the one with that crazy huge tank in Thailand with the lights that look brighter than the sun?

If you are, that tank goes beyond Tank of the Month. They'd need a new category for it, Tank of the CENTURY.

Yes, it is my tank.
But I am just the same as everybody here who love and put every effort on our beloved hobby.
Anyway, thanks for your kind words.

chingchai · 04/12/2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by justinpsmith
Why should it be about who does the most maintenance. Often times there is way more beauty in simplicity. Having more maintenance and needing more care does not in any way make a tank exceptional.

I agree with a heck of a lot of the posts here although one or two could have been worded a little nicer. I have yet to see a TOTM with "crap" in it I would say though that I too am very, very bored of the similar looking sps tanks month after month...I used to check them out and read the articles every month but I haven't even had the desire this month to read about another sps dominated tank that most likely is set up and maintained very similar to the last one.

I think it is unfortunate though that we take our inspiration from the oldest and most diverse habitats on earth, yet most of us try to emulate an sps tank we see on here and think that is the measure of success. I can tell you that from the experience, people just do not "care" as much about "different" or soft corals. I have done my best to create a diverse lagoon style aquarium (nothing at a TOTM level mind you) and had some good feedback. Now if I had put the same time and effort and equipment into an sps tank, I would have had all kinds of attention and interest. Just like if my huge foot and a half in diameter toadstool leather was a huge sps colony, people would have been amazed at its size. Is this wrong? No. Its just what people like right now and like any fad or craze in this world, people will follow and decide they like it too.

I would love to see more soft coral or biotope aquariums in general and even some as TOTM but its unlikely to happen anytime soon. Nominating them would help no doubt but without those shiny sps colonies, there really is not much chance.

I did look at your tank. It is very nice.

steelmen · 04/12/2008, 08:56 AM

Why not every few months,just have certain type tanks eligible for TOTM.Maybe every 3rd month, it could be a certain category(cubes,nanos,lps,etc..). Either way the tanks are fantastic. Just thought i'd throw my opinion out there.

kar93 · 04/12/2008, 09:03 AM

double post, Woops

kar93 · 04/12/2008, 09:03 AM

I think all TOTMs that have been featured in the magazine are great! I personally favour SPS systems over all others but thats JMO. I think many of the TOTMS are SPS dominated or mostly because there is more to SPS keeping than just keeping softies. Such as water parameters, tank maturity and equipment. Thats just my 02.

SDguy · 04/12/2008, 09:14 AM

I hope, too, that people realize with so many folks involved/needed to make TOTM happen, logistics and timing and schedules occasionally barely permit us the luxury of finding a gorgeous tank every month, much less making sure it is very different in style, composition and theme than the previous months tank.

cloak · 04/12/2008, 12:43 PM

Why would the sponsers on the site want people to focus on a tank that looks great, but very low budget? Someone saying that they've used tap water for years without any problems just won't fly. Breaks all the rules. Got to follow the money.

JMO.

SDguy · 04/12/2008, 01:21 PM

Wow, that's conspiracy theory at a level I never even imagined

glassbox-design · 04/12/2008, 02:07 PM

First off, big thanks to Melev and everyone else contributing to make such a great resource available for free online!

I must admit I am guilty of never submitting any TOTM entries, but I will make an effort to change that in the near future.

I would like to see more emphasis on ingenuity and overall aesthetic, and less on how many corals one has... but that just aligns with my tastes

What about about tanks focusing on fragmented corals, reusable materials or low electric consumption? ...RK Mag goes green

melev · 04/12/2008, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SDguy
Wow, that's conspiracy theory at a level I never even imagined

Looks like we've been busted.

reefkeeper2 · 04/12/2008, 05:42 PM

Great thread. It caught my eye when I saw the word diversity , because just like everyone else I have an ideal for what I want my tank to be. For me, the more diverse and varied the life inside the reef is, the better I like it. I thought the thread was going to be a discussion on the diversity of life inside our aquariums and in this case the diversity in the TOTM. Although this was not the case, I think it's great for everyone to see just how diverse we all are in what we think should be diplayed as TOTM. There are so many variables to consider: design, color, funtionality, simplicity, complexity, etc. etc.
The marine reef is the second most diverse ecosytem on the planet. Our personal preferences for what makes a truly remarkable aquarium are as diverse as the amazing reefs we try so hard to duplicate.
Perhaps when a tank is chosen for TOTM, the commitee that makes the choise could explain why that particular tank was chosen for that month. Something like "we chose so and so's tank for february because of its remarkable zooanthid population". Or "this months TOTM displays an amazing breakthough in the keeping of non-photosynthetc octocorals"
In this way the uniqueness of the TOTM will be the highlighted feature. Even though you might get five SPS dominated tanks in a row, the benifit to the hobby (besides the beauty of the tank) will be apparent to everyone.

seapug · 04/12/2008, 05:59 PM

Yeah, the sponsor conspiracy is a bit ridiculous...but a good idea. You RC guys might want to look into that. I'll volunteer my tank to be the Tunze Tank of the Month®. They can contact me for product placement any time.

This thread isn't for bashing or making the staff or mods go on the defensive.

Let's be productive. I've learned I need to nominate more tanks.

I think the mods & staff are seeing that people might appreciate something other than the standard built-in, 200 gal. mind-blowing SPS tank with electronic controllers and attached fish room. Again, those are awesome tanks, but there's more out there.

It's up to the members to nominate them and let RC know if you'd like to see something different.

Chibils · 04/12/2008, 06:05 PM

How does one nominate or vote?

That's my question. Like a lot of the others here, I got bored of reading about sps and never bothered to vote for it out of ignorance.

melev · 04/12/2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chibils
How does one nominate or vote?

That's my question. Like a lot of the others here, I got bored of reading about sps and never bothered to vote for it out of ignorance.

Read the second post of this thread, or scroll to the bottom of any TOTM article.

mflamb · 04/12/2008, 08:45 PM

I really enjoy the large SPS dominated tanks, since that is what I have. I learn so much from the successes and failures of these tank owners. I applaud anyone who is honored with TOTM, and I do read the details of all of them, but I enjoy most the carefully assembled SPS tanks that are grown from frags, and I definitely pay close attention to the reefers who explain their past problems and the solutions they arrived at.

Good luck all you aspiring TOTM reefers, and keep up the good work Marc.

widmer · 04/13/2008, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SDguy
I hope, too, that people realize with so many folks involved/needed to make TOTM happen, logistics and timing and schedules occasionally barely permit us the luxury of finding a gorgeous tank every month, much less making sure it is very different in style, composition and theme than the previous months tank.

I guess I always figured you guys would have a queue of TOTMs lined up, rather than scramble to put one together ~each month.

melev · 04/13/2008, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by widmer
I guess I always figured you guys would have a queue of TOTMs lined up, rather than scramble to put one together ~each month.

We do, so a thread like this might make some people feel like we are ignoring them when in reality the application of any changes could be several months later.

mile sq. reefer · 04/14/2008, 10:54 PM

If its voting or nominating a tank that gets the job done then I will have to do my part and participate in the democratic process.

Mac Inger · 04/15/2008, 12:13 AM

Many very well placed words in here. It seems we have a few people that are as skilled at reefkeeping as they are at oratory.

The work and craftsmanship that is going in the recent sps dominated tanks is outstanding. The skills some of these people command are matched only by their (and ours) obsession. The reason i myself am also trying an sps dominated tank. The fragility of the creatures and the amount of work and fine tunning required. To fall back on an analogy that i understand, motorcycles : A big powerful street bike like a Triumph Daytona or a 1300cc Hayabusa commands your respect. Untamed and you have to fight it to get your own. On the other hand my nimble 1200cc Buell that feels so much lighter and manageable,..in the beginning i thought there was no fun in not fighting it. But now i am getting pleasure in just that. That i don't have to work that hard.

So what i am saying is a beautiful tank doesn't have to necessarily be a difficult to care sps tank. Ollie Friend's is a perfect example of would i would like to see more as a reader. Inspiration in livestock choices and aquascaping and care. Overgrown sps colonies although beautiful and give you so much pleasure when you compare them with the inch frag you got a long time ago are getting a little boring. Innovation in design (not only technical), presentation, livestock selection and such would keep (at least my mind) interested.

04/12/2008, 06:42 AM	#51
Electrobes Montipora type guy Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Fort Myers, FL Posts: 2,945	I guess it's all in the eyes of the beholders. Truth be told I have never thought of a softie tank as "unique". Granted I've been gone for a year, but when I got back into reefing (Still in the middle of my build) I went straight for what I love most... softies. I've done SPS, but out of helping others, not for my own sake. My reef represents what I like... my goal is just do the best job I can for it as I would hope my caretaker would do for me. If it happens to be considered TOTM material then great but in the mean time I love reading what's provided. I do hope this thread brings out more of the unique tanks out there to pictured threads. I am sure there are members out there who have these beautiful reef tanks (lagoons, sponges, carnation, etc) that just need some camera love.. and the rest will come Regardless... keep up the good work Reefkeeping.com staff! __________________ Christian Current Tank Info: 100G Half Cylinder

04/12/2008, 09:14 AM	#57
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	I hope, too, that people realize with so many folks involved/needed to make TOTM happen, logistics and timing and schedules occasionally barely permit us the luxury of finding a gorgeous tank every month, much less making sure it is very different in style, composition and theme than the previous months tank. __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

04/12/2008, 01:21 PM	#59
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	Wow, that's conspiracy theory at a level I never even imagined __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

04/12/2008, 02:07 PM	#60
glassbox-design Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: SF Posts: 3,041	First off, big thanks to Melev and everyone else contributing to make such a great resource available for free online! I must admit I am guilty of never submitting any TOTM entries, but I will make an effort to change that in the near future. I would like to see more emphasis on ingenuity and overall aesthetic, and less on how many corals one has... but that just aligns with my tastes What about about tanks focusing on fragmented corals, reusable materials or low electric consumption? ...RK Mag goes green __________________ GLASSBOXDESIGN the modern reef blog LEDs are a 50,000 hr investment. Choose wisely. Current Tank Info: ...a new glassbox is coming

04/12/2008, 05:42 PM	#62
reefkeeper2 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Bridgewater, MA Posts: 1,234	Great thread. It caught my eye when I saw the word diversity , because just like everyone else I have an ideal for what I want my tank to be. For me, the more diverse and varied the life inside the reef is, the better I like it. I thought the thread was going to be a discussion on the diversity of life inside our aquariums and in this case the diversity in the TOTM. Although this was not the case, I think it's great for everyone to see just how diverse we all are in what we think should be diplayed as TOTM. There are so many variables to consider: design, color, funtionality, simplicity, complexity, etc. etc. The marine reef is the second most diverse ecosytem on the planet. Our personal preferences for what makes a truly remarkable aquarium are as diverse as the amazing reefs we try so hard to duplicate. Perhaps when a tank is chosen for TOTM, the commitee that makes the choise could explain why that particular tank was chosen for that month. Something like "we chose so and so's tank for february because of its remarkable zooanthid population". Or "this months TOTM displays an amazing breakthough in the keeping of non-photosynthetc octocorals" In this way the uniqueness of the TOTM will be the highlighted feature. Even though you might get five SPS dominated tanks in a row, the benifit to the hobby (besides the beauty of the tank) will be apparent to everyone. __________________ Paul Dec 08 TOTM Current Tank Info: Envisions 427gal

04/12/2008, 08:56 AM	#54
steelmen Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: coal city,il Posts: 53	Why not every few months,just have certain type tanks eligible for TOTM.Maybe every 3rd month, it could be a certain category(cubes,nanos,lps,etc..). Either way the tanks are fantastic. Just thought i'd throw my opinion out there.

04/12/2008, 09:03 AM	#55
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	double post, Woops

04/12/2008, 12:43 PM	#58
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Why would the sponsers on the site want people to focus on a tank that looks great, but very low budget? Someone saying that they've used tap water for years without any problems just won't fly. Breaks all the rules. Got to follow the money. JMO.

04/12/2008, 05:59 PM	#63
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Yeah, the sponsor conspiracy is a bit ridiculous...but a good idea. You RC guys might want to look into that. I'll volunteer my tank to be the Tunze Tank of the Month®. They can contact me for product placement any time. This thread isn't for bashing or making the staff or mods go on the defensive. Let's be productive. I've learned I need to nominate more tanks. I think the mods & staff are seeing that people might appreciate something other than the standard built-in, 200 gal. mind-blowing SPS tank with electronic controllers and attached fish room. Again, those are awesome tanks, but there's more out there. It's up to the members to nominate them and let RC know if you'd like to see something different. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

04/12/2008, 06:05 PM	#64
Chibils halide loyalist Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sugar Hill, GA Posts: 2,213	How does one nominate or vote? That's my question. Like a lot of the others here, I got bored of reading about sps and never bothered to vote for it out of ignorance. __________________ always learning Current Tank Info: 75G new world cichlid, 25G reef in planning

04/12/2008, 08:45 PM	#66
mflamb Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pasadena, Texas Posts: 8,422	I really enjoy the large SPS dominated tanks, since that is what I have. I learn so much from the successes and failures of these tank owners. I applaud anyone who is honored with TOTM, and I do read the details of all of them, but I enjoy most the carefully assembled SPS tanks that are grown from frags, and I definitely pay close attention to the reefers who explain their past problems and the solutions they arrived at. Good luck all you aspiring TOTM reefers, and keep up the good work Marc. __________________ Click on my red house to see my 390 and 300 build thread. Those are my last 2 tanks in Tampa. Now in Pasadena waiting to buy a house to set up my next tank....anemones and clowns...probably a 3x3 150 gallon.

04/14/2008, 10:54 PM	#69
mile sq. reefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 2,045	If its voting or nominating a tank that gets the job done then I will have to do my part and participate in the democratic process.

04/15/2008, 12:13 AM	#70
Mac Inger Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lost Angeles Posts: 980	Many very well placed words in here. It seems we have a few people that are as skilled at reefkeeping as they are at oratory. The work and craftsmanship that is going in the recent sps dominated tanks is outstanding. The skills some of these people command are matched only by their (and ours) obsession. The reason i myself am also trying an sps dominated tank. The fragility of the creatures and the amount of work and fine tunning required. To fall back on an analogy that i understand, motorcycles : A big powerful street bike like a Triumph Daytona or a 1300cc Hayabusa commands your respect. Untamed and you have to fight it to get your own. On the other hand my nimble 1200cc Buell that feels so much lighter and manageable,..in the beginning i thought there was no fun in not fighting it. But now i am getting pleasure in just that. That i don't have to work that hard. So what i am saying is a beautiful tank doesn't have to necessarily be a difficult to care sps tank. Ollie Friend's is a perfect example of would i would like to see more as a reader. Inspiration in livestock choices and aquascaping and care. Overgrown sps colonies although beautiful and give you so much pleasure when you compare them with the inch frag you got a long time ago are getting a little boring. Innovation in design (not only technical), presentation, livestock selection and such would keep (at least my mind) interested.