[s1214215]

Hey... Call me a skeptic, but I dont believe that those Japanese tanks in the archives are for real. I mean the colour seems too vivid.. the sand too clean and arrangement screams of placement in some cases...

I have lived in Asia for some years now and know full well that some fish farms/hobbyists here subscribe to superficiality over substance.. that is .. they will make a tank look great with new corals, another layer of sand etc... for a picture. Everyday reality is another thing..

What I ask is, can a tank really look like this everyday of the year? or is a little grunge just part of the parcel?

[Ninong]

It's quite probable that all of those tanks were spiffed up for their picture shoot. That's only to be expected. Whether they keep them that way all the time is something I can't say.

I can say that the picture you posted is of a tank that is on display in the lobby of C.P. Farm in Japan, so I guess it's viewable by customers all the time. Their website is very informative and they seem to be very conscientious marine aquarists who are striving to preserve the environment. I have read their site using Alta Vista's Babelfish translator, although the machine translation is often tedious.

P.S. -- One of the reasons that tank is on display is because it is one they sell for only $5000.00 (converted from yen). It has no cross braces of any sort. It uses very expensive special stainless steel framing at the top and the bottom.

This is Babelfish's translation of their reason for designing that tank: "In condition such as design, strength and size,the tank of the ideal shape which C.P.Farm thinks was not marketed and the original work did. Only the top and bottom is all glass tank of the stainless steel framework."

The tank measures 110 x 100 x 55 cm (605 liters, 161 gallons).

[scubadude]

Hey s1214215

I believe the picture you first posted is Steve West's tank....Ninong correct me if Im wrong. You really should check out his new book/video combination I do believe colorful/pristine conditions can be had with very aggressive and meticilous husbandry.

[Ninong]

No, it's not Steve Weast's tank. See my post earlier in this thread. It's a display tank in the wall at C. P. Farm in Japan.






P.S. -- Here is Steve Weast's tank: http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_aquascaping.htm

[farewellnite]

photoshop work could have been done to the pictures also.. they could have used the clone tool to make the sand look so perfect

[terribleone]

Originally Posted by farewellnite

photoshop work could have been done to the pictures also.. they could have used the clone tool to make the sand look so perfect

when looking at the left side of the picture...why can you see the reflection of the fish, but not that big white thing near the top? yes i am a super newbie lol.

[Ninong]

I just looked at the picture again and I don't see anything unusual as far as reflections are concerned. This tank has no perimeter bracing or cross bracing at the top. The reflections on the left side below the water's surface are seen in the side glass of the tank. The other reflections are seen on the undersurface of the water. I'm sure he turned off the system return pump to take the picture. The only water outlet in that tank is in the upper right rear of the tank just above the rock structure there.

[charlie]

Where is the reflection of the large softie on the left side????????????????

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by charlie

Where is the reflection of the large softie on the left side????????????????

You mean the one that is reflected in the water's surface but not on the left side wall in the picture? It could be that due to the angle of the camera's lens, it's reflection is out of the picture at the upper left side. It's hard to say for sure. I can tell you that I have no doubt whatsoever about the veracity of that particular photograph or the company that owns the tank.

[charlie]

Yeah, that's what I was talking about. It sure doesn't look like it's too far off the back. I can see where you're coming from tho.