ZEOvit’s first Dream Tank of the Quarter is full of color but lacking vision
53 Comments
Congratulations to Andrzej Niewiarowski for taking the ZEOvit DTOQ title which will again go to a Pole. This SPS dominated oligotrophic reef tank is 6.5′ long and aside from using the ZEOvit method of nutrient management, the back room is brimming with a bevy of all the latest high tech T5 lighting, KorallenZucht skimmer, ZEOreactor and so on. Besides having some really beautiful corals, you have to admit that this tank is seriously lacking an aesthetic eye. Surely the n00bs will fawn all over all the pretty colors but look at it; It’s just about the most homogeneous hill of coral we’ve ever seen! We promise we didn’t wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and we give props to the technical beauty of the coral’s colors but not only is there absolutely no focal point in the reefscape, there is way more equipment visible in the tank than any reefer who prides themselves on aesthetics would allow. That junk might have flown back in 2002-2004 when they were all figuring out how all this ZEO-voodoo works but this is a new decade and we have higher expectations from one of the 4 best ZEOvit tanks of the year. Big congratulations to you Andrzej for some truly beautiful corals but if you spend just a little time looking at the champion aquascapes of the ADA international aquatic plant layout competitions and their extreme sense of beauty, depth, and absence of visible equipment, you’ll see what we are talking about. For more information on the first DTOQ of 2010 visit the page on ZEOvit and let’s hope that the judges incorporate some additional criteria into picking out next quarter’s winner. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this aquascape and feel free to tell us if we are being overly harsh but is it too much to ask that a reefscape be built without the use of a ruler or level?
A bit harsh perhaps, since we all know how much money and work goes into a display like this. But that being said, I honestly think his “live rock” could be cured concrete blocks or acrylic shelves!
January 13th, 2010 at 9:37 am
I agree, how many walls of corals will we see?
You can not fault the amazing acheivements in the coral display, but it would of looked way better a bit better aqua scaping, how about canyons etc etc
January 13th, 2010 at 9:48 am
It looks like a fruit stand with one of every fruit placed next to each other,..no thought at all.
a bleacher system/rock wall we have seen 1,000 times over and over,..I hate this type of reef,.and unfortunatly,..other new reefers,(who have never seen a real reef either) will look at this as something to emulate,..makes me want to puke.
January 13th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Funnny you should mention that todd, I too was thinking that there might as well be a shelf underneath all the colored coral sticks. I am not taking away from the beautiful SPS corals but if he had hidden half of that equipment and made the wall more of a sloping valley with a dip in the middle it would be a completely different story.
January 13th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Awww man, it really makes me nostalgic, is that a tear? Am I weeping? So much simpler were the days of the rock wall, you merely dumped in a bunch of live rock and haphazardly placed corals around, ahhh the good old days.
January 13th, 2010 at 10:48 am
A lot to be said with this answer:
Have you ever dived or snorkeled and seen an open reef?
No, never
January 13th, 2010 at 10:54 am
translation: “Yo Andrzej Niewiarowski. Imma let you finish, but Beyonce had one one of the best tanks of all time!”
January 13th, 2010 at 11:10 am
I think Jake’s comments were harsh as well. But, I have to admit… very true.
What ever happened to that “Coral Magazine $10,000 Marine Aquascaping Contest”? That was announced almost a year ago. I can’t find results/pics from that anywhere???
January 13th, 2010 at 11:17 am
@Erin, I guess that is a crack at me and comparing this post to that Kanye West outburst but either way that is funny as hell. Except the Award stage is over at ZEOvit.com and this is more like Entertainment Tonight.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Whats he going to do when they get bigger? IMO that look would be geat for a LFS sale tank.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Man, you people are harsh. What ever happened to the idea that there’s no one right way to maintain a reef tank? I’m sorry, but the comments with regard to Andrzej’s tank are coming off as a bit elitist and snobbish. Why not just give the man his props and leave it at that?
January 13th, 2010 at 11:38 am
I think I’m with Shiveley on this.
While I agree with Jake’s comments, using the blog to completely take the guy down doesn’t feel right, especially if you’re trying to establish Reefbuilders as a go-to place for hobby news and info. There’s a lot of sites out that that do snark well, but only a few that are good at mixing it with real news and info. RB should stick with news and info.
Criticism of an individual’s tank is certainly fair game, but I think it’s better confined to forum areas and not the front page!
January 13th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
“Completely take the guy down” come on you know it ain’t like that! If this tank’s thread was chilling in the dark corners of a forum we wouldnt even bring it up but if this tank is suppose to be an exemplary system then a little criticism is fair game.
If the tank was a rock wall OR if it had a a lot of equipment showing we would give this DTOQ a lot more slack, but combined I think the aesthetic of the tank is seriously brought down. Heck, he could have removed the powerheads or at least moved the algae magnet before he took the picture!
Check out this video slideshow of the 2009 IAPLC winners to see the giant aesthetic rift between this tank and the best FW aquascapers in the world.
January 13th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Boy, and people tend to think Im a ‘nazi’ on certain subjects like skimmers…lol.
January 13th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Wow, really? You guys really have some nerve knocking such a great looking setup. Maybe he likes the rock wall? Perhaps he doesn’t mind the equipment in his tank? What gives you the right to say what looks good? Personally, I think that the tank looks great. While the “wall” look may not fly with some of you, I dont mind it. The coloration of the corals more than makes up for any shortcomings in the tank.
I would like to see pictures of the authors tank, as it would surely look better than the Zeo tank presented above, based on his criticisms.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I agree that the aquascape itself is lacking some dynamics and the fact that the corals are all the exact same size doesn’t help, but the colors are really beautiful– that is an ultimate goal for some people and I can appreciate it for what it is.
Bottom line is ZeoVit makes products tailored to improving coral colors, not aquascapes, so I can see why they chose this tank.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
“Bottom line is ZeoVit makes products tailored to improving coral colors, not aquascapes, so I can see why they chose this tank.”
Pickle, you hit the nail on the head. The tank was presented with the intent of showing what ZEO can do, and to show off the amazing coloration and results. What people do with the aquascape is their business.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Isn’t ZEOvit’s big thing having a clean, healthy, colorful tank? He’s totally got that down.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Umm, in other words, ditto what pickle and sonny said…. Needed to refresh this page apparently..
January 13th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Everybody needs to relax. People are entitled to opinions. The guys who don’t like the design have said as much and those who do have stated their opinions. Coming online and telling others they dont’ have the “right” to say what looks good is completely immature. Appreciate that people have different opinions of aesthetics and the internet affords people the opportunity to express their opinions.
In science this is like the peer review process. You complete your research, write the paper, fall in love with it, and submit it for publication. Then the publisher and your peers rip you apart. That’s part of life and that’s how quality improves.
January 13th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
I agree with above. I think people should say what’s on their mind.
I don’t think RB should “stick to just news.” I like listening to their opinions. It’s fun, and it can be constructive. After all, it’s just an opinion.
I don’t think Andrzej gives a hoot about what anybody says about his aquascape; it was obviously a conscious choice on his part to build a rock wall, and I would guess that that’s exactly how he wants it.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Andrew, I have no issues with someone stating their opinion, but I do take issue when the staff member of a popular website does so. You cant compare science to art, so you example doesn’t make sense. Maybe its just me, but I view this hobby as an artistic expression one desires. If the tank had brown or unhealthy corals then I would be the first to say something, but the tank is very healthy and has amazing coloration.
The staff one this site is quick to criticize, without even showing the proof of their experience and success. Why doesn’t the staff here post up pictures of their setups?
There is a saying in the reef forums: “Dont take any advice from anyone unless you have seen their setups”
Unless The author is a world class reefer, he has no room to knock other peoples setups.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Sonny… Jake has posted pics of his tank numerous times. heck head to page 2 to see his nano
I’ve not only seen his tanks but tanks he’s set-up. Jake has got an eye for aquascaping. I also agree with what he said above. The corals looks zeo 100% but that aquascaping leaves much to be desired IN MY OPINION. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and many of us don’t see any beauty in a fruit stand.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
@Sonny (SunnyX)
Yes the author is a world-class-reefer. Has been published in numerous magazines, and other publications. Plus he is a marine biologist. Out of all opinions, I would take his.
Granted. That’s just my opinion.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Saying what you said is like saying that the opinions and advice of a sports scientist on basketball is better than Michael Jordan’s or any NBA Player. Who would you listen to, Michael Jordan who is the greatest of all time, or some sports scientist who had mediocre basketball skills at best?
I am awaiting to see Jake’s tank, as it surely has better coloration and is “cleaner” than the Zeo tank above. :p
“Those Who Can, Do; Those Who Can’t, Teach.”
January 13th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I love this tank and I don’t this the aquascape is bad at all. I think one of the reasons that the tank has such amazing color is due the aquascaping. He can get GREAT flow and GREAT light to all corals equally. Maybe his aquascape is a compromise between function and aesthetics. All of his corals look healthy both top and bottom. How many “nicely” aquascaped tanks do you see where base of the corals are suffering from STN and other corals are shading out the corals below.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Bottom line: Anyone can aquascape a tank, not everyone can achieve the colors exhibited above.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Even though Im a fan of this website, Im going to back up Sonny on this one. That tank is absolutely beautiful and must have taken so many hours of effort to achieve. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even though this hobby is Art coupled with Science, I have yet to see a truly “unique” and “beautiful” aquascape on the zeo DTOTQ. The Zeo website is different than RC TOTM, where they focus more on the asthetics rather than the coloration.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I tend to agreed with Jake on this one.
Even though this tank is nice and pretty on the coloration no doubt, but I do not see alot of growth as an established tank or as a long term achievement. Somebody can simply order a shipment of mariculture sps corals from Indo and slap them together and build such a tank. You can see the mariculture frag bases on those colonies.
Why I say that? A friend of mine did that 6 month ago and his tank look exactly like that LOL Now its grown in alot, but to give credits, zeovit does make growing good sps much easier especially for newbies like my friend. I think he still have 85% of his ‘shipment’ as a newbie.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
You should see Adrzej old tank – he restartred his tank some time ago because his corals were to big – its same tank but with much smaller corals
January 13th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Having personally spent countless hours in front of MANY aquaria including but not limited to cold water systems, fully mimicked inter tidal zone and tropical coral reefs at home and in labs, I would classify Jake as a ‘world class reefer’! In one of his nicely aquascaped tanks the only bit of white you saw on any of the coral was from their fat growth rings. Not to mention the color of the corals were very close to the tank above.
“Those Who Can, Do; Those Who Can’t, Teach.” – Well he did both!
January 13th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Very nice tank.
Once the corals grow the aquascapping will look better.
T5s do tent to make the coral colours look better,
All that Zeovit chemicals making the coral colours look unnatural.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Looks to me like a tank that was stocked quickly with lots of corals. Don’t see a ton of encrusting or readily apparent growth.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Like GB states
The yellows and blues and reds provide visual depth on an otherwise flat aquascape
January 13th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Jake,
There is so much more you could have done with this article as a marine biologist. Nice job on the Simon Cowell commentary though… By the way is that your nano on page 2? looks look a rock wall mounted in the corner. Your tank is lacking caves, pillars, valleys, arch ways, and so forth. Its just a pile of rocks starting in a corner instead of against the wall. Also it appears to only have LPS, very n00b friendly to maintain colors.
The largest problem with the hobby is “experts” bashing “n00bs” and making them feel like they cant succeed. I wish “experts” would spend more time teaching how to maintain these beautiful colors so the creativeness runs its natural course.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
@Justin what you said completely justifies this entire post:
No one likes Simon Cowell, neither do I, but you can bet your last dollar that when Simon judges someone and they still make it through, they will take his criticism to heart and come back and be better than ever. There is a reason Simon has been an integral part of the show because he pushes all the contestants to do their very best. Keep in mind that I am passing judgment not on a contestant but on a chosen winner; there’s a big difference.
I don’t want to be the Simon, nor do I claim to have any self-processed authority on aquascaping, but someone has to have some spine. However, it doesn’t take much scrutiny to notice that the effort placed in this DTOQ was focused on coloring the corals and not arranging them in any aesthetic sense.
You all can hate me and think the worst of me but know this: You can be certain that future DTOQs will take some of these criticisms to heart and the next DTOQ will have much more emphasis on aquascaping.
If Invincible0569 were still with ZEOvit he never woulda let that tank be the DTOQ. . .
January 13th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Jake,
People are pushed by Simon because he is the judge potentially a million dollar winner. Simon has $1million supporting him in being an ass. In this case you do not have a judgment in the outcome nor a prize for the winner.
I agree have a spine, someone needs to.
Remember that a tyrant can push people to do their best by picking them apart and diminishing the efforts they do put in to their work while a leader seeks to provide the tools necessary to make them succeed. You make the call on how your viewed.
January 13th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
“…nor do I claim to have any self-processed authority on aquascaping, but someone has to have some spine.”
I’m with you 100% on WHAT you’re saying about the tank, I just don’t think it was best way to say it and it makes RB look bad. It’s the same thing with the RC-bashing. Are the mods over there a bunch of nutbars? You bet, and you have every right to call them out on it, but if you don’t craft your words very carefully you can seem very unprofessional and turn off a lot of the people who would otherwise be interested in hearing what you have to say.
January 13th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
As a rather outspoken critic of the “rock wall”, I had to comment…
Let’s face it- there i no right or wrong here. The tank is attractive. Could it have been more attractive if aquascaped differently? Probably- but that’s MY opinion. I am frankly bored of seeing rock-walls, but many other people like them.
Obviously, the owner of the tank likes that configuration- and if that’s his/her cup of tea, so be it. He built a beauty. It must have taken a massive amount of time and dedication to build this tank. Striking colors. He should be complimented on his work.
A lot of reefers may not find biotope tanks or seagrass tanks, etc. attractive like I do…but many can appreciate the diversity of setups found in the hobby. There are numerous approaches to buiIding a reef tank. I certainly appreciate the effort the reefer put in to this aquarium, but I also appreciate Jake’s intellectual honesty. He does not like the aquascape, and he is entitled to his opinion.
Jake is a “world-class” aquascaper, IMO-. He does great work, but he’ll be the first to tell you that this does not make him any more “qualified” than anyone else to critique the setup. He was expressing his opinion. You may find Jake’s setups ugly…And he won’t care. He might even take your comments to heart. You don’t need to be a “world-class” aquascaper to contructively critique someone elses’ work. You merely need to have an opinion and your own taste. Jake happens to be a great aquascaper, have an opinion, and has his own tastes.
What I love about Reef Builders is that this is a place to say what is on your mind, without censorship and excessive filtering. As long as we’re not throwing around personal insults and threats, I think it’s perfectly okay to give an honest opinion of an aquarium setup or other topic. Jake is speaking from the heart, and not bashing the aquarist, or regurgitating some well-aged popular aquarium mantra. Not being elitist, either. He’s merely giving HIS take on what is being presented as a world class aquarium.
What’s more, he’s backing up his critique with examples…Not just, “The tank sucks…” He took the time to explain what he felt were the shortcomings of the design…Not a personal attack on the reefer- just an honest critique of what he felt were the strong/weak points of the tank. As a student of aquascaping, Jake is doing a service to the hobby by rendering his opinions…I think we should all feel free to express our opinions on any system presented as a model for others. He was not trying to insult anyone. Please keep up the exchang of ideas everyone, for the benefit of us all.
Honest criticism helps us all improve and continue to advance the state of the art. I love the fact that people are critical of Jake’s comments, and I know he is, too. Thats’ what RB is all about…an honest exchange of ideas and opinions.
Part of the mission at RB is to call it like we see it and give our opinions on a variety of topics. Jake accomplished that with this blog.
January 14th, 2010 at 1:52 am
I agree with Jake’s comment.
But this guy (Andrzej Niewiarowski) do have colorful corals.
Maybe I will try Zeovit someday.
January 14th, 2010 at 7:25 am
The critique was a bit harsh but on target. I think RB should have a quarterly review too and they can be judge jury and PRIZE giver, so it can point to examples of excellent reefing. I am a fan of aquascaping and coral health. Pale pastels are neat but I like visibly healthy corals with fleshy parts, even if it means a little brown. This can still be accomplished by eyeing corals carefully and making small adjustments with limited fish. I use bioindicators such as halimedia, birdsnest, film rates on glass, and of course water testing.
I so agree with comments. I do think ZeoVit has some interesting concepts going, my problem is the continued voodoo. What is it and why is it needed? Is the potassium test accurate in salt water matrix ect.
We all know how long difficult at times it can be to grow out large corals. I have done it for 7 years before last tank crashed from power failure.
I now growing out 2 small islands with more whitespace than corals. I do think WOW effect is from having duplication of colors and patterns with non-aquarists knowing the coral health and growth is impressive. That may be inpart because I was a planted tank guy at one time and follower of Amano and Dupla. I use captive grown corals and no deep water acros as I want growth.
January 14th, 2010 at 7:42 am
@ Scott
Couldn’t agree with you more, part of reading Jakes writings/blogs is reading the response it generates from the readers. Jake accompishes reader response better than anyone hands down ( in this hobby). One big piece that went missed is “what is underneath the massive growth?” I’d bet that is not a rock wall but two sloping Rock structures starting from the back corners. When you achieve growth at the level shown all rock work becomes a rock wall In Appearance. The art starts with the Rock work but is maintained with cuttings, bonzia like.
January 14th, 2010 at 7:53 am
Wow, people need to relax a little. Everything the original author said was true about aesthetics. He never questioned the reef keepers ability or husbandry. That tank has some great color (although I really dislike ZEO colors) and looks very healthy but it has absolutely no interest, focal point, balance, variety, nothing looks natural, and a lot of visible equipment. If the owner likes it that way, all the power to him! That’s what matters most. But…if your going to post publicly and ZEO is going to name a tank of the quarter, then its open to criticism.
And guys like Sunny X…Less people actually care about what you say than you think. You are an arrogant, know it all on RC and now here. You have this strange following in your RC threads with your over saturated pictures and supposed expertise on dosing carbon sources. Give me a break.
January 14th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Paul, maybe reefers been conditioned to get PO’d when ever ZEOVIT is mentioned j/k Actually I found discussion positive, but I took a break reading it after being pounded by a purchasing manager today. But your right that little tirade about teaching and doing was a bit much. Having 10k posts might make you a teacher.
I’d love to see some of Jakes matured displays!!!
January 14th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I guess my problem is with the whole “lacking vision” and “lacking an aesthetic eye” ideology being spouted, as those are basically very personal perspectives and relative to each individual’s unique aesthetic preferences. In that sense, I feel that many of the comments being made with regard to this tank are rather judgmental.
January 14th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
“Bottom line: Anyone can aquascape a tank, not everyone can achieve the colors exhibited above.
Posted by: Sonny (SunnyX)”
Funny, I think the exact opposite is true. The ephemeral quality of a well-aquascaped tank isn’t something you can just throw money at. The freshwater planted examples above illustrate this perfectly.
January 14th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Justin, you are right on. I am a professional artist and what I do can be taught but without skill and talent you will never make it in my industry. The reason I mention this is that Sunny is 100% backwards in my opinion. Anyone CAN be taught husbandry skills or how to use the ZEOvit system to get good coloration but NOT everyone can learn to aquascape in an aesthetically pleasing or artistic manner. One is a trade or a technical side of reefing and one is art. Its obvious which can be taught and which cannot.
There is absolutely no right or wrong when it comes to aquascaping and that’s the beauty of it. Its all in the eye of the beholder. Peoples taste will always be different. But there are general “rules” and guidelines you can follow as an artist or in this case an aquascaper to appeal to a large audience with different tastes. Not everyone will love it but people will appreciate it and I think thats what is happening here. People don’t love the look for the tank but they do appreciate it. No one said it was terrible as a whole, just lacked some interest and vision. That’s hardly an attack on the tank itself. People are WAY too sensitive.
Its like on RC when some of the more “respected”, experienced reefers post pictures…they seem to get this strange cult following and can post anything and still get nothing but positive feedback regardless of what the tank looks like. Anyone who does speak out has their head taken off! Its all a bit of a “good ole boys club” at times and its crazy!
January 14th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
By the way, I should have mentioned that I am surprised Sunny feels the way he does about aquascaping because I do think he has quite the eye for it and not be a fan of the rock walls. I would have guessed the two islands was his favorite
January 14th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Wow…the level of accomplishment achieved in that tank is amazing. to put the emphasis of the article on what is wrong with that tank is just WRONG!
Aquascaping is a personal thing….the real subject of the tank are the amazing corals. Almost sounds like a back door zeo bash to me!
I wouldnt have an issue with the article if it briefly mentioned that in your opinion it could be aquascaped differently for YOUR taste. To make the articles main subject about what wrong with this tank is just not cool.
out…
January 15th, 2010 at 9:05 am
There is an old saying that what is considered beautiful on the mountain is considered ugly in the garden.
From days when I took care of planted tanks, it was more labor intensive in many ways. You needed a grow out tank and a display tank. The display tank would peak at some point after 5-6 months and I would play around with aquascaping to acheive something else or perfect what fell short last time. It was very forgiving and most if not all plants survive a mistake.
This is not so in reef keeping. It takes years to grow out corals and then they become like weeds as well, but you need to work with that you have much more closley instead of the holes being filled in, in a matter of a month.
Husbandry and sometimes fish are an after thought of a well done planted tank. The ZEOVIT tank had husbandry as the forfront of the display, after all it is selling a semi-proprietary technique that is obfuscated by proprietary bottles and costs a fortune. To me this indicates hobby has not entirely matured, such when Dupla sold expensive dosing solutions and aquarist was confused what was necessary and what was not.
The number of aquarist going to a 2 part auto dosing solution with large water changes with aquarium controllers has freed them up to worry about other things than husbandry.
January 15th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Whoah – quite a debate going on here and some interesting points made.
Anybody else got more to add, or has it all been said already?
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
He is an economist so i dont think its his fault
March 5th, 2010 at 6:46 am
As a noob looking to great tanks that win “awards” as inspiration to make our piddly looking tanks great, I’d like to put this out there. While this tank may have all the great colors of all these great corals, it really looks bought. Please allow me to qualify my statement. Anyone with alot of money could set that tank up in a weekend and take some great corals from a bunch of tanks he has, put them into this one tank, take a picture and voila, win. I understand that some people are saying that he was harsh, but cmon. He’s the guy trying to get people to creative with their tanks. I think it came through loud and clear what he was trying to tell us. Don’t copy this guys aquascape. Thanks for a great forum with OBJECTIVE commentary, not the a$$ kissing of everyone advertising on the site. Keep it up.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:50 pm