When we first saw Ralph’s reef tank, we were immediately transported to a time when the aesthetic of saltwater aquariums was essentially to recreate a miniature reef. His glass box perfectly encapsulates this ideal with an incredible aquascape, large showy corals, and an eclectic population of tropical saltwater fish.
Before we can even get into the display we have to discuss how this aquarium has no stand because the floor wouldn’t support its immense weight. So instead of placing it on the classic pedestal stand, Ralph has his tank supported by an I-Beam fastened to the wall, and much of the weight is held up by supports mounted in the structure of the ceiling.
This aquarium arrangement makes for a pretty fantastic presentation of the reef tank, which is a gorgeous display unto itself. This reef aquarium aquascape is so easy to love, with large showy corals, an arrangement of the reef rock which still has plenty of room for the corals to grow and the fish to swim all around.
And viewers of this display have even more viewing area to enjoy this tank since it is of a peninsula layout. It’s also great to see such a thriving community of corals in this tank since there’s tons of diversity inside. Large SPS colonies, big leather coral, huge bommies of anemones and there’s an equal appreciation across the spectrum of live reef animals in Ralph’s tank.
Pictures hint of the mastery at work in this aquarium but the new video by George Farmer is a much better introduction to this fabulous installation from many different angles. This is pretty much the pinnacle of what reef tanks can look like and you can learn more about this aquarium on Ralph’s facebook page. [Ralph’s Reef Tank]
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