Tyler Wells has been keeping unique reef tanks for years. He’s had typical mixed reefs in the past, but lately, he’s taken a deep dive into unique habitats we don’t regularly see in the hobby. Most notably, his “Hurricane Recovery” tank – meant to loosely show what happens when a hurricane hits the coast and rearranges the aquascape. This tank also features another material you don’t often see in the reef aquarium: driftwood.
When Tyler won a 9-gallon bowl last year, he knew it would be the perfect upgrade for his Purple Reef Lobster, Galileo. The scape in this bowl is breathtaking. Tyler was inspired while snorkeling on a recent vacation to St. Thomas. He wanted to mimic the rock valleys he saw in the shallow waters.
Another unique feature of the Lobster’s Lair is the man-made cave built from PVC pipe. It serves as a safe home for this invertebrate and prevents aquascape collapse should the lobster dig in the wrong spot. Thankfully, Galileo seems to be content with his faux cavern.
The bowl is outfitted with a small LED strip light and canister filter. He also has a small Kessil A80 above the black mangrove. A question he often receives on social media is how he deals with evaporation. A simple glass lid is the answer. Tyler only has to top off this tank once a week. This goes for any pico/nano aquarium – with a lid, you virtually eliminate the need for an ATO, which takes up a lot of real estate on these small tanks.
Tyler’s Advice: share your experiences online. The more we share, the more data we will have, and that will only benefit hobbyists in the long run. Find Tyler on Instagram – @Inland_Reef
