If it seems to you that every reef tank looks pretty much like every other reef tank, you’re right. While reefkeeping has grown and evolved, the appearance of a typical reef tank has not, looking pretty much as a reef tank did two decades ago. Live rock is stacked up along the back of the tank, then corals are placed on the rocks. This design, commonly referred to as the “fruit stand” look, is the norm in reefkeeping.
There are, however, alternative ways of setting up reef tanks. All endeavors grow by periodically challenging conventional wisdom, so it’s time for reefkeepers to rethink the addiction to the fruit stand and ask ourselves whether there is a better (or at least different) approach. With a little creativity and “out-of-the-box” thinking, one can create a unique, and in some respects, healthier and more natural reef tank. I’ll tell you how.
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