Aquascaping - what's your method

[Crabs McJones]

As my tank furthers in progression, I've been thinking how I want to scape it.
How do you aquascape your tank? Do you have the rocks rest against the back wall? Do you have your rockwork centered in the tank away from the wall? Do you shape and create caves and arches, or do you set the rocks on top of each other for a more natural look?
Love to hear everyone's thoughts

 

[Rocks reef]

Sir Crabs,

I looked at NUMEROUS tank pics on this forum to get an idea of what I liked. I also looked at pictures of natural reefs to see how they are truly in nature. On my new build, I am going to attempt to replicate a more natural shallow reef aquascape.

 

[PPBlimpy]

I stack rocks like a caveman. Mostly because I buy most my rock second hand from tank take downs etc.
i try to keep rocks off the back wall some, mostly for flow and fish swimming areas, lots of caves. I also like to get flat cut base rock and superglue a couple to the back panel so the back isnt just blank, and you can keep prived corals. i keep my 50+ head of hammer colony on the back.

The next tank I am setting up with be a 4' 120G and I have a bunch of dry rock that I plan to actually build a scape and dark cure for a month. Thinking about this now I need to start building the scape because i am supposed to be getting the tank soon

 

[MikeReefs]

Used Marco rock and tried to get holes and caves involved in my structures. I also drill holes in the rock so frag plugs and be easy put and removed from the holes. Once I like the shape of the rocks I use epoxy to get them to stay. You want height and limited space where detritus can build up. I don’t put them against the back wall for that reason. I leave a space between the rock and the wall and I run a powerhead in the back so detritus doesn’t collect

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I got the measurements of my tank and built the aquascape on a towel. I would then take a picture of the aquascape, build another one. Kept doing this until one finally stuck out to me. Then I would rebuild the aquascape inside my tank using the picture I took on my phone as a reference.

 

[X-37B]

In a small nano like ours you need to think of the big picture. What do you want it to look like when it's filled with coral?
Here is how I did it. I have plenty of hiding space for my cave goby.
37 coral to date tanks almost 5 months now.
Note: Use live rock for the win!
This 15 was setup with lfs tank breakdown rock, 20lbs at $6 a pound.
Imo, the best thing you can do for your nano. No fighting the uglies on dead rock.
Note the growth on the Spiral monti. The benefit of live is under rated, imo.

 

[edsbeaker]

I try to keep all of my rock off of the back wall for extra swimming room. My tanks are not natural at all. I have a habit of building lots of caves and swim through tunnels in the back, and in the front areas I seem to go for isolated islands for my more invasive corals. I end up with an aquascape that has tons of pathways where the fish can swim through. It reminds me of roads. I know I’m weird!
The white newly added rock will be home to a Rock Flower Anemone garden… if they cooperate, I should say

 

[edsbeaker]

Trying to fix the video!

 

[X-37B]

I try to keep all of my rock off of the back wall for extra swimming room. My tanks are not natural at all. I have a habit of building lots of caves and swim through tunnels in the back, and in the front areas I seem to go for isolated islands for my more invasive corals. I end up with an aquascape that has tons of pathways where the fish can swim through. It reminds me of roads. I know I’m weird!
The white newly added rock will be home to a Rock Flower Anemone garden… if they cooperate, I should say.

Hard to keep Rock off the back wall in a 15" cube, lol.
I did it in my 170. Seven stags along the back wall.

 

[serval]

I come from FW planted where it’s common to design and test aquascapes using rock and wood on dry land before installing it in a tank. But now, when starting my first real reef aquarium, I’m using TBS live rock which arrives wet and needs to stay wet. This presents a challenge for scaping! I think I’ll end up with the typical “pile of rocks” because of this. It’s still in progress so any advice is welcome.

 

[X-37B]

I come from FW planted where it’s common to design and test aquascapes using rock and wood on dry land before installing it in a tank. But now, when starting my first real reef aquarium, I’m using TBS live rock which arrives wet and needs to stay wet. This presents a challenge for scaping! I think I’ll end up with the typical “pile of rocks” because of this. It’s still in progress so any advice is welcome.

Stacking live rock is an art, lol.
Best advice is to put all the rock in the system and observe. Take some time moving them around. If sand make sure the rocks are on the bottom of the tank and not just sitting on the sand.
This gives you time to remove dead and unwanted hitchhikers.
Consider a minimal scape and fill it in with coral. My ext 170 has 150lbs of live rock with only a few pieces stacked. Plenty of swimming space above and below the rock.
Minimal rock and fill the void with coral.

 

[edsbeaker]

Hard to keep Rock off the back wall in a 15" cube, lol.
I did it in my 170. Seven stags along the back wall.

For sure that would be difficult!

 

[Fish Fan]

I come from FW planted where it’s common to design and test aquascapes using rock and wood on dry land before installing it in a tank. But now, when starting my first real reef aquarium, I’m using TBS live rock which arrives wet and needs to stay wet. This presents a challenge for scaping! I think I’ll end up with the typical “pile of rocks” because of this. It’s still in progress so any advice is welcome.

First of all, you're going to love that TBS rock, it's awesome stuff!

I have always been a "rock stacker" myself, but recently I did try to build up a "real" aquascape. I was working with about 50% dry base rock, and about 50% wet live rock. I was able to glue the wet stuff using regular, non-gel super glue and baking soda. The baking soda acts as a quickset, and adds strength to the glue joint. I've heard that some use superglue and paper towel. This worked really well for me, and while it has some challenges, it's not impossible to glue and scape wet rocks.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I come from FW planted where it’s common to design and test aquascapes using rock and wood on dry land before installing it in a tank. But now, when starting my first real reef aquarium, I’m using TBS live rock which arrives wet and needs to stay wet. This presents a challenge for scaping! I think I’ll end up with the typical “pile of rocks” because of this. It’s still in progress so any advice is welcome.

TBS is what I recommend to people now! My wife and I love all of the critters that came on the rock!

 

[serval]

I come from FW planted where it’s common to design and test aquascapes using rock and wood on dry land before installing it in a tank. But now, when starting my first real reef aquarium, I’m using TBS live rock which arrives wet and needs to stay wet. This presents a challenge for scaping! I think I’ll end up with the typical “pile of rocks” because of this. It’s still in progress so any advice is welcome.

First of all, you're going to love that TBS rock, it's awesome stuff!

I have always been a "rock stacker" myself, but recently I did try to build up a "real" aquascape. I was working with about 50% dry base rock, and about 50% wet live rock. I was able to glue the wet stuff using regular, non-gel super glue and baking soda. The baking soda acts as a quickset, and adds strength to the glue joint. I've heard that some use superglue and paper towel. This worked really well for me, and while it has some challenges, it's not impossible to glue and scape wet rocks.

Thank you! I have glued rock using small pieces of cotton (not really cotton balls… it’s thicker stuff made for aquascaping) with super glue gel.

 

[serval]

I come from FW planted where it’s common to design and test aquascapes using rock and wood on dry land before installing it in a tank. But now, when starting my first real reef aquarium, I’m using TBS live rock which arrives wet and needs to stay wet. This presents a challenge for scaping! I think I’ll end up with the typical “pile of rocks” because of this. It’s still in progress so any advice is welcome.

Stacking live rock is an art, lol.
Best advice is to put all the rock in the system and observe. Take some time moving them around. If sand make sure the rocks are on the bottom of the tank and not just sitting on the sand.
This gives you time to remove dead and unwanted hitchhikers.
Consider a minimal scape and fill it in with coral. My ext 170 has 150lbs of live rock with only a few pieces stacked. Plenty of swimming space above and below the rock.
Minimal rock and fill the void with coral.

Thanks. Very helpful!

 

[Fish Fan]

Thank you! I have glued rock using small pieces of cotton (not really cotton balls… it’s thicker stuff made for aquascaping) with super glue gel.

Yes, cotton balls or paper towel is another way to go

Good luck!

 

[BryanM]

As my tank furthers in progression, I've been thinking how I want to scape it.
How do you aquascape your tank? Do you have the rocks rest against the back wall? Do you have your rockwork centered in the tank away from the wall? Do you shape and create caves and arches, or do you set the rocks on top of each other for a more natural look?
Love to hear everyone's thoughts

One of the tasks I absolutely dreaded, fretted, freaked out about, etc.

Now, not as anxious about it.

With enough rock I'm not sure there's a bad direction to go. With minimal rock I think scaping gets a lot harder.

Me, I have rock resting on my back glass. I have made swim lanes, caves, etc. Fish disappear all the time into the scape.

 

[vlangel]

As my tank furthers in progression, I've been thinking how I want to scape it.
How do you aquascape your tank? Do you have the rocks rest against the back wall? Do you have your rockwork centered in the tank away from the wall? Do you shape and create caves and arches, or do you set the rocks on top of each other for a more natural look?
Love to hear everyone's thoughts

I wanted a partial deep sandbed so I looked at freshwater aquascapes for inspiration and did a combination of a freshwater scape on the right side and a more traditional marine scape on the left with crevices and holes for blennys and goby. Here is my latest pic.

 

[BlueSkyAT]

I`m in the process of switching tanks and redoing my aquascape. I keep mine away from the glass. I like plenty of holes, arches, and separate structures for more depth. I`m a stacker but also drill for using acrylic rods to help stabilize. I think I may start replacing some every year with new live rock, so it`s good to have the ability to take structures apart.