Creating reef ridges: Do you have ledges in your aquascape?

[Peace River]

Creating reef ridges: Do you have ledges in your aquascape?

There are many approaches to creating an aquascape. Whether you use caves, arches, islands, ledges, or walls, there are many techniques and tactics to design for the fish, for the corals, and for the viewer. Sometimes the end result looks like an artistic sculpture and other times the end result looks more like a simple pile of rocks. Whatever the outcome, the best approach is often whatever looks good to you and creates a functional habitat for your livestock. Many fish will appreciate caves and arches, islands allow certain types of corals to be separated, and ledges and other methods of exposed rock can provide places to attach your coral. When you step back and look at your tank, do you have ledges in your aquascape? The ledges don't have to be suspended or counter balanced (although it looks great if they are!), a ledge along a solid rock structure can also create a beneficial platform for mounting corals. Please share your thoughts about ledges in the related thread and let us know if that is a technique that you try to include in your aquascape!

Photo by @Andre_Takahashi; Reef of the Month January 2024


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[Glenner’sreef]

Not necessarily rock ledges, but Monti plating ledges yes. It’s a very natural and nice look.

 

[Dburr1014]

Water superglue and aragonite sand, you can make any form you want with rocks.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

My current aquascape doesn't have ledges but in the future I plan on having some

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I’ve posted this one before. I had to redo this tank that was built where the end of the tank wrapped around a support ( ), and the tank had a black box from top to bottom on one end.

Built this structure with ledges out of of hydraulic mortar and live rock:

End result:

 

[Katrina71]

I’ve posted this one before. I had to redo this tank that was built where the end of the tank wrapped around a support ( ), and the tank had a black box from top to bottom on one end.

Built this structure with ledges out of of hydraulic mortar and live rock:

End result:

Almost exactly like the structure I'm making on an overflow in ours! Could you link the exact product you used? So far, I have been unhappy with what I've tried.

 

[vlangel]

I turned a plating acro skeleton upside down and epoxied it to another structure to make a spreading tree like structure. I let macroalgae grow on it and encourage my BTA to stay there. The nem did stay and so did all the new nems. Anyway the structure is a cool ledge with the added benefit of keeping my nems out of trouble with the rest of my reef.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Almost exactly like the structure I'm making on an overflow in ours! Could you link the exact product you used? So far, I have been unhappy with what I've tried.

I ended up using white plastic egg crate, hydraulic mortar (Quikrete), acrylic cylindrical rods to anchor the bigger rock pieces, and epoxy.

They have held up really well, but if I had it to do over again, I would have epoxied the egg crate and rods in first, then built the rock structure inside the tank.

I’ve also learned the hard way that you have to somehow adhere the structure to the vertical wall it’s on…you can’t just set them in there. They eventually buckle and fall apart without the support of being glued in place.

 

[Katrina71]

I ended up using white plastic egg crate, hydraulic mortar (Quikrete), acrylic cylindrical rods to anchor the bigger rock pieces, and epoxy.

They have held up really well, but if I had it to do over again, I would have epoxied the egg crate and rods in first, then built the rock structure inside the tank.

I’ve also learned the hard way that you have to somehow adhere the structure to the vertical wall it’s on…you can’t just set them in there. They eventually buckle and fall apart without the support of being glued in place.

Very helpful. Thank you! Did you use reef epoxy or just regular 2 part?

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Very helpful. Thank you! Did you use reef epoxy or just regular 2 part?

Just 2-part

 

[paintman]

Here's my deal done with marco rock

All grown up