Looking forward to your post on design philosophy. In comparison to freshwater aquascapes reef tanks often seem much further behind with respect to aesthetic considerations.Yes, a bit of all of the above. I do not like to use backgrounds and will place peninsula aquariums against the wall so that there is no overflow behind the aquarium, distracting the viewer from the reef. I also place my power heads on the sides and run them as low of a profile as possible.
The animals are the star of the show here and I need to make the system look as natural as possible. Hiding equipment, or at least keeping it off to the side helps in that regard.
The rock and coral placement also plays a key roll. If you’ve ever dived over a reef you will see that in most cases there is a lot of negative space. Be it sand or or the surround empty spaces, it gives the reef a much more open look. While it’s not as abundant today, there was a time when people would create setups that resembled a fruit stand, giving no thought to athetics and potential coral growth.
Fish also play an important role in the overall look and energy in the reef. For that very purpose I love to stock Anthias. These fish swim mid level, rarely hide and help to bring out shyer fish into the ocean. I also like to sprinkle in a school of Chromis and then some other large fish such as angels and tangs. The size of the fish also helps to give things a sense of scale.
Lastly, great care must be taken when placing corals next to each other. The corals colors and growth patterns, when employed correctly, can help to maximize their impact on the viewer. For that reason, I like to place purple next to green, blue next to red, yellow next to blue, and so forth. Concerning the shapes, I will place stays next to tables and montiporias, perhaps even throwing in some Zoas. I will also selectively place corals closer or further away from the viewing pame to create a sense of depth.
As time goes on I will post out some information on design philosophy and how to better setup a display. I will discuss things such as the golden ration and rule of thirds.
From time to time I still see setups as such, and it has me scratching my head as to why they would like their setup to look like an LFS stock tank, but to each their own. Each of us is in the hobby for our own reasons. Some are happy enough simply stocking the tank and keeping things happy, others use the aquarium as a canvas to display their art and creativity. I happen to be in the later group as this hobby aids in my creative expression, allowing me to channel my energy in a positive manner.
Reguardless, we’re all here for the enrichment that the reefs provide us, and are each students of nature and constantly looking to improve and grow.
Nature has patterns but is also random at the same time. I probably spent 30 minutes placing the rocks and corals into my latest setup and that was by design. I knew the structure I was looking for, and I let the shape of the rocks and corals guide me to the final product shown.
-Sonny
