Is your aquascape balanced?

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Couldn’t open this for some reason! Could you try re-send?

And now?

 

[maceto]

Hi, nice video.

You give me some ideas for my new tank.

Thank you for share

 

[ScottB]

Aquascaping from a design perspective is rarely discussed. I’ve always wondered why we don’t talk much about what makes a scape look visually appealing, so I’ve started a series where I apply common principles of design used in art, photography, graphic design, etc. to reef aquascapes.

This is the first video in the series where I talk about creating balance with your rockwork and how you can use combinations of symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance to create an aesthetically pleasing scape.

This is not a hard-line rule for how to aquascape, but rather a perspective of viewing your aquascape design. Obviously practical considerations must always come first. However, viewing my scapes this way has helped me tremendously and I hope it’s useful to you guys as well!


Let me know what you think

Thank you for sharing this as it is very enlightening. Your visuals made it easily digestible.

Can I ask about those bonsai rock structures you showed in the "real-life" examples? I've made a few attempts at building something similar but with far less success. Are these commercially available? Thanks again.

 

[Queenofreef]

And now?

Wow!!! Truly amazing aquascape. I need to save this for inspiration for the future!

And yes, very well balanced as I’m sure you know

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Wow!!! Truly amazing aquascape. I need to save this for inspiration for the future!

And yes, very well balanced as I’m sure you know

Thanks , red ears for the compliments ...

 

[Queenofreef]

Thank you for sharing this as it is very enlightening. Your visuals made it easily digestible.

Can I ask about those bonsai rock structures you showed in the "real-life" examples? I've made a few attempts at building something similar but with far less success. Are these commercially available? Thanks again.

Thank you so much!! The aquascapes are made by Water Life. They live overseas so unfortunately not for sale here I don’t think. You could try contact them on IG and see? @wl_marine

 

[Queenofreef]

This is the hardscape in my 210 I’m building. It’s just a simple 2 island scape with plenty of caves and negative space. For me, simpler is more natural. Following the rule of thirds, I only built the rock height to between 1/3 to 1/2 of tank height. The idea is to leave plenty of space for corals to grow out to the 1/2 to 2/3 height for the overall aquascape. This should leave plenty lf space for colony grow out and fish swimming area. The right side is the overflow and the left side is open for peninsula length viewing. Barebottom but I have a 100 gal remote sandbed in my basement sump.

Love how it turned out!! So much room for corals, very beautiful. Definitely need to keep that in mind with my new aquascape ( same dimensions as your tank actually!). I tend to forget how much room is necessary and forget that simple is a good thing

 

[ScottB]

Thank you so much!! The aquascapes are made by Water Life. They live overseas so unfortunately not for sale here I don’t think. You could try contact them on IG and see? @wl_marine

Interesting. They are similar in ways to Aquaroche out of France, but aesthetically better IMO. I did build one tank with the Aquaroche as they had a USA distributor. CoralVue or Champion or somebody I forget.

 

[Michael White]

Love how it turned out!! So much room for corals, very beautiful. Definitely need to keep that in mind with my new aquascape ( same dimensions as your tank actually!). I tend to forget how much room is necessary and forget that simple is a good thing

Depends on what your goal is. If I was building a polyp/LPS/encrusting sps tank, I would build full up to 2/3 of the height and very complex. That way once it all covers the rock work it would be really nice.

 

[ScottB]

Depends on what your goal is. If I was building a polyp/LPS/encrusting sps tank, I would build full up to 2/3 of the height and very complex. That way once it all covers the rock work it would be really nice.

You make a solid distinction about goals for the aquascape -- goals are so dependent upon the coral livestock we intend to keep. Your livestock choices of encrusting SPS, LPS and zoa choices would require a completely different rockscap to that of an SPS dominant keeper. Solving for both is a challenge. I need a bigger tank for that.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Good vid, and good thread. Your video editting and pace is.. well, balanced. :]

Im mortaring my new scape currently. Maybe ill share when its ready.

Teaser, and a dirty pizza box. Naturally.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Fixed. Font left piece was too bare. Gave it 5 ledges from old montipora skeleton. Think im almost there.

Fts

 

[Queenofreef]

Depends on what your goal is. If I was building a polyp/LPS/encrusting sps tank, I would build full up to 2/3 of the height and very complex. That way once it all covers the rock work it would be really nice.

Completely agree!

You make a solid distinction about goals for the aquascape -- goals are so dependent upon the coral livestock we intend to keep. Your livestock choices of encrusting SPS, LPS and zoa choices would require a completely different rockscap to that of an SPS dominant keeper. Solving for both is a challenge. I need a bigger tank for that.

definitely agree with you guys! It’s so important to pre-plan coral selection because it impacts the whole direction/shape of a scape. I try not to overplan the specifics but always go in with an idea of the overall layout (SPS on top, zoa garden on bottom, etc.).

BUT (as I realized last night when aquascaping my new build) WATER LINE. My water line was much lower than I anticipated just eyeballing. Had to get some wood and estimate where the top of my SPS would need to end for the scape the scape to make sense. It changed my whole idea of the aquascape I had in my head — short and looooong boy now haha. I’ve always overlooked this in the past and it caused me a lot of problems, so tank dimensions are (obviously) important too.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

@Raege giggle

 

[Raege]

I think a bare bottom tank with rocks just in sump and fake kelp forrest would be interesting

 

[Queenofreef]

I think a bare bottom tank with rocks just in sump and fake kelp forrest would be interesting

to each their own

 

[ReefRusty]

to each their own

What are your thoughts? For a WB 70.2 60cm x 60 x 55 high this would be around 35cm high.

 

[Jtreps]

Need help with this scape new 20 gallon nano scape. Should I remove the middle bridge and create two islands with a gorge between them and move them a bit closer to one another? Create more of a diagonal arch from the bottom of the right pile to the top of the left pile? Should I completely scratch this scape? And create something like the image attached at the end?

 

[ReefSakes]

Nice scapes all! Not sure if mines look balanced to others but seems like it to me. What you guys think?

 

[ReefSakes]

Oops here are the pics