Looking for advice on how to make my tank look nicer.

[noahcw]

Hey, I've had this tank for about 8 months now. Its a 30 gallon biocube with 2 clarkii clowns, some trochus snails and some various corals including some acans and a toadstool leather. It looks sort of like a wasteland to me and i was wondering if anyone had some advice in to how I can make it look a little nicer?

Thanks.

 

[JumboShrimp]

It actually looks like your off to a great start. I also think you rock work is a perfect stage for mushrooms and other leathers. Are you interested in softies?

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Tanks take a long tome to get going. I remember when I first started I was just excited to have corals growing in my tank. The next step is to learn how to play with colors. Loading up your tank with greens is going to help it flouresce but you need to learn to mix in orange and blue and pink and all the other colors available. Once you do that then your tank will start to pop. That said, it looks like you’re off to a great start, and you can really start to expand now that you’re 8 months in.

 

[MERKEY]

I'd say its time to add some color. For an easy color addition zoas are always nice.

Euphyllia also add a lot of color and movement...im bias tho as they are my favorite hahah

 

[jkap]

You could add some macro algae. Especially since it's a biocube and you probably wont have a refugium. I added some red ogo algae and it added a lot of color and movement to the tank. You'll also get the benefits of keeping your nutrients in check. Just make sure you strategically place it.

 

[DonTavo27]

Take some of the rubble out of the sand bed, and add some pink, green, and orange frags, maybe even a RBTA or a Gold Hammer.

 

[noahcw]

It actually looks like your off to a great start. I also think you rock work is a perfect stage for mushrooms and other leathers. Are you interested in softies?

Yeah, but I think I'm just scared I'll kill them, any recommendations?

 

[noahcw]

Take some of the rubble out of the sand bed, and add some pink, green, and orange frags, maybe even a RBTA or a Gold Hammer.
[/QUOTEHow large do frags get, do they just keep growing as long as you take good care of them?

 

[noahcw]

You could add some macro algae. Especially since it's a biocube and you probably wont have a refugium. I added some red ogo algae and it added a lot of color and movement to the tank. You'll also get the benefits of keeping your nutrients in check. Just make sure you strategically place it.

I didn't realize people put that in their display tanks, I'll do some research on that.

 

[noahcw]

Tanks take a long tome to get going. I remember when I first started I was just excited to have corals growing in my tank. The next step is to learn how to play with colors. Loading up your tank with greens is going to help it flouresce but you need to learn to mix in orange and blue and pink and all the other colors available. Once you do that then your tank will start to pop. That said, it looks like you’re off to a great start, and you can really start to expand now that you’re 8 months in.

Is the trick to just keep buying coral? Or do I wait for it to grow out?

 

[Regular_Reefer]

I’d agree with adding some color variety with coral, maybe something with a little movement. Also if it’s doable, possibly remove some of the rubble pieces from the sand bed to give a better contrast is a good suggestion as well (totally up to you as I think it still looks good and very natural the way it is now)

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Is the trick to just keep buying coral? Or do I wait for it to grow out?

Both. As an example, my new tank is 4 months old at this point and I have a bunch of zoas Set up with pink and orange and blue mixed around and spaced out. Now I’m waiting for it to grow out because I know the color mix will be awesome in a few months. But I still have a ton of open spaces to add new stuff.

The way I have searched for new stuff is I’ve always browsed around on here and watched YouTube videos. Doing that, is I see something that catches my eye then I find out what it is and buy it. Frag swaps and shows are usually my favorite way to load up on new stuff. Also always make sure you’ve got an idea of how you want stuff laid out.

 

[Katrina71]

Yeah, but I think I'm just scared I'll kill them, any recommendations?

Don't be scared. Go for it!

 

[noahcw]

How close can I put two frags together?

 

[Fishbird]

Spacing depends on what the particular corals are but something else I’d do is look through build threads and the sticky threads showing many people’s full tank shots all in one thread. See what you like, and figure out where you want your tank to go. Then I think it’ll be easier to fill in gaps and also easier to be patient. When I did this I realized that I was most drawn to tanks with fewer, larger colonies, tanks with soft corals like toadstool mushrooms and gorgonians, and tanks where all the organisms would be found together in the same part of the world. I’ve decided t forgo my toadstool dreams and work on a reef that is almost all animals that could be found off the coast of Florida, because this way I will be able to add gorgonians (another one of my favorite corals) and have a tank that (to me) looks more cohesive than a collection of animals that would be found all over the world.

Questions to think about:

Are there particular colors you like?

Are there particular colors you want more of?

Same questions as above, but considering texture.

Are you looking to only use organisms from a particular geographic location?

Do you want something like a beautiful acan garden or do you want a bunch of branching SPS. Or both?

Do you want movement? Soft corals will provide movement and so will some LPS, like euphyllia and elegance corals.

I don’t mean that I think you should plan out every last thing now but if what looks nice to you is branching SPS then a tank full of zoas will probably never do it for you (and vice versa) so it might make sense to figure out now what you want to be working towards.

 

[Fishbird]

Here are the threads I was referring to. I don't think it matters whether the tanks are the same size as yours. I think it can just be helpful to look at a whole bunch of tanks and when one jumps out to you as looking really good, what exactly is it about that tank that makes it look really good?

I'm bored, let's see your reefs.

Here's my tiny one

www.reef2reef.com

Nano Build - Show your nano aquarium here!

Well let's see all your nanos!

www.reef2reef.com

 

[noahcw]

Spacing depends on what the particular corals are but something else I’d do is look through build threads and the sticky threads showing many people’s full tank shots all in one thread. See what you like, and figure out where you want your tank to go. Then I think it’ll be easier to fill in gaps and also easier to be patient. When I did this I realized that I was most drawn to tanks with fewer, larger colonies, tanks with soft corals like toadstool mushrooms and gorgonians, and tanks where all the organisms would be found together in the same part of the world. I’ve decided t forgo my toadstool dreams and work on a reef that is almost all animals that could be found off the coast of Florida, because this way I will be able to add gorgonians (another one of my favorite corals) and have a tank that (to me) looks more cohesive than a collection of animals that would be found all over the world.

Questions to think about:

Are there particular colors you like?

Are there particular colors you want more of?

Same questions as above, but considering texture.

Are you looking to only use organisms from a particular geographic location?

Do you want something like a beautiful acan garden or do you want a bunch of branching SPS. Or both?

Do you want movement? Soft corals will provide movement and so will some LPS, like euphyllia and elegance corals.

I don’t mean that I think you should plan out every last thing now but if what looks nice to you is branching SPS then a tank full of zoas will probably never do it for you (and vice versa) so it might make sense to figure out now what you want to be working towards.

Yeah i think I'm particularly attracted to movement in torches and elegance corals, but I'll start taking a better look through threads, I appreciate the advice!

 

[noahcw]

Here are the threads I was referring to. I don't think it matters whether the tanks are the same size as yours. I think it can just be helpful to look at a whole bunch of tanks and when one jumps out to you as looking really good, what exactly is it about that tank that makes it look really good?

I'm bored, let's see your reefs.

Here's my tiny one

www.reef2reef.com

Nano Build - Show your nano aquarium here!

Well let's see all your nanos!

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks for the help, I think I'm gonna go for an acan garden, with a torch and I'll keep the toadstool I have as its doing pretty well. I appreciate the advice! and if you have any more advice on an acan garden, let me know!

 

[noahcw]

General question, might be stupid, but will removing the rubble have a negative impact on my tank in terms of bio filter?

 

[ApoIsland]

General question, might be stupid, but will removing the rubble have a negative impact on my tank in terms of bio filter?

The vast majority of your beneficial bacteria is on the large rock. Removing the rubble won't negatively affect it.

I agree with others, get rid of all that rubble that is junking up the sand bed. Just my personal preference though, but I would also separate those rocks a little so the fish can swim through / around each rock. I have never liked the look of 2 or 3 rocks stacked so close together. Could super glue some pieces of rubble to act as spacers a little between the rocks.