New 90g tank

snyderman99

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 30, 2025
Messages
97
Reaction score
18
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey everyone!

I just got this 90G tank and am looking for help aquascaping it. I’m still relatively new to the hobby and want to make a mixed reef tank. I think the middle looks slightly cluttered but am not sure how to fix it to make it look natural and good at the same time. Any ideas?
20251217_102539_852DD21B-54CD-40DC-9A2C-AF359A012A9A.png
Thank you!
 

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
15,161
Reaction score
16,352
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey everyone!

I just got this 90G tank and am looking for help aquascaping it. I’m still relatively new to the hobby and want to make a mixed reef tank. I think the middle looks slightly cluttered but am not sure how to fix it to make it look natural and good at the same time. Any ideas?
20251217_102539_852DD21B-54CD-40DC-9A2C-AF359A012A9A.png
Thank you!
You need to create hide caves and swim thru s. Basically every fish should be able to hide and disappear at night. You also have to visualize the scape covered with coral eventually. Below is a before and after pictures to give you an idea.
 

Attachments

  • 2081423-ad2b55e921d00674c12113a939904e8b.jpg
    2081423-ad2b55e921d00674c12113a939904e8b.jpg
    43.3 KB · Views: 30
  • 20251214_131104.jpg
    20251214_131104.jpg
    265.9 KB · Views: 32
OP
OP
S

snyderman99

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 30, 2025
Messages
97
Reaction score
18
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey everyone!

I just got this 90G tank and am looking for help aquascaping it. I’m still relatively new to the hobby and want to make a mixed reef tank. I think the middle looks slightly cluttered but am not sure how to fix it to make it look natural and good at the same time. Any ideas?
20251217_102539_852DD21B-54CD-40DC-9A2C-AF359A012A9A.png
Thank you!
You need to create hide caves and swim thru s. Basically every fish should be able to hide and disappear at night. You also have to visualize the scape covered with coral eventually. Below is a before and after pictures to give you an idea.
20251217_143252_4BF97BB4-DDDA-467E-BCB3-ED89BE03CC4F.png
This is what I came up with. Do you think it looks better?
 

Segalplayer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 30, 2017
Messages
177
Reaction score
157
Location
Costa Mesa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The more rock you can have off the ground the better as in the least amount touching the sand so water can circulate thru while getting any detritus and more out into the water column for the pumps to filter out.

I was rock heavy and it would make my sand quite dirty, I removed and rearranged rock with 6-8 points of content and the rest built upward like the Eiffel Tower and bridges from one rock to the next. This is the optimal arrangement imo
 

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
15,161
Reaction score
16,352
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
20251217_143252_4BF97BB4-DDDA-467E-BCB3-ED89BE03CC4F.png
This is what I came up with. Do you think it looks better?
It looks better then the first version. Get like 2 of those half dome arch rocks from Caribe sea like you see in my photo. They are not expensive. Incorporate them into the left side and right side primary rock structures and you should be good. Think swim thru s and hide spot caves.
 

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
15,161
Reaction score
16,352
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The more rock you can have off the ground the better as in the least amount touching the sand so water can circulate thru while getting any detritus and more out into the water column for the pumps to filter out.

I was rock heavy and it would make my sand quite dirty, I removed and rearranged rock with 6-8 points of content and the rest built upward like the Eiffel Tower and bridges from one rock to the next. This is the optimal arrangement imo
These are good points but honestly once corals really start filling in flow just gets blocked in some areas and there will always end up being some dead zone here or there. My sand is never perfect white but doesn't really bother me if all the live stock is thriving.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT AMOUNT OF LIVE ROCK AND SAND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR OPTIMAL BIODIVERSITY/FILTRATION?

  • 100% live rock + bagged sand

    Votes: 37 27.4%
  • 100% dry rock + 100% live sand

    Votes: 46 34.1%
  • 50/50 live/dry rock, 50/50 live/bagged sand

    Votes: 30 22.2%
  • 75% live rock, 25% live sand

    Votes: 12 8.9%
  • 25% live rock, 75% live sand

    Votes: 10 7.4%
Back
Top