Scape and Coral Placement Advice

[therealraf02]

For most of this tank's (20 gallon high, 24x12x16 in.) lifespan I haven't really been able to come to a scape that sat right with me. For a while, i had all of my hammers placed up along the sides of the tall structure, i'll attach a picture from not too long ago. The issue was some heads were starting to get shaded, and i saw some vermetids start to grow on the hammers causing them to get irritated so i took my dremel and split each colony up. On the larger rock structure i have my spongeodes monti, a red digitata, and recently i fragged some capricornis and placed into the bottom right corner to grow out. Let's address the elephant in the room... the gsp grew out from the rock on the sandbed, onto the main structure, and is on its way to world domination i don't mind too much, unless it's inevitably going to kill everything else. Any ideas for what i can do with the hammers that are now on the sandbed? Or how to optimize the rocks that I have at the moment? I plan on fragging the gsp on the sand and placing/gluing them onto the back glass.

 

[therealraf02]

Bump

 

[Science/G]

I see a couple of nice holes where you could attach those hammers. You could drill a hole in some rubble rock, glue in an acrylic rod and then slide the rods into the holes glued or not....instant scape addition for corals placement. Or, you could glue the acrylic rod to the hammer skeleton and do the same thing. Just a couple of ideas how to spread corals around

 

[therealraf02]

I see a couple of nice holes where you could attach those hammers. You could drill a hole in some rubble rock, glue in an acrylic rod and then slide the rods into the holes glued or not....instant scape addition for corals placement. Or, you could glue the acrylic rod to the hammer skeleton and do the same thing. Just a couple of ideas how to spread corals around

Thanks! Im wondering how i can get around the gsp growing on the rocks. It would be nice to use that real estate for other corals. I'm a bit hesitant to take all the rocks out and scrape it all out to not harm/stress out the livestock or the corals accidentally. I went ahead and trimmed the hedge on the sandbed up to the original rock I placed on the ground (picture attached). Figured I could use this as a farm to cover my wall eventually like in my other tank (also attached). What corals would you recommend along the steep/tall structure on the left?

 

[therealraf02]

Slight detour and appreciation post for the rainbow (?) monti that's been growing well and somehow growing under itself? I assume it's because the colony has reached the edge of the rock and this is how they find the nearest surface to continue growing on.

 

[skey44]

I use a mixture of epoxy and superglue gel. You could mount corals to the side of that spire rock. It would look really cool I think.

 

[therealraf02]

I use a mixture of epoxy and superglue gel. You could mount corals to the side of that spire rock. It would look really cool I think.

Agreed, i think maybe some corals that don't branch out too much if at all, so as to not shade the corals beneath like the hammers did when they were up there. Acans perhaps? Maybe a nice encrusting monti below (raises concerns about it taking over the rock eventually however), a lower light branching monti in the lower rear end of the scape to grow out a bit, micromussa lordhowensis around the middle maybe some candy canes a little higher and a nice lazy's blue birdsnest at the top?

 

[Science/G]

Yeah you'll be able to put some corals up there that can handle a little more light. Your hammers look like in there in the right spot, but your par is going to increase significantly that much closer to the lights. You're already having some success with montipora, so any others would be a good choice. I'm pretty sure you could get away with some smooth skin Acropora or Anacropora in that spot.