Share your BEST aquascape tips of 2022!

[revhtree]

The longer you reef the more tips and ideas you acquire! The same is true when it comes to Aquascaping your reef tank!

Today let's all put together a list of helpful tips and ideas that you've learned when it comes to aquascaping your reef tank!

I'll start with a very simple yet effective tip!

TIP: This only works for dry rock. When you use a mortar or putty type epoxy to hold your rock structure together they tend to be a color that doesn't blend well with the rest of the rock. Keep some extra loose sand near and when you join the rock pieces together add some of the loose sand to the wet epoxy that is left showing and it will help it blend in better.

image via @Reefahholic

 

[redfishbluefish]

I have always struggled with rock-scaping. I just don't have the artistic ability to do anything close to what @Reefahholic has done in the OP. My first rock-scape was just a pile of rock that I termed the Berlin Wall. A local club member eventually told me to think tripods.....three rocks of about the same height put down with separation between the rocks and now a forth larger rock on top of these three. It provides tunnels for fish to swim and hide. Again, not the greatest, but it helped me, and here is my most recent rock pile:

My other tip....rock directly on the bottom glass/acrylic. If you will have sand, rock goes in first and then sand. Do not build your rock structure on the sand bed.

 

[madmarks]

Worst thing you can do is build one giant scape. I have 3 medium size scapes in my 40g. Super easy to remove them individually if necessary.

I totally agree. Do a few, small modular scapes and place them together.

This is 3 separate modules.

 

[fluked]

Don't put GSP on any part of your main aquascape(s).

I think i posted this before. But gold ring cowrie snails eat gsp,
I have 3 in my tank and the only coral they eat is gsp!

 

[OlafsReef]

Think ahead of time what coral types you want and where you want to put them. Then scape for the coral and fish you want to keep, NOT the rock sculpture you want to look at for the first 3 months.

If you glue all your rocks together you are going to have a heck of a time dealing with issues in your tank that could easily be solved by pulling a single rock and cleaning off the issue.

A masonry drillbit is an easy way to insert acrylic rods if you want to lift rocks off a sand bed to retain flow and caves or secure pieces without glue.

 

[Reefahholic]

This was primarily what I used to do the scape. I took my time and worked on it a little bit each time I was off from work. I then finished off and bonded it with E-Marco 400. Getting eye level (sitting on a bucket or chair) gets the angle right. You want the shelf’s to angle slightly down. Also, Marco rock (when crushed with a hammer) makes an excellent powder for the Cyanoacrylate

You may be able to find this glue if outside the USA.

 

[Reefahholic]

One thing I forgot to mention. It is much much easier to make a scape with smaller rocks vs large rocks. So if you have big rocks, break them up. With small rocks you can make the scape do what you want it to do. Large rocks don’t give you many options.

If I could do it again, I would have bought more of these. Super nice pieces:

MarcoRocks Shelf Premium Dry Rock (by the lb) - Marco Rock

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[Klyle]

you can use anything thin ca glue. I've used glue masters, bob smith industries, gorilla glue, etc...



this is the guide i followed

Gorilla super glue gel works great especially with an accelerator

 

[jcolliii]

Don't be afraid of artificial rock products - they are quite porous (especially the liferock shapes stuff - I have *actually used it*, and it was good stuff), and it is looking better than much of the farmed rock out there these days. Using the Morocca shelf rock right now - it's beautiful natural looking stuff - not as porous as the liferock tho.

EDIT: Oh, and if working with dry rock - superglue, baking soda, and sand work AMAZINGLY well at permanently bonding rocks together.

 

[Reefahholic]

Here’s two really helpful videos with this technique:

What your looking for is “WATER THIN” Cyanoacrylate.

I can also tell you. Do not buy the Starbond. It sucks! The Glue Masters is perfect if you get the water thin. I’d call and ask them before you buy.

 

[JCOLE]

I am old school and still really love the rock wall look. I know call me crazy.

 

[sfin52]

Can you link to a proper glue product for this? I've got 200 pounds of rock and a dream...

I use thin superglue and sand.

 

[sfin52]

Negative and minimalist is all the rage don't forget that fish need hides to sleep and retreat too.

 

[Reefahholic]

Worst thing you can do is build one giant scape. I have 3 medium size scapes in my 40g. Super easy to remove them individually if necessary.

Totally agree with Kyle here. I think it’s best to build 3 smaller structures that you can push together, but make them look like one. In my pictures above I built two structures that are pushed together. If you look at the pic it looks like one scape. Three would have been much easier to move in/out, but I just didn’t think about it at the time. Plus… less weight reduces the chance of the structure breaking or you cracking/scratching the glass.

 

[sabor]

When using the thin ca glue, make sure to wear thick vinyl/rubber gloves. Wear a mask and some eyewear. Have a lot of ventilation or a fan blowing as those fumes are very strong. Just did my first glueing scape and it came out pretty nice! Going to set it in the tank tomorrow.

 

[ReefStash]

Enjoyed working with branch rock and glue masters…

 

[revhtree]

GREAT STUFF!

 

[squirrelbaffler]

Hide my megaflow without losing swimming space in my reef. Plexiglass strip with holes drilled to accept zip ties to hold frogspawn. I’ll use black zip ties next time

 

[Reefahholic]

When using the thin ca glue, make sure to wear thick vinyl/rubber gloves. Wear a mask and some eyewear. Have a lot of ventilation or a fan blowing as those fumes are very strong. Just did my first glueing scape and it came out pretty nice! Going to set it in the tank tomorrow.

I wore a 3M with vapor filters.

 

[reefsaver]

Drill your hardscape and use acrylic rod instead of glue/mortar/cement so you can disassemble, clean and even shift your hardscape almost like Lego. I think it makes shifting rockwork around for flow and lighting much better.
Basically I can twist, move and shift the hardscape on top of the acrylic rod, which I couldn't do if it was glued/fixed to place. It's great for changing up the flow and shade areas or brighten areas more.

 

[Dbichler]

As @sfin52 said but in different words use enough rock for each fish to have their own bedroom.