Stop aquascaping and watch this FIRST! Top 23 Aquascaping Mistakes we're all making.

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randyBRS

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Your aquascape is one of the hardest things to change after the tank is running and full of corals.

We can only hope to get it right the first time, but what does that look like? Here's some TOP aquascaping mistakes we came up with!

(If you have some we missed PLEASE share! We all need as much help as we can get.) :)

 

Amado

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I think people spend too much time and money making the aquascape look good.
I see a lot of tanks online with really nice rock work. These tanks have a bunch of arches and really nice rock-work but if you keep following the tank build most of these really nice tanks end up with diatoms or algae all over their nice rocks.
All these man made dry rock is nice to look at but I think live rocks from the ocean keep corals alive better.
When you look at old tanks they have that huge rock wall everyone hates. But that rock wall would usually be full of thriving corals.

If you grow corals nobody will see your rocks. So it doesn’t matter what your scape looks like.
 

PranK

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I think people spend too much time and money making the aquascape look good.
I see a lot of tanks online with really nice rock work. These tanks have a bunch of arches and really nice rock-work but if you keep following the tank build most of these really nice tanks end up with diatoms or algae all over their nice rocks.
All these man made dry rock is nice to look at but I think live rocks from the ocean keep corals alive better.
When you look at old tanks they have that huge rock wall everyone hates. But that rock wall would usually be full of thriving corals.

If you grow corals nobody will see your rocks. So it doesn’t matter what your scape looks like.

I don't think I agree with you there. I think that good rock work can compliment growing corals a great deal. Corals in general look better when well placed on a good aquascape.
Also, I think that if a tank has a algae/diatoms outbreak its from poor maintenance or insufficient flow, not exclusively because of the aqua scape.
 

Jordan Prather

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I always really liked my scape but unfortunately will be tearing it down to replace with all new rock. I've been fighting algea in the tank for the last two years with just slight breaks in between thanks to fluco doses. I got this whole set up from a guy that was breaking his tank down and he never really did water changes so the rock had a bunch of bound up nutrients in it and I think bryopsis to. Hoping I will be as happy with the new scape I can come up with after it's all said and done. O and I know you wont want to hear this but there is no glue, epoxy or rods holding it together just gravity and balancing points.
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heres my some of my new rock I have cycling
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And the algea I've been dealing with
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U

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Thanks @randyBRS - you both did a great job on the video. There is no doubt most, if not all, hobbyists have run into these problems. Not only once if we are being honest. Tanks evolve over time as do the corals we introduce. As they mature or grow flow patterns change. You laid down a foundation for the base aquascape but I personally believe it needs to be looked at again anywhere from 12 to 18 months down the road. At least that has been my experience has the tank matures.

Interesting point you raised about aquascaping to promote fish visibility. That is a bit against their nature if truth be told. Fish tend to hide and as you pointed out one of the mistakes is by not providing safety or personal spaces, areas of refuge, for them to dart into. I have always believed we put more stress on fish if they don't have these places. I'm sure there is a balance to be had but it is always one thing I consider when adding fish. Especially something that can get large (like a rabbitfish or larger tang) and doesn't have space to completely hide. Sort of like hunting a trout in a river or stream. You don't really seem them but you know they are there. So you walk along the river / stream bank, masking your shadow, until you find the rock or log that is breaking the current / flow. Once you find it you cast your fly ahead and let it gently drift down passing by and then all of a sudden BAM - the trout takes the fly and you are reeling it in :)

Also - on the walls. True - a lot of people just start stacking :). There is one good thing about a wall and that is the cryptic zone. Provided flow is managed the walls provide a dark cover that sponges and other things can take hold and really extend the biological filter. If you have had an older tank, picked up a piece of rock in a more shaded area, and turned it, you probably know what I"m talking about. Or even in the sump area. The feather dusters, pineapple sponges, etc. Great nutrient expert :)

Anyway just wanted to say great job. Those take time to make and not free by any means. So on that note let everyone know that we appreciate them and they do provide some good, no great, talking points to help hobbyists. And as a by product they may even make a sale or two. I know my order came in this week - ordered a bunch of the DIY tropic marin all for one stuff :). Just need my auto mixer thing to come in (darn you Amazon, not until april 23rd...) before I can try it :)

Have a great day and stay safe!
 

EMeyer

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I think people spend too much time and money making the aquascape look good.
I see a lot of tanks online with really nice rock work. These tanks have a bunch of arches and really nice rock-work but if you keep following the tank build most of these really nice tanks end up with diatoms or algae all over their nice rocks.
All these man made dry rock is nice to look at but I think live rocks from the ocean keep corals alive better.
When you look at old tanks they have that huge rock wall everyone hates. But that rock wall would usually be full of thriving corals.

If you grow corals nobody will see your rocks. So it doesn’t matter what your scape looks like.
Totally agree - real rock (=dead corals) does so much more for the appearance of a tank than some archway or tower made out of concrete or relatively nonporous mined rocks.
 

2Wheelsonly

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I'll take man made dry rock I can scape with acrylic rods and a drill over live any day. When people say dry rock doesn't grow corals that makes no sense. If we are on a timeline then it does (live rock loaded with bacteria) but at the end of the day rock is rock, you wont see it after corals do grow. Saying corals don't grow with dry rock is a 100% false statement and I hope new people don't see that and actually listen to it. Bacteria grows on anything, some rock is more porous than others.

If I am building a house my foundation and frame are what dictate how I can furnish and design the house after it's built. Regardless of being able to see the rocks i'd say the scape is extremely important.

Back to the topic:

The biggest mistake I learned from is that building the scape too high isn't ideal. I stop half-way up the tank, people will scape the tank thinking this is the final look and don't realize the end goal is corals and growth. I see alot of these arches almost touching the water line and think people forget that frags grow. When I see an SPS frag sitting 2 inches below the water I wonder if they ever expect it to grow. :)

My biggest regret personally is not building the rock-work like stairs from to back. I like a high area that's at mid level or slightly higher, a mid level and then a low level for coral diversity. This makes a mixed reef easier and then I focus on a few tunnels and arches for fish. My back row is my highest (towards the back of the tank) and my front row is the lowest.

This also allows me to place my lights to account for the corals and gives the overall (full effect) of the tank. When I see people stack everything up like a perfect rectangle then they have a massive wall of rock that can't really support encrusting corals so they have an amazing top shelf but a giant wall of shaded rock. My end goal is the see a massive display of corals, movement, and color and I want to see as little rock as possible.
 
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Amado

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I'll take man made dry rock I can scape with acrylic rods and a drill over live any day. When people say dry rock doesn't grow corals that makes no sense. If we are on a timeline then it does (live rock loaded with bacteria) but at the end of the day rock is rock, you wont see it after corals do grow. Saying corals don't grow with dry rock is a 100% false statement and I hope new people don't see that and actually listen to it. Bacteria grows on anything, some rock is more porous than others.

If I am building a house my foundation and frame are what dictate how I can furnish and design the house after it's built. Regardless of being able to see the rocks i'd say the scape is extremely important.

Back to the topic:

The biggest mistake I learned from is that building the scape too high isn't ideal. I stop half-way up the tank, people will scape the tank thinking this is the final look and don't realize the end goal is corals and growth. I see alot of these arches almost touching the water line and think people forget that frags grow. When I see an SPS frag sitting 2 inches below the water I wonder if they ever expect it to grow. :)

My biggest regret personally is not building the rock-work like stairs from to back. I like a high area that's at mid level or slightly higher, a mid level and then a low level for coral diversity. This makes a mixed reef easier and then I focus on a few tunnels and arches for fish. My back row is my highest (towards the back of the tank) and my front row is the lowest.

This also allows me to place my lights to account for the corals and gives the overall (full effect) of the tank. When I see people stack everything up like a perfect rectangle then they have a massive wall of rock that can't really support encrusting corals so they have an amazing top shelf but a giant wall of shaded rock. My end goal is the see a massive display of corals, movement, and color and I want to see as little rock as possible.


All rocks are not the same. I have 10yr old ocean live rock and I also have Carib sea dry rock and I can tell you there is a HUGE difference.
Ocean rock are dead coral made by corals native to the ocean. Rocks are not rocks.
You can’t take rocks from your yard and put it in your tank and be successful.

Corals grow and encrust to live rock faster than frag plugs or fake rock.

I personally like a lot of live rock over dead rock anyday
 

2Wheelsonly

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All rocks are not the same. I have 10yr old ocean live rock and I also have Carib sea dry rock and I can tell you there is a HUGE difference.
Ocean rock are dead coral made by corals native to the ocean. Rocks are not rocks.
You can’t take rocks from your yard and put it in your tank and be successful.

Corals grow and encrust to live rock faster than frag plugs or fake rock.

I personally like a lot of live rock over dead rock anyday

Agree to disagree. :)

Little over 2 years growth from all 1 inch frag plugs in this photo from starting the tank with 100% walt smith 2.0 "purple" dry rock. Has everything from frogspawn to Blastos, monti, birdsnest, green "easy" acros to "difficult" ones. Not a single coral has issues in this tank due to the rocks. The diatom/brown phase on these rocks are usually 2-3 weeks tops. Live rock is good for diverse life quickly, my first tank was all live rock. After experiencing both types I prefer to take my time with a proper scape rather than stack my live rocks and also deal with pests. Bacteria will eventually grow and I don't think 1 year is too long of a wait period for establishing a healthy environment for all coral growth.

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A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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