Tips and Tricks on Creating Amazing Aquascapes.

This is my first tank Marc and I really was tooing and frooing on whether to use Live Rock or the Real Reef Rock...

Not knowing anything else, I’m really happy with the Real Reef Rock so far...I reckon it looks pretty good. Just need a bit more to finish the scape off

 

My second attempt

 

Honestly I like the first attempt better, the two distinct islands allow better flow and will provide a much more unique looks when corals are added

 

Okay, I'm not done, still have another 40 lbs of rock coming next week but thought I'd post what I've got so far. It will most likely come down but I can see if the overall design works. Right side is just rock I had left. So large left section, single pc, and smaller right. I have empty back corners. Could put a single rock there or angle rock back slightly or leave it. If I shift main pc to the right, it would be visible from front. I'm leaving 2-3 inches around--enough for the suction tube of the water change hose.

The difficulty with this tank is the twin overflows. They don't leave much room for a deep rock scape if you want to have room around and allow flow into the overflows (there are vents low and middle as well as the weir at top). I could do the main set of rocks in the middle and smaller islands at each end. I did manage to get some nice terraces on the left. I may cement some of that side together--left side and bottom. Rest can be recreated

The single pc of pukani is sort of arrowhead shapped. I'm planning on gsp on main body, palm cloves on top rock and a leather toadstool on the very top as I don't think the cloves will bother it. I'd like something else on the bottom but not anything that will spread like xenia.

So what do you think? What would you suggest.

 

reefcleaners typically carries barnacle clusters in different sizes.

 

Break it into pieces

 

I’m pretty happy with this scape for my 5’ reefer 525xl. No tangs, 25+ fish under 4”. Gobies, anthias, wrasse, royal grammas, firefish, chromis.

The rocks are laid out for lots of hiding spots and swim throughs as well as coral.

The left side will get a height advantage with sps coral selection.

The large top right plate will be low profile sps.

80 lbs of reefcleaners base rock and approximately 30 lbs of Tonga plate.

The blue tape represents 3” in from the glass.

 

Nice aquascape and smart on the tape. I have done the same with 2” planning my 30 gallon. Good for both flow and glass cleaning.

 

All these great looking tanks are making me wish I could upgrade my 65 to a 150 and start over! #jealous

 

Here is my hopefully final arrangement. Might need to add some pcs of live rock from one of my other tanks to seed it. Not sure if it can just go into sump or if some has to go into the display as well which will look funny with spanking new rock and live rock. Goal was to follow flow of returns--from outside to inside, lots of crevices and swim throughs, some big enough for tangs, and as much terrace effect for corals as I could. My other tank is more wall and harder to place corals.

 

Great. No I gotta go rearrange my rock work. After looking at some of these mine looks like I just poured a bucket of rocks in my tank blindfolded.

 

Final scape! Tank gets set on the stand Tuesday night! Then it’s time to get real busy!

 

I like it, lots of room for easy coral placement

 

Here is mine. I am actually working on getting better photos because it isn't showing the depth. Tank is 54" W x 30" T and 30" D. The tank is visible from the left side and front. Right side is overflow. 150 lbs of dry Pukani and 200 lbs of CaribSea sand. In the back half of the tank are 3 bags of Florida CaribSea with two bags of pink Fiji in front. Fish have lots of swim lanes and I still have some rock to move from my 40 breeder. We'll see if they make it and if so where.

 

I like it, however, for my eye the pyramid-shaped rock (second from the right as we look at the picture) blocks the area behind and in effect makes the tank look smaller. Anything you put behind that rock will be hidden and thus the space is wasted

 

@Joe Batt - great input and you are correct. I wasn't sure what to do with that rock honestly. I thought about placing it on top of the rock just behind it about 2'oclock. That would give me a opening should I want to add a clam. Although after reading a few of the threads in that sub forum, and some of the size clams I saw, I may not put one in. I didn't know they got that back in captive aquaria! Thank you for the feedback, appreciate it. I'll take another look at that rock this afternoon since I'll be placing some epoxy on the rocks that got a bit tumble happy.

 

Remember you don't 'have' to use it, putting it in the sump is still filtration. Less is more sometimes more.

 

Mine from start to finish on 30 inch tall tank . Spent a lot of time getting it right.

 

Very nice! Can see you thought about the coral shadowing corals below even from the start. What was the time between the first picture and the last?

 

Agreed on all points. Good stuff