4ft mixed reef scape

[rmcrom]

This is the rough shape of my rockscape. It will be for a 4ft mixed reef tank. I will be beautifying the seams between the rocks once the mortar is cured and maybe some minor shaping to level out some terraces for coral placement and the like. The rocks are 11-12" high and the tank glass is 22". Critique?

 

[ninjamyst]

Aquascape is a personal thing so if it looks good to you, then go for it.

Having said that, I love the right island but not really feeling the left side. I am not a fan of symmetry in height where the left and right island have similar max height. While the left overhang is cool, it takes too much away from the right island. Again, just my opinion.

 

[Trouble1375]

This is the rough shape of my rockscape. It will be for a 4ft mixed reef tank. I will be beautifying the seams between the rocks once the mortar is cured and maybe some minor shaping to level out some terraces for coral placement and the like. The rocks are 11-12" high and the tank glass is 22". Critique?

From experience - you'll want to go higher if you can. My tank is 18" deep and I have a couple of peaks that are only 2-3" below water surface - monti cap and SPS love it up there.

 

[ninjamyst]

From experience - you'll want to go higher if you can. My tank is 18" deep and I have a couple of peaks that are only 2-3" below water surface - monti cap and SPS love it up there.

Rule of thumb is half the height of tank for SPS to grow and not exceeding 2/3. 2-3in below water surface does not allow room for vertical growth. Great for frags but bad for colonies and established tanks.

 

[rmcrom]

Appreciate everyone's feedback. I rotated the left rock a bit to make the overhang less dramatic and get about 3" more height out of it and I added on some coral ledges. I think that bare spot in the center front is prime real estate for a little island rock. I still have a little more E-400 so I'm probably going to mess with it a little more.

 

[Gedxin]

I honestly preffered your first scape much more. The island space in the front was perfect for more invasive coral as well. Either way, it looks good and will grow coral without any trouble!

 

[James_O]

Looking good!

 

[ED3]

I like the second scape better. I know you said you're planning a mixed reef, what sorts of fish/coral are you planning on keeping?

 

[rmcrom]

I will transfer over 2 oscellaris clowns, yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, and starry blenny. I would like to also add a melanaurus wrasse, flame butterfly, a tang or two, and small group of some kind of schooling/shoaling fish.

For corals I will have some leathers, mushrooms, euphelias, acans, favia, and birdnest. Birdnest is the only SPS I have experience with but I would like to get some acros.

 

[ED3]

I will transfer over 2 oscellaris clowns, yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, and starry blenny. I would like to also add a melanaurus wrasse, flame butterfly, a tang or two, and small group of some kind of schooling/shoaling fish.

For corals I will have some leathers, mushrooms, euphelias, acans, favia, and birdnest. Birdnest is the only SPS I have experience with but I would like to get some acros.

Looks like plenty of swimming room for some tangs to me. That layout should give you a cool layout to grow acro colonies on in my opinion. The less sharply curved arch may give you less surface area for acros but it will give you more space for lower light corals on/near the sand bed