Against the grain designs

[Isopod80]

Hey everyone, I'm fairly new here so I apologize if this has been covered before. I know the majority of us take great care in making our tanks as aesthetically pleasing as possible but I'm curious how many have intentionally done the opposite to give a more raw, wild look. For example, intentionally placing certain corals where most would not. (Tall in front, short in back etc.) I'd love to see some examples. The wilder the better. I've gone this route with some vivariums in the past and was pleased with it. I'm thinking of starting a new tank this way.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Cool idea for a thread. Let see what comes of it. I know some have done rocks jacked-up on acrylic posts (or what not)— so it’s like a rock ledge that seems to be floating, and the fish can swim underneath.

 

[Little c big D]

Well, take a free bump. Do I see you're from Palm Coast?

 

[Isopod80]

Well, take a free bump. Do I see you're from Palm Coast?

Yup, good ol' Flagler County. I see you are as well. Nice. Based on your avatar I think you may have found my cat.

 

[Little c big D]

Yup, good ol' Flagler County.

Muahahaha Same. Good to know someone else on here is local

 

[Isopod80]

Muahahaha Same. Good to know someone else on here is local

Agreed

 

[WheatToast]

You instantly reminded me of the freshwater "Southeast Asia River" example in Peter Scott's The Complete Aquarium (1991). The front of the aquarium represented the center of a river, where tall plants (Crinum thaianum and Vallisneria gigantea) would likely grow, while the back represented the bank, where small plants are more common (such as Cryptocoryne sp. and Eleocharis acicularis). The final result was incredibly unconventional, yet I would say it was one of the best builds the book had to offer.

Here is an online image of the exact aquarium built and displayed in the book:
https://en.aqua-fish.net/imgs/aqua/007.jpg

P.S. The "Hawaii Coral Reef" example near the end of the book features one aquascaping technique that, while natural, can be quite problematic... the infamous rock wall.

 

[Isopod80]

You instantly reminded me of the freshwater "Southeast Asia River" example in Peter Scott's The Complete Aquarium (1991). The front of the aquarium represented the center of a river, where tall plants (Crinum thaianum and Vallisneria gigantea) would likely grow, while the back represented the bank, where small plants are more common (such as Cryptocoryne sp. and Eleocharis acicularis). The final result was incredibly unconventional, yet I would say it was one of the best builds theook had to offer.

Here is an online image of the exact aquarium built and displayed in the book:
https://en.aqua-fish.net/imgs/aqua/007.jpg

P.S. The "Hawaii Coral Reef" example near the end of the book features one aquascaping technique that, while natural, can be quite problematic... the infamous rock wall.

Yeah, I'm hoping to see some interesting examples here. Check out my WHAT DO WE KNOW THAT THEY DON'T thread as well.

 

[fish farmer]

I have a standard 29 gallon so not much floor space. My rock is vertical, walls on both sides and one tall piece in the middle.

Challenging for coral placement/flow/maintenance. I actually added additional T5 lighting since the sides weren't growing much of anything. I also put my hammer high up and not on the sand. I wanted hammers to be the show pieces.

 

[blaxsun]

The reefscape in my Red Sea Reefer consists primarily of 3 large slabs of marco shelf rock (each about 25-30lbs). In addition to the large cave in the front, there are numerous crevices, caves and even tunnels through the rock itself that the more adventurous fish have surveyed! I’ve augmented this with additional marco rock to create many more caves, arches, overhangs, hiding spots (including two “barnacle hotels”) and features for the fish to dart in and out while they explore. At it’s highest point, the rock is leas than 50% of the vertical height of the tank. What this has yielded (by happy coincidence) is that this seems to provide zero incentive to jump - as the fish spend most of their time among the rocks and with so many places to hide chases become impractical and short-lived.

 

[roosterreefer]

I have a standard 29 gallon so not much floor space. My rock is vertical, walls on both sides and one tall piece in the middle.

Challenging for coral placement/flow/maintenance. I actually added additional T5 lighting since the sides weren't growing much of anything. I also put my hammer high up and not on the sand. I wanted hammers to be the show pieces.

That's a really dynamic look, I like it.