Aquascape constructive criticism

[Justin....#JAMAS]

So the wife and I decided about a year ago now to set up this beautiful flourishing reef tank and she wanted the infamous arc in the middle, so it came to pass lol! Well I want to rearrange some rocks so its not got a lot of little tock pieces laying around and to kinda go by the tic tac toe board rule where the lines intersect and for it to be unique and natural looking, but different and also to improve the flow!!!! Every time I sit here looking at it, i just keep drawing blanks, and every time I go online to look at pictures of aquascapes I get bummed BC every picture I see looks amazing and than I look up and see mine lol. Its not bad, but just would like to have any kind of constructive criticsm on how I can build around this arc to make a couple vocal points pop out! Any suggestions and tips would be really really appreciated!!!!!!

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I personally don't think it looks all that bad, maybe a little small for the tank it's in, but definitely more creative than just a pile of rocks. You will drive yourself insane trying to copy someone else's aquascape, in the end you should build what you want to look at every day

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

Well I do like it, but I just have some rocks that are little and by themselves on the sandbed, and really wanted to rearrange some rocks on the left and right ends to make the flow a lot better, thank ya though !

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

Would it help flow to build it taller on the left to make more open space and a little taller on the right to kinda block that hob skimmer? Lol

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I'd say that huge arc is whats throwing it off, maybe place some rocks under it (sloping towards you) with lots of caves and holes

 

[Justfebreezeit]

I like having 2 or maybe 3 seperate structures instead of one wall of rock. Thats just my opinion obviously! Other than that it looks good!

 

[JCM]

It's really hard to say without being there to play with it. The aquascape is such an important aspect of the tank though, it' worth the hassle to get it right. Can you setup a small temporary tank to house the corals for a few hours/days while you mess with it? It's much easier to do without corals in the way in my experience.

Maybe move the arch left slightly and use the rest of the rock to build a tower on the right? Having the arch centered will make things more difficult, better to follow the rule of thirds.

 

[Big G]

Consider adding some height by growing some Gorgonians. Would really reach up into the open spaces on either end of the tank. I like the arch.

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

All opinions taken and wish one of you were here to help with this, flow and dead spots have been killing me and I'm tired of it now! Lol
Just more difficult than I thought

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Dont stress about it to much! You can always tinker a little bit down the road and add/move powerheads

 

[Slarti]

I like the tower idea, so why not use the smaller and separate rocks to build a tower on one side of the arch? Maybe a hole or two in the tower without it looking archy...

 

[Susan Edwards]

Could add a rock beneath arc but to front so no shade and place a show piece there like a tall leather or something. Maybe stack all the smaller rocks to continue one of the other stacks and bring it down like a terrace toward front/center, leaving crevices for fish. Could also bring other side flowing more forward which still leaves lots of open sand

 

[ikanayam]

It’s actually a pretty good start. Are you using any glue/epoxy to hold pieces together. You can use that to build up some height.

Also offset the arch a little. Kinda like in photography where they tell you not to put the subject in the center of the frame.

Also maybe place some rock in the front flowing to the back to create some depth.

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

Awesome suggestions!!!! Really starting to help me open up my mind with these ideas! Dang, do any of you guys live in Alabama by chance? Lol
So far I've changed a little, the arc was higher and was resting on the back glass so I took it off the back glass and lowered the right side of the arc by a lot! The left side I broke two rocks apart with a chizel that I had epoxyd and it just didn't for and didn't look right so I broke it and kind made a little cave/ tunnel on the left side and its a little higher. The tang loves it and keeps swimming under the cave/tunnel and eating algae a lot more over there....the right side I put some flat pieces of rock and put it under my main huge tall aquacultures rock that is my favorite, call it my mushroom rock BC I put all my shrooms on it lol also, made my stylophora a little higher up.....not finished yet, but need tomove more rocks to the right side to build it up some more and gotta move this arc over to the left some, the only thing I hate is that the right base side of the arc is where my pistol and watchman call home, so its gonna make it a little difficult as I hate to disturb their home, if you will lol. But anyways here's the pics
Before:

After but not done yet:

I've still got a long way to go, but wanted to place the aquascape according to the amount of light the different ZOA's need and didn't wanna stir up the sand too much

This is my first SPS coral, stylophora. Ever since I got it two weeks or so ago, its been open fully extended and has white tips on the end...I'm guessing this is a happy stylo??
Thanks again, and still open to more suggestions!!!!!

 

[Susan Edwards]

looking good. Good start. Love the swim thru!

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

Alright so this appeared before I aquascaped last night, but I noticed some white blobs under a frag on my tall aquacultured live rock and I tried sucking it out with a syphon and some of it got in the flow, I'm thinking this is where it came from, but shortly after maybe a couple days there was this white hairy wavy film on some live rock and spreading. I increased the flow as much as I could and scrubbed it off and it was fine, well today I noticed it again under my arc, does anyone know what this is? Or ever had a white hairy film that seems to spread....it waves in the current and really can't find it online! Anybody know!?

 

[jacksonpt]

There isn't really a right or wrong when it comes to aquascapes, as long as
(A) You like it
(B) It doesn't create unnecessary deadspots
(C) It allows you to place corals appropriate for their flow/lighting needs

Beyond that, it's all subjective/personal preference.


As to your most recent question about the "hairy film"... got any pictures? Preferably under less blue/more balanced lighting?

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

I'll try and get a pic when I have balanced lighting....
The pics I've taken were at night when the lights were more blue,buuuut today if it appears again I'll snap a pic...has anyone ever heard of this or had it?

 

[ikanayam]

Google white hair algae. I have something similar to what you describe. Seems to grow in the underhangs and not so much in the open.

 

[alanbetiger]

At the end of the day it's your tank, so it's a good aquascape if you like it!
Having said that as far as personal opinion I would say it's a bit too symmetrical. I prefer you'r rework. Have you googled The Golden Ratio? I failed miserably at doing it because I couldn't get to some aspects of the tank and I did a rush job. Search google images "the golden ratio reef tank" and there's quite a few good examples and some diagrams to help as well. Basically on both sides of the arch if you can mimic the ratio of 1:1.6. Both in height and width. For example one side could do a 6 inch wide and 6 inch tall structure and the other side you do 9.6 (say 10 even) inch wide and tall structure.