Aquascape critique

[180large]

Hi , just looking for a little input. Check out my scape what do you think ?
Concerns?
Criticism welcome. Thank you.

 

[4davegill]

very hard to tell from a 2d picture. Ill say from this angle it looks very cool, though if it is all in a row, it may present issues with flow. i like it though.

 

[180large]

here’s an end shot. Might help see it better. I hear you on the flow part. Hmmmm

 

[Miami Reef]

Try to make the left side have varying heights. It appears flat and a little “boring”.

I would make the left structure lower than the right with differing heights and peaks on the left structure similar to how you did the right side.

 

[Miami Reef]

here’s an end shot. Might help see it better. I hear you on the flow part. Hmmmm

The flow part is just fine. That won’t be a problem at all.

 

[180large]

Try to make the left side have varying heights. It appears flat and a little “boring”.

I would make the left structure lower than the right with differing heights and peaks on the left structure similar to how you did the right side.

Thank you great point. So you think the right is good ? I like the right.

 

[4davegill]

here’s an end shot. Might help see it better. I hear you on the flow part. Hmmmm

I found staggering, while still using the 1/3 rule (like your focal points being one third from each side, and one third up and one third down, I applied that to depth too, to kind of create a turbulence that had a negative space effect and removed some dead areas.

 

[Miami Reef]

Thank you great point. So you think the right is good ? I like the right.

Yes. Right is perfect.

 

[CookieRdReef]

The one on the right looks great.

 

[mynd]

In the last 25 years I honestly understand the idea of putting rock in the tank cause people are so impatient. If it was me doing this aquascape I would take all the rock out of the tank.. put it inside a tub like a tote of plastic from Home depot. I would let it sit there for about oh.. a month.. then I would take the dried stone and I would I start to piece it together into a scape that I liked. at that point I would drill the rock and put in pegs so that I can make sure the rocks will stick together later. At this point making sure the rock is built up the way I wanted I would get a metal container and I would put that rock in the oven at 500 degrees or more for about 5 hours. After that I would take it out let it cool and I do it again for another 5 hours and let it cool.

Then I would take the pieces and wash them off and I would put them back together with the pegs. I would use Coralline Purple Reep Epoxy to connect all the pieces back together the way you originally had them. I would let that dry and in a day or 2 I would then take that clean, hopefully critter free/algae free rock back into the tank and allow the new coralline algae to grow on its own..

It is this way the scape will never crash, you can almost guarantee that it is critter free and also be about 80% sure that the crappy algae that you don't want growing in your tank is possibly gone. Cause I will tell you this. Crappy algae has a way of just finding a way. 9 months from now when you are so happy with your tank all of a sudden the algae will start growing from the bottom of the scape in a place you can't get to and it will take over the bottom of the tank and you will be so ticked off..

or, you can do what you are doing and it might all work out.. In regards to how it looks.. It looks okay. I think you can do better.. and its lots easier to build out of the tank then in the water a 100 times.

Good luck!

 

[180large]

Thanks for the tips. Switched it up a little.

 

[180large]

I found staggering, while still using the 1/3 rule (like your focal points being one third from each side, and one third up and one third down, I applied that to depth too, to kind of create a turbulence that had a negative space effect and removed some dead areas.

Very difficult, I get you.

 

[180large]

In the last 25 years I honestly understand the idea of putting rock in the tank cause people are so impatient. If it was me doing this aquascape I would take all the rock out of the tank.. put it inside a tub like a tote of plastic from Home depot. I would let it sit there for about oh.. a month.. then I would take the dried stone and I would I start to piece it together into a scape that I liked. at that point I would drill the rock and put in pegs so that I can make sure the rocks will stick together later. At this point making sure the rock is built up the way I wanted I would get a metal container and I would put that rock in the oven at 500 degrees or more for about 5 hours. After that I would take it out let it cool and I do it again for another 5 hours and let it cool.

Then I would take the pieces and wash them off and I would put them back together with the pegs. I would use Coralline Purple Reep Epoxy to connect all the pieces back together the way you originally had them. I would let that dry and in a day or 2 I would then take that clean, hopefully critter free/algae free rock back into the tank and allow the new coralline algae to grow on its own..

It is this way the scape will never crash, you can almost guarantee that it is critter free and also be about 80% sure that the crappy algae that you don't want growing in your tank is possibly gone. Cause I will tell you this. Crappy algae has a way of just finding a way. 9 months from now when you are so happy with your tank all of a sudden the algae will start growing from the bottom of the scape in a place you can't get to and it will take over the bottom of the tank and you will be so ticked off..

or, you can do what you are doing and it might all work out.. In regards to how it looks.. It looks okay. I think you can do better.. and its lots easier to build out of the tank then in the water a 100 times.

Good luck!

I won’t be drilling but will use epoxy to hold together. It’s real reef rock so no critters and have had in my 100 gal sump for two months. Your way is awesome for dry rock. I chose a different path that’s all. Thank you for your thoughts on this. Love to hear other experiences.