Aquascape For Fish Health

[ScottR]

Since I have a lot more time now, like everyone else, I scraped the back of my tank clean. I was never able to see anything back there but Now I see there is a huge systems of interconnecting caves where many of the fish and crustaceans that I rarely see, hang out.

Now I spend more time in the back of the tank than the front.
These Rainsford gobies always stay on opposite ends of my 6' tank. But I see they get together in the back to hang out and I think they are spawning.



I have 2 of these Sunburst Anthius and they also don't seem to get along. One stays in a small cave in the front and I rarely know where the other one is. Now I see they both hang out in the back.
I don't think they are spawning yet, but they are young.



This Janss Pipefish I also rarely see, but now I know where he hides.



This female Bluestripe is also there constantly trying to spawn with the much larger Janss. I think this is impossible and probably illegal.


This Perchlet also lives there.

Beautiful fish and your rocks looked well traveled.

 

[Paul B]

I'd love to see some pics of your PVC...

Build your own rock for practically free

Make your own rock When the hobby started there was no live rock for sale, as a matter of fact, there wasn’t even dead rock for sale. We used dead, white bleached pieces of coral to decorate our tanks and we bought that in a furniture store...

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[sp1187]

My fish seem to be content. As I sit here I can see all 20+ out and about.

My scape is a pvc skeleton with 2 part putty fabbed to look like rock/coral.

Holes cut in to the pvc at the bottom to the top, and every where in between allow them to stake out their own spot and to hide if they feel the need.

 

[Mr. Fishy Fish]

Thanks, @paul. I was originally going for one of those fancy open scapes, but now I'm going to attempt to "mimic" your style. It makes so much more sense.

 

[Paul B]

Mr. Fishy Fish. Thank you. My entire reef structure is an inch or two over the gravel so fish can swim almost all the way under it. Of course there are tunnels all through it so I can have fish hiding for weeks without me seeing them. They are always spawning.
I looked in a cave yesterday and saw my watchmans spawned again.

They spawn every couple of weeks and that is the best sign of health.

If you have paired fish that are not spawning, they are not healthy.

 

[Mr. Fishy Fish]

Mr. Fishy Fish. Thank you. My entire reef structure is an inch or two over the gravel so fish can swim almost all the way under it. Of course there are tunnels all through it so I can have fish hiding for weeks without me seeing them. They are always spawning.
I looked in a cave yesterday and saw my watchmans spawned again.

They spawn every couple of weeks and that is the best sign of health.

If you have paired fish that are not spawning, they are not healthy.

I'm hoping my fish end up spawning half as much as yours do. Beautiful watchman's btw, I need some of that bacteria you got man. I went to my LFS to get some ocean rock, but I couldn't find any sadly (they only have the rock with LFS bacteria in it). Now I have no choice but to use dry rock instead. I wish I could go to the beach and grab mud as you do... however, all I have is the Detroit river next to me .

 

[Todd1white]

There’s a dude Lee, in Md I think

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he can take your thoughts on a scape and make it real. Loads of swim through hiding places for the fish and plenty of mounting spots for coral. Came in 3 rings that stack so I could get it in. Cost about as much as quality live rock and no pests.

 

[saltnut]

Mr. Fishy Fish. Thank you. My entire reef structure is an inch or two over the gravel so fish can swim almost all the way under it. Of course there are tunnels all through it so I can have fish hiding for weeks without me seeing them. They are always spawning.
I looked in a cave yesterday and saw my watchmans spawned again.

They spawn every couple of weeks and that is the best sign of health.

If you have paired fish that are not spawning, they are not healthy.

Did you get these fish as a mated pair?

 

[Paul B]

No, I just bought two fish. I think they change sex as my watchmans always spawned and I doubt I have been that lucky to get a pair all the time.