Aquascape Regret?

[AGWL]

Starting by saying I really need to make a build thread. But anyway....

55 gallon, up and running for about 6 months. Upgraded from a 25g that was given to me.

In my excitement, I fell down some rabbit holes and ended up buying a couple of the CaribSea Coral Tree Aquascape kits. Not cheap, y'all.

Now I hate it. I think they're too high? Maybe?

Current livestock: Tomato clown (came with the original tank) and his BT anemone (purchased after tank was set up. Poor tomato had no anemone for over a year), Coral Banded Shrimp (OG tank), 2 feather dusters, a pom-pom crab, 4 emerald crabs (one of which is fricking HUGE), brittle starfish, a tuxedo urchin, a dozen or so misc hermits, 3 conch snails, 2 large turbos, and a random scattering of other snails. Current corals: 2 tiny ricordea, a galaxea, 3 candy canes, a pulsing xenia, a couple of leathers, GSP, and 3 zoas.

I know 55g aren't the best for space and layouts, but it's what I have to work with. I also have about 40 lbs of rock just sitting in my garage. I tried to make my own arches and whatnot but they never held up.

Help! What's going to be the best way to capitalize on what real estate I have? I want to set it and forget it. I hate the current layout.

 

[MoshJosh]

I really like the structure on the right. The large open spot in the middle is not to my liking. . . unless you can put a HUGE colony there. Left structure is also not to my liking, but not terrible if the rest of the scape was balanced out.

I say need a structure in the middle or mess around with turning the left structure on its side.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Cool thing about the one to the left you can get some sps coral maybe birdsnest on the top

 

[Frank SM]

Move them both towards the center another couple of inches to close the gap. Then you can plan around corals to put in various places to make them fuller. I can't tell where the BTA is but I would put it on the left rock, due to limited real estate. Once it settles, you can plan around it. The right structure definitely has more potential.

You should think about your plans for the tank. If you plan on having fish that require swimming space, a gap isn't a bad idea.

Tomato clowns can be quite aggressive so that's something to think about.

 

[KK's Reef]

Starting by saying I really need to make a build thread. But anyway....

55 gallon, up and running for about 6 months. Upgraded from a 25g that was given to me.

In my excitement, I fell down some rabbit holes and ended up buying a couple of the CaribSea Coral Tree Aquascape kits. Not cheap, y'all.

Now I hate it. I think they're too high? Maybe?

Current livestock: Tomato clown (came with the original tank) and his BT anemone (purchased after tank was set up. Poor tomato had no anemone for over a year), Coral Banded Shrimp (OG tank), 2 feather dusters, a pom-pom crab, 4 emerald crabs (one of which is fricking HUGE), brittle starfish, a tuxedo urchin, a dozen or so misc hermits, 3 conch snails, 2 large turbos, and a random scattering of other snails. Current corals: 2 tiny ricordea, a galaxea, 3 candy canes, a pulsing xenia, a couple of leathers, GSP, and 3 zoas.

I know 55g aren't the best for space and layouts, but it's what I have to work with. I also have about 40 lbs of rock just sitting in my garage. I tried to make my own arches and whatnot but they never held up.

Help! What's going to be the best way to capitalize on what real estate I have? I want to set it and forget it. I hate the current layout.

Bring both structures closer to each other to eat up that negative space in the middle. I think it will look more natural if both structures looked like one from some angles. That will also create negative space on the left and right sides for your fishies. Turn the right structure about 45 degrees so that the tip of the top arch rock is pointing a bit to the front of the tank. Put smaller rocks on either side to look like outcroppings from the sandbed.

 

[AGWL]

Move them both towards the center another couple of inches to close the gap. Then you can plan around corals to put in various places to make them fuller. I can't tell where the BTA is but I would put it on the left rock, due to limited real estate. Once it settles, you can plan around it. The right structure definitely has more potential.

You should think about your plans for the tank. If you plan on having fish that require swimming space, a gap isn't a bad idea.

Tomato clowns can be quite aggressive so that's something to think about.

BTA (aka Dr Sagan) moves frequently. He's currently in the back left upper corner near the protein skimmer. He goes where he wants to.

And yeah on the tomato clowns. He came with the original tank, so I'm stuck with him. He's cool, though. Happiest fish ever when I got him the BTA.

Luckily I'm more of an invert person so not to worried about adding other fish just yet.

 

[AGWL]

I really like the structure on the right. The large open spot in the middle is not to my liking. . . unless you can put a HUGE colony there. Left structure is also not to my liking, but not terrible if the rest of the scape was balanced out.

I say need a structure in the middle or mess around with turning the left structure on its side.

Do I need to reduce the height on the one on the left? Take off the top piece?

Scootch both more towards the middle, add some other pieces in between them. I have a partial arch somewhere (was a full arch but broke). Yes?

 

[Frank SM]

Do I need to reduce the height on the one on the left? Take off the top piece?

Scootch both more towards the middle, add some other pieces in between them. I have a partial arch somewhere (was a full arch but broke). Yes?

That's a good idea. Scootch them closer, turn the one on the right 180 degrees, create an arch between the "heavy" sides, and have an arm reaching to the right.

If Dr. Sagan keeps moving, it's not happy. It's searching for something - light, flow, etc.

 

[Dave1993]

yea the trees are expensive and the thing with only having them is the fish have no caves to sleep in

 

[X-37B]

Scapes are personel. If you dont like it change it. Hard to tell anyone what they will like.

Keep in mind that once your system fills in you wont see much rock.

Hardest thing for most is to visualize what the scape will look like in 1-2 years. Set it and forget it as opposed to moving it around often.

Here is an exampke of my 120 with around 80lbs of live rock.
2 years later and still growing in. No real structure as I let the corals
Do their own thing.

 

[MoshJosh]

Do I need to reduce the height on the one on the left? Take off the top piece?

Scootch both more towards the middle, add some other pieces in between them. I have a partial arch somewhere (was a full arch but broke). Yes?

I was thinking something like this using the existing pieces but turning the left piece on it's side. . . hard to say without knowing how the rock looks in 3 dimensions. . . still something like this:

But as others have said, it's all up to personal taste. . . and in the end when it's covered in coral no one will be looking at the rocks haha

 

[MrGisonni]

Your scape is bothering you because your eyes are telling you something is wrong. There is no focal point. Just left then right, which is not pleaseing to the eye. Your your eyes should track around the scape from one focal point to another. Plan then redo based on the rule of thirds and/ or the more complex visual planning strategy, the golden ratio. My wife thought I was nuts planning my scape but I followed the rules, took pictures the made adjustments

Video on the golden ratio

My 30 mixed reef
And now after almost 2 years...the upper right corner needs something to fill in the gap and allow the eye to flow around the scape

 

[MrGisonni]

Scapes are personel. If you dont like it change it. Hard to tell anyone what they will like.

Keep in mind that once your system fills in you wont see much rock.

Hardest thing for most is to visualize what the scape will look like in 1-2 years. Set it and forget it as opposed to moving it around often.

Here is an exampke of my 120 with around 80lbs of live rock.
2 years later and still growing in. No real structure as I let the corals
Do their own thing.

That big green acro catches my eye first which is a focal point that is situated following the rule of thirds. My eye then drifts along your scape and up your overgrown prefilter. Really nice natural look. Beautiful. If I were being picky....another big beautiful coral as a second focal point just the the right of your prefilter would be perfection.
"Chefs Kiss"

 

[X-37B]

That big green acro catches my eye first which is a focal point that is situated following the rule of thirds. My eye then drifts along your scape and up your overgrown prefilter. Really nice natural look. Beautiful. If I were being picky....another big beautiful coral as a second focal point just the the right of your prefilter would be perfection.
"Chefs Kiss"

Well here it is grown in on the other side.
Hard to tell from pics sometimes.
All that matters is if you like your scape.

 

[MrGisonni]

Well here it is grown in on the other side.
Hard to tell from pics sometimes.
All that matters is if you like your scape.

Amazing

 

[bushdoc]

My 2c: My philosophy is Scandinavian one-it is not beautiful if it's not functional.
This aquascape has got limited functionality, no hiding places for fish, no protection for corals from raging currents ( should there be ones).
I had to rehome several coral frags to more quiet and shaltered places in my tank, but I have more rock, cave, which fish love and rock structures protecting corals and fish from excessive current. This way I can have both low and high flow loving inhabitants.

 

[AGWL]

Scapes are personel. If you dont like it change it. Hard to tell anyone what they will like.

Keep in mind that once your system fills in you wont see much rock.

Hardest thing for most is to visualize what the scape will look like in 1-2 years. Set it and forget it as opposed to moving it around often.

Here is an exampke of my 120 with around 80lbs of live rock.
2 years later and still growing in. No real structure as I let the corals
Do their own thing.

That's lovely, thank you for sharing.

I've spent the day watching aquascaping videos and mapping out the tank into thirds. Tomorrow I start busting rocks up.

Part of the problem, I think, is the base pieces of both structures are SO big, I can't really turn them in such a narrow tank (yes, yes, bad 55, I know).

I'll keep y'all updated. (ADHD brain for the win; this is my hyper-focus project until further notice.)

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Depending on how you layout your tank a 55 is not horrible i went with a frag rock hybrid and love it you can really add some cool structures in it even if the space is narrow here is a fts of my 55g with a side view as well again mine is a little different due to it being a frag but still the on the left is appealing to me at least even if the rack wasnt there

 

[MrGisonni]

How did your scape finally turn out???

 

[Andrey Grodno]

Lack of background, wires at the back of the aquarium, two stones, questionable shape. What kind of scape? There is not and will not be any scape. Unless it's a loft. aqua loft.