Aquascaping

[bmr]

It is about time to aquascape. Any tips for a newbie? I have enough substrate to equate to about 3". I also have 150# of Florida live romad plus 100# of FIji dry rock. Should I create support for the rock to keep it off the glass and higher in the substrate? Have you done something similar? If so, how?

Thanks for the help!!

 

[BarbH]

I actually placed my rock directly onto the glass and than added the sand.

 

[wysiwyg]

i placed my rock directly on my bed then just placed my pieces like a puzzle fitting them in nice and snug and made sure that they were stable and would not fall

 

[gar732]

How big is the tank you are setting up? That's a lot of rock. Many people put the rock directly on the glass so that it won't shift if something digs under it. I personally like minimal, open scapes and if you keep it off the back glass you get better flow and it will be easier to clean. Also don't go too high with the rock, let your corals stretch out and fill in the empty spaces. But it all comes down to your personal preference.

 

[Steelerfan747]

I have always put the sand first then I add the rocks as I feel more comfortable this way. I agree with gar732 about keeping the rocks off the rear glass and stacking the rocks only a little above 1/2 way

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I also like to keep in mind the type of fish and corals I want to keep. I like variety so I plan my rock work with areas of low light and more intense. This allows me to be able to accommodate all types of coral. Also, I like to keep smaller fish that tend to weave in and out of the rock so I provide them with nooks and crannies.

 

[bmr]

How big is the tank you are setting up? That's a lot of rock. Many people put the rock directly on the glass so that it won't shift if something digs under it. I personally like minimal, open scapes and if you keep it off the back glass you get better flow and it will be easier to clean. Also don't go too high with the rock, let your corals stretch out and fill in the empty spaces. But it all comes down to your personal preference.

It is 36x48x27 about 200 gallons. I didn't like all of the Florida rock, some are just bolders. I may leave about 50#s of the Florida out.

 

[ReefPops]

I Used to do sand first, but now I like rock directly on the bottom. Keep in mind you distance from the sides too, for cleaning anyway. I use the magnet cleaners so try to make sure they can get everywhere. Good luck with the setup!

 

[MattinIdaho]

I would leave twice as much room than you think you need between the front glass and your rock. Once you add water it will appear a lot closer than it really is. I always wish I had more sand space for some corals.

 

[Detroit_306]

This time around i went with two islands, with one island built coming all the way out of the water, but i did put them down before the sand. Always start with the bigger pieces for a base obviously then just like wysiwyg said, its like a puzzle. Youll probably tear it down at least 3 times to redo it

 

[mallorieGgator]

I always put my rock on the sand because I don't like to create points of pressure on the bottom of the glass. Especially since you have so much rock, I would not want to put too much weight on the glass. You can put egg crate down and then the rock and then the sand. That way you have the stability of the rock under the sand and the egg crate helps with weight distribution.

 

[gar732]

It is 36x48x27 about 200 gallons. I didn't like all of the Florida rock, some are just bolders. I may leave about 50#s of the Florida out.

Love that tank, it gives you so many options to get creative with a scape. I hope to upgrade to that sized tank once I move, not a bad way to start at all my friend. Just don't be surprised if you have to move things around a few times till you get it just the way you want it. Please post some pics once you get going on the scape.

 

[bmr]

I try to incorporate as much advice as possible.

I would leave twice as much room than you think you need between the front glass and your rock. Once you add water it will appear a lot closer than it really is. I always wish I had more sand space for some corals.

I have lots of open sand in anticipation of corals.

 

[bmr]

I also like to keep in mind the type of fish and corals I want to keep. I like variety so I plan my rock work with areas of low light and more intense. This allows me to be able to accommodate all types of coral. Also, I like to keep smaller fish that tend to weave in and out of the rock so I provide them with nooks and crannies.

I have scaped with lots of crevasse and overhangs for a variance in flow and light.

 

[bmr]

Here are the pictures....

 

[Diesel]

Awesome!