Coral Placement - I'm always second guessing myself!

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I am always so sure that I know where I want it when I start blobbing the glue on a frag but with very few exceptions I eventually decide it's the totally wrong place. Usually I come to this conclusion after it's well encrusted because...you know! Anyway, hoping to not follow this trend yet again.

The toadstool on the left needs to move. For one, it's decided to show me its ugliest angle up in that spot, and for two, it's probably going to grow too big to be appropriate. Oh, and it's growing ever closer to a very tiny special needs coral that I don't dare move. Any suggestions?

I also still need to find places for the guys who are all down in the sand but that's less urgent, they aren't busy attaching themselves to the substrate.

Of course if there is anything else that I've placed badly I'd love to hear about it so hopefully it can be remedied. When you haven't had certain corals before it can be hard to predict how they might mature and cause problems for others.

Wish I knew what might work right up at the top. I built it my 'scape way too close to the surface.

 

[Tcook]

I would stick it in the sand. Put it in that little cut out between the large outcropping and the xenia rock.

 

[Uncle99]

I put all my Acros at the top of the rockwork.
Here they get the fast flow and best light.

LPS and SPS, middle to lower, tracs, clams, brains and that stuff on the bottom or in the sand.

Ive glued and pulled a ton of times until I got everyone happy.

 

[Arego]

Outside of a corals need for lighting you'll want to use a color wheel to find complimentary color combos based on your frags. Doing this helps bring out the colors of each coral tremendously, especially as the pieces grow.

Also, group 3 or 4 within close proximity, based on compatibility stick within 3-5in give or take. It turns out much nicer with more in a smaller area than having less than 10 frags over an entire tank which makes it feel empty. Of course, just in my opinion.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I would stick it in the sand. Put it in that little cut out between the large outcropping and the xenia rock.

This is probably pretty good advice for any toadstool. Although I don't think this is a variety that will grow excessively large, the possibility exists and a toadstool that has encrusted to a rock can be difficult to move. Better to be safe.

I put all my Acros at the top of the rockwork.
Here they get the fast flow and best light.

LPS and SPS, middle to lower, tracs, clams, brains and that stuff on the bottom or in the sand.

Ive glued and pulled a ton of times until I got everyone happy.

So no need to feel bad about not getting it right the first time! I think you make a good point, too, in that just because I don't have the acros for the top today it doesn't mean I should just put anything up there. One day the right coral for the upper rocks will arrive and I'll be glad that I left a spot for it.

Outside of a corals need for lighting you'll want to use a color wheel to find complimentary color combos based on your frags. Doing this helps bring out the colors of each coral tremendously, especially as the pieces grow.

Also, group 3 or 4 within close proximity, based on compatibility stick within 3-5in give or take. It turns out much nicer with more in a smaller area than having less than 10 frags over an entire tank which makes it feel empty. Of course, just in my opinion.

I really like this idea. I think a lot of my weird placements have been from trying to space things around too evenly. And the color wheel is a great idea. The red blasto has been particularly irksome with all the orange in the tank. I was actually thinking about moving it south a bit, closer to the sinularia to perhaps bring out the colors of both.

This is why I hired a landscaper to do the yard. Sometimes I just don't see the big picture!

 

[Arego]

This is a little old but will give you an idea how I started grouping mine in the beginning. I never really take pictures of my tank so I use this one over and over. Once I got over the something has to be everywhere to make it seem like more than it is mentality the grouping became simple just make sure requirements of lighting and flow per frag and then start gluing.

Once you use a color wheel for complimentary colors (as close as you can anyway) a few times you'll catch on and just keep doing it. Basically I would move all the sand frags over to their own area . Now the zoa's and anything else attached are your anchor pieces. Find complimentary color frags and set them all kinds of ways but close, within a few inches if it can make sense both now and in the future. just be very sure there aren't sweepers on something that will destroy it's neighborhood.

Lastly, most important.. don't just put something somewhere just to do it. Everything grows together in the wild, group your corals! No frags left behind. Nothing should be just sitting in the sand. Even with bitty frags if you bunch up the right ones it will still look solid.. give it a try.

I should probably update my tank photo alot has changed, if I remember I'll swing back and post it. This was in the very beginning, a coral plus had blown so the back is a bit more blue, ignore that

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

This is a little old but will give you an idea how I started grouping mine in the beginning. I never really take pictures of my tank so I use this one over and over. Once I got over the something has to be everywhere to make it seem like more than it is mentality the grouping became simple just make sure requirements of lighting and flow per frag and then start gluing.

Once you use a color wheel for complimentary colors (as close as you can anyway) a few times you'll catch on and just keep doing it. Basically I would move all the sand frags over to their own area . Now the zoa's and anything else attached are your anchor pieces. Find complimentary color frags and set them all kinds of ways but close, within a few inches if it can make sense both now and in the future. just be very sure there aren't sweepers on something that will destroy it's neighborhood.

Lastly, most important.. don't just put something somewhere just to do it. Everything grows together in the wild, group your corals! No frags left behind. Nothing should be just sitting in the sand. Even with bitty frags if you bunch up the right ones it will still look solid.. give it a try.

I should probably update my tank photo alot has changed, if I remember I'll swing back and post it. This was in the very beginning, a coral plus had blown so the back is a bit more blue, ignore that

Really great response, I really appreciate it! I'm glad I finally asked this question because all of the responses have really helped the way I think about coral placement. I think "don't just put something somewhere just to do it" is the biggest thing I need to take to heart. I think I get anxious to get things placed and that's when they end up where they don't belong. Great stuff.