Finally finished my aquascape! How does it look?

[Sink_or_Swim]

Looks fantastic! You did a great job with that scape. The only thing I would do is add a bit more height to one end. Possibly build up a few more inches on the right 1/3rd area to give you some more "Up and down" and draw the eye off center.

Thank you! I have been struggling with the height of that piece as well - rule of 3rds, etc... I have a couple pieces of rock leftover (one is an arch/cave shape), so I may play around with that. I kept trying to make it taller but always ended up not loving the result. This is probably why I always finished projects the night before due when I was in art school - I'm too picky... lol! I saw some CaribSea "frag zone" rocks at Petco the other day, I may grab those and see if I can build up the height a bit with smaller pieces.

 

[welsher7]

Thank you! It is pretty close, about an inch and a half... unfortunately ended up that way unless I pushed the shelf all the way against the back (was trying to leave at least a small gap back there for flow and being able to squeeze an algae scraper in... I almost felt like ditching the shelf piece but I love it AND it was expensive, ugh. Because of the curved front glass, I *think* l'll have enough room to clean around it, but yeah, probably going to be a pain lol.

I would sacrifice the space in the back for more room up front. There is no need to clean the glass behind the rock because it won't be seen. When you do your water changes you can use a turkey baster or powerhead clear out behind the structure.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Not to shabby ay? Lol
Looks good. Post another pic tomorrow light on. When it clears.
Reef on!
-d

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I would sacrifice the space in the back for more room up front. There is no need to clean the glass behind the rock because it won't be seen. When you do your water changes you can use a turkey baster or powerhead clear out behind the structure.

Good point! I'll play around with it after work and see if I can push it back a little more.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Not to shabby ay? Lol
Looks good. Post another pic tomorrow light on. When it clears.
Reef on!
-d

Thanks! I'll take new pics after work today. I pulled out the filter floss and replaced with a water polishing pad, hopefully that helps. (I finally realized the cloudiness isn't all from the live sand - it's from the top layer of DRY sand I added and forgot to wash... DOH!) In 30 years I don't think I ever forgot to wash gravel/sand... must be losing my marbles, lol. I'm kicking myself because the white haze is covering all of the glass and is going to be a pain to remove).

 

[sumtingbig]

Looks great. Nice high quality sand bed to

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Looks great. Nice high quality sand bed to

Thank you! I'm obsessed with the Tropic Eden sand - it's beautiful (having to play around with wavemaker placement though as it does blow around pretty easily). I'm hoping to be able to keep it clean as I also made it a lot deeper than intended... oops).

 

[MaxTremors]

Really cool! I’d be sure to blow out the barnacles with a turkey baster every few days otherwise they’ll become a detritus trap, but overall, I really like it.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Really cool! I’d be sure to blow out the barnacles with a turkey baster every few days otherwise they’ll become a detritus trap, but overall, I really like it.

Thanks! Yeah that's a good idea - they are really lightweight, I'm wondering if I should attach them to a small piece of rock to help keep fish or inverts from moving them around... Also really hope a future fish or shrimp want to hang out in them, that'd be cool.

 

[MaxTremors]

Thanks! Yeah that's a good idea - they are really lightweight, I'm wondering if I should attach them to a small piece of rock to help keep fish or inverts from moving them around... Also really hope a future fish or shrimp want to hang out in them, that'd be cool.

A Tailspot or bicolor blenny for sure would. My Tailspot has little hideouts all over my tank.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

A Tailspot or bicolor blenny for sure would. My Tailspot has little hideouts all over my tank.

Perfect - I'll have to look for one. I really would also like a YWG and pistol shrimp... do you think the goby and blenny would coexist ok? Guessing the goby/shrimp would more likely dig into the sand at the base of the rock anyway?

 

[MaxTremors]

Perfect - I'll have to look for one. I really would also like a YWG and pistol shrimp... do you think the goby and blenny would coexist ok? Guessing the goby/shrimp would more likely dig into the sand at the base of the rock anyway?

They’ll do fine together, I have a pink bar goby (which is watchman) and the Tailspot in a 28g. Watchman gobies are pretty cryptic and usually sit at the entrance to their hole, or mine sometimes perches on this colony of zoas just above the rock her cave is under. Whereas the blenny is constantly going from hole to hole (it has probably 10 different little holes/crevices it maintains all across the tank), eating algae off the rocks/glass in between. The blenny has a main home where it sleeps (underneath a Hollywood stunner that’s plating out), but it keeps a bunch of other hideouts clean (she keeps them clean of detritus/algae/hermit crabs, she’ll grab whatever it is that she doesn’t want in her hole and carry it to the other side of the tank and drop it). One of my favorite fish, is active and has tons of personality.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

They’ll do fine together, I have a pink bar goby (which is watchman) and the Tailspot in a 28g. Watchman gobies are pretty cryptic and usually sit at the entrance to their hole, or mine sometimes perches on this colony of zoas just above the rock her cave is under. Whereas the blenny is constantly going from hole to hole (it has probably 10 different little holes/crevices it maintains all across the tank), eating algae off the rocks/glass in between. The blenny has a main home where it sleeps (underneath a Hollywood stunner that’s plating out), but it keeps a bunch of other hideouts clean (she keeps them clean of detritus/algae/hermit crabs, she’ll grab whatever it is that she doesn’t want in her hole and carry it to the other side of the tank and drop it). One of my favorite fish, is active and has tons of personality.

Awesome, will definitely have to get one of each then! I love the pink bar gobies too, can't decide between that or the yellow watchman... Do you have a pistol shrimp with your goby?

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Thanks! I'll take new pics after work today. I pulled out the filter floss and replaced with a water polishing pad, hopefully that helps. (I finally realized the cloudiness isn't all from the live sand - it's from the top layer of DRY sand I added and forgot to wash... DOH!) In 30 years I don't think I ever forgot to wash gravel/sand... must be losing my marbles, lol. I'm kicking myself because the white haze is covering all of the glass and is going to be a pain to remove).

@monkeyCmonkeyDo New pics as promised - clearing up some. My dogs decided to photobomb, lol. They keep sniffing the tank and stand, weirdos. The older one barks at fish on the tv. Will be interesting to see what happens when I add fish, hah! As for now, I am struggling with wavemaker placement and flow... if I turn it up too much it reaches further across the tank, but blows a big pit in the sand. Turn it down and feel that flow on other end is lacking. Ugh. Guess it's trial and error with placement. Or maybe I should've gone with the IceCap... the Jebao instructions and app are crap. *sigh*

 

[SVC_117]

Very cool!

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Very cool!

Thank you!