Help Please. Show me 90 Gallon Aquascape

[ReefGeezer]

I'm planning to re-do my 90. I'm tired of the pile-o-rocks look. I have a 90 with a center overflow. I'm leaning toward using new dry rock of some sort but could be convinced otherwise. Anyone have suggestions, advice, pictures, or etc.? Thanks.

 

[Backreefing]

I'm planning to re-do my 90. I'm tired of the pile-o-rocks look. I have a 90 with a center overflow. I'm leaning toward using new dry rock of some sort but could be convinced otherwise. Anyone have suggestions, advice, pictures, or etc.? Thanks.

Th new dry vs live rock , each have there merits. Dry you can take time and cut and form to your liking. But it has problems with becoming established.
live rock is live with good and bad . Mostly good . But cutting forming and glueing is much more difficult and limiting.
my suggestion for a 90 is something I got planned to . Really high rock work on one side slopping downwards past the center. Maybe a pillar or a tower in the open area . Or two piles of rocks big and small.
looking back in regards to new dry rock I should have put them in a tub with a power head and dosed nutrients. The rocks that I formed acted like sponges to phosphates and gave me 0 ppb and 0 ppm nitrates, then Dino’s, then doseing then super stressed coral , I hope it’s all behind me now . It is surprising how much phosphate the new rock sucked up . I’d dose an hour later zero I’d dose an hour later zero . On and on for a month. Imagine being a acropora in there . But live rock has it’s downfalls to . You usually get in workable peace’s , aptasia, fire worms, mahonos , flat worms . Skunk rock (Bad smelling ) . It goes on and on . My biggest complaint about live rock besides costing it’s own weight in silver . Is the peace’s are impossible to stack how I want . .
good luck

 

[lavoisier]

As Backreefing mentioned there are advantages and disadvantage to either choice. It is a question of what problems I want to deal with to reach a stable system. I used live rock in the past and then in my last two builds went to dry rock in the DT and live rock in my refugiums (primarily for the bacteria) and am happy with the results. The key in my experience with any new tank is being patient and not moving too fast. Using dry rock has meant that reaching maturity has taken longer, but I did not have to deal with unwanted pests. I prefer that scenario but it is a choice each of us has to make.

Be sure to peruse the Aquascape and Member Tanks forums for pics and ideas.