I’m at a loss, any advice?

[Fruity Reefer]

I bought a TON of Marco rock so I had plenty of shapes, sizes, etc. to build from and I really can’t decide what the heck to do with it. This is a 60 gal 24” Cube

Thoughts? Ideas? I’m open to it all.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Last one gets my vote

 

[KQuillan]

I like the last one but also with a bridge.

 

[Rtaylor]

Make sure you use the height, fish usually stick to the rock work, so if you have a lot of empty space at the top, it’s kind of wasted. Keep space for coral of course as that can help fill out the height,

 

[CBonito]

I'd go with this...

 

[sc50964]

That depends on what you want to put in there

 

[JW_Reef02]

I like this configuration as well. Aesthetically speaking, it fills the vertical water column well along with leaving plenty of negative space for fish.

Functionality speaking, I also like vertical scapes like this to increase the amount of rock in your tank for beneficial bacterial but keeps rocks off your sand bed aka better water flow.

Acrylic rods are great for securing…here is my 40breeder where you can see the rod poking through the top.

 

[Fruity Reefer]

Make sure you use the height, fish usually stick to the rock work, so if you have a lot of empty space at the top, it’s kind of wasted. Keep space for coral of course as that can help fill out the height,

What is the balance between not going too high for coral and also keeping enough rock work up? It is 24" high my current scape peaks at about 14.5"

 

[Lavey29]

What is the balance between not going too high for coral and also keeping enough rock work up? It is 24" high my current scape peaks at about 14.5"

Depends on your coral choices. My SPS have grown right to the water surface. I like the last picture of scape design.

 

[Fruity Reefer]

Not tons of livestock; a pair of clowns, Mandarin, a small school of cardinals (or something similar), and probably a blenny or goby. and my goal with the coral is a zoa garden (on the small island to the front right) and euphylia garden. as well as a few mushrooms, Acans, Trumpets, and Duncs. pretty well all LPS

 

[sc50964]

Not tons of livestock; a pair of clowns, Mandarin, a small school of cardinals (or something similar), and probably a blenny or goby. and my goal with the coral is a zoa garden (on the small island to the front right) and euphylia garden. as well as a few mushrooms, Acans, Trumpets, and Duncs. pretty well all LPS

I would say the 1st pic is it

 

[Lavey29]

Not tons of livestock; a pair of clowns, Mandarin, a small school of cardinals (or something similar), and probably a blenny or goby. and my goal with the coral is a zoa garden (on the small island to the front right) and euphylia garden. as well as a few mushrooms, Acans, Trumpets, and Duncs. pretty well all LPS

Then you don't need height and focus more on spread design but fish need caves to hide and sleep in also

 

[elysics]

If the paper is supposed to be the tank size then the rocks are too close to at least one edge on all pictures, especially towards the back.

There needs to be anough space for fish and flow to get past, and towards the front and sides, enough space for a magnet cleaner to get past after corals are sitting on there

 

[Fruity Reefer]

Alright I think I finally settled on a scape, added a bit more rock for the extra surface area and also coral placements but I kept the flow as well as tons of little caves, overhangs, etc.

 

[Fruity Reefer]

If the paper is supposed to be the tank size then the rocks are too close to at least one edge on all pictures, especially towards the back.

There needs to be anough space for fish and flow to get past, and towards the front and sides, enough space for a magnet cleaner to get past after corals are sitting on there

For sure, the spacing is mostly so I don’t knock the other scape over while I’m placing anything it will all be moved in slightly to where I can get a scrubber around and such.

 

[sc50964]

Alright I think I finally settled on a scape, added a bit more rock for the extra surface area and also coral placements but I kept the flow as well as tons of little caves, overhangs, etc.

I thought it’s supposed to be a garden. So I guess all the LPS go on sand?

 

[Fruity Reefer]

I thought it’s supposed to be a garden. So I guess all the LPS go on sand?

it will be climbing up the taller structure to the right, thinking a torch or 2 in the sand bed, and then crawling up the structure with Hammers, Frogspawn, etc. Then the smaller design on the front left will have some LPS on the top and a zoa garden on the tail underneath. I'm still shaping the front right structure to come down as more of a "slide" so I can have a gradual build.

 

[Fruity Reefer]

And now finally complete with a more defined garden space for the euphyllia