Need help with your aquascape?

[TysTanks]

I just read through the whole thread and definitely learned a lot. I have a bit too much coral in the tank. Especially on the sand bed. Some will go to a frag tank and some will go up on the rocks.

I would appreciate any feedback. I can upload more photos later.

Rock structure on the right is an open triangle.

 

[Ardeus]

A friend of mine just took that photo. I asked if he could make a video and take more photos

 

[Todvod]

Try starting to build the layout from the right back corner and then create something like a bay. Don't make it too big or get big rocks too close to the viewing glasses, remember that your tank will look smaller the fuller it is.

Avoid symmetry, horizontal or vertical surfaces, they look artificial.

You can use a small rock to isolate your anemone in an island away from the main structure. If you're thinking about a BTA, find a rock that has a hole where it can put its foot and it will likely stay there forever.

Thanks for the direction Ardeus! Really appreciate your time and input! Do you think I could add some rock to the existing pieces on the right, or should I start over? I'm guessing that the long horizontal piece near the top(that I cemented together) looks too artificial, correct?

 

[zieg9479]

Ardeus,
I've followed this thread the whole time and it is really cool but I'm worried you'll get burnt out as we demand that you solve our problems. Especially as some of your suggestions start to repeat.
Also, my new build won't be up for a month or two so you gotta stay fresh

So, to that end, I was hoping you could write something up. I know, 'yet another aquascaping article', but you have an uncanny knack for this it could be simpler including just a handful of the most important points with one or two examples of 'bad' and 'good' illustrations. It would be nice for us to have something to go to before we need a professional consultation
What do you think? (Oh, by the way, the video you did was helpful)

 

[JCTReefer]

54 gallon corner bow-front tank. I drilled the tank for an H2overflow to allow more room for the scape. It was kind of challenging to come up with a aquascape with the shape of the tank. I wanted something fairly open with good water flow around all sides. And also wanted to be able to vacuum around everything. The original two pillars wouldn't work with the space, so I took one out. Everything is drilled and tied together with fiberglass rod. The small rock structure on the front left side was used to add depth. I tried without, and it looked to empty. The whole scape consist of 5 rocks. The back pillar is about 17 inches in height.

 

[Zuma]

Hi Ardeus, great topic and I appreciate your advise here. I'm just not in the beginning stages of setting up a tank and would be interested in your input for this layout.

 

[Lapras]

Thank you so much for doing this! Here's mine -- I greatly appreciate any suggestions/advice

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

Thanks man! If I had a quarter for Every time someone told me to clean up my act, I'd be rich! Lol haha.....
If looking at that arc seems to work by you guys looking at it, I'll just leave it, bc my palys on top of the arc are really starting to spread and that was my goal when I started the layout, I was picturing different colored palys and zoas grown and morphed all over the arc...I have just had folks tell me that putting the infamous arc right smack in the middle of the tank just doesn't look right....But I kinda thought it didn't look too bad and just looked weird anywhere else I tried to place it lol.....the folks that make these rocks, has come out with I think it's called,"shapes" rock...in the boxes at my lfs there were different long arcs and a bunch of rocks molded in a circle with a hole in the center for the arc to sit...in case anyone is interested...

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/shapes-liferock-dry-live-rock-caribsea.html

 

[Justin....#JAMAS]

You have a crazy arch there that somehow seems to work.

Keeping that layout, I think you just need to clean up your act

That arch is so big that it will look very cool with corals growing into it from all sides.

You're still left with a few awkward straight lines.

Those are easy to fix with coral placement to make those straight lines change.

Thank you so so very much man for you suggestions!!!!! Your awesome and look forward to fixing up the things you pointed out and post pics!

 

[ScottandAlisa]

54 gallon corner bow-front tank.

Looks awesome to me man, possibly one of my favorite scapes on this thread!

 

[Pellco]

Would love some advice on how to aqua scape this corner tank. 2 weeks I’m tearing down and putting the rock that I have been curing. Lost a lot due to illness and want to redo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Pellco]

Would love some advice on how to aqua scape this corner tank. 2 weeks I’m tearing down and putting the rock that I have been curing. Lost a lot due to illness and want to redo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[JCTReefer]

Looks awesome to me man, possibly one of my favorite scapes on this thread!

Thanks so much!!! I really appreciate the compliment!

 

[Ardeus]

I just read through the whole thread and definitely learned a lot. I have a bit too much coral in the tank. Especially on the sand bed. Some will go to a frag tank and some will go up on the rocks.

I would appreciate any feedback. I can upload more photos later.

Rock structure on the right is an open triangle.

Like I said to almost everyone, if you clear the sand, the tank will look much better, especially the area between the 2 rock structures.

Those sarcos are a bit too big to be in front. Is it easy to move them and place them behind the rock, like they were trees growing behind a mountain?

Other than that, if it's easy to do, I would try moving that canyon a bit towards one of the sides. It's never a good idea to split the tank right in the middle. This would also make easier to have one of the rock structures bigger (wider and taller) than the other.

 

[Ardeus]

Thanks for the direction Ardeus! Really appreciate your time and input! Do you think I could add some rock to the existing pieces on the right, or should I start over? I'm guessing that the long horizontal piece near the top(that I cemented together) looks too artificial, correct?

Yes that bridge doesn't look very natural. Since you're at the beginning of the process, I would start exploring other options without adding more rock.

 

[Todvod]

Yes that bridge doesn't look very natural. Since you're at the beginning of the process, I would start exploring other options without adding more rock.

Thanks again Ardeus! I’ll get cracking....

 

[Ardeus]

Ardeus,
I've followed this thread the whole time and it is really cool but I'm worried you'll get burnt out as we demand that you solve our problems. Especially as some of your suggestions start to repeat.
Also, my new build won't be up for a month or two so you gotta stay fresh

So, to that end, I was hoping you could write something up. I know, 'yet another aquascaping article', but you have an uncanny knack for this it could be simpler including just a handful of the most important points with one or two examples of 'bad' and 'good' illustrations. It would be nice for us to have something to go to before we need a professional consultation
What do you think? (Oh, by the way, the video you did was helpful)

You're right, I keep repeating the same things. The reason is because we all suffer from a common set of problems.

When we setup a tank, we tend to put too much rock because otherwise the tank will look too empty without corals.

Most reefers still believe that creating a good-looking aquascape is an innate ability that can't be learned and trained.

We are collectors of corals and it's difficult to do that and simultaneously achieve an harmonious looking tank.

Sometimes, letting go of some rock or corals will improve the look of the tank, but we are too attached to be able to do that.

I like making videos and I am thinking about creating a series of them with analysis of tanks with different approaches to the aquascaping, and some make overs using photoshop.

 

[Ardeus]

That isolated rock looks very good by itself. I don't think that plate on top will ever look good no matter what corals you put on and around it.

I really like that rock on top of the bridge. It breaks the horizontal line and creates an interesting profile.

You have two 90 degrees angles in the bridge. I would begin thinking about what corals you can use to hide those angles.

Although the pillar now looks strange, corals will dramatically improve the look of that area, I wouldn't change it.

 

[Ardeus]

I would remove the bridge so that you can have 2 structures and see if it's possible to create a larger space between them.

 

[Ardeus]

I would start be removing everything between the 2 rock structures.

Your clam could look very good at the entrance of the canyon, without making it too narrow.

I think that without the clam where you have it now, there would be a bay in that space, that would look interesting, as long as you keep it empty.