Need help with your aquascape?

[cjbrown24]

Think we are finished with our scape. Any glaring issues anyone sees? Planning on adding a couple rocks once sand is in to maybe close up the overhang/cave on the right and in the back left to keep the fishies happy.

 

[drillbitfocker]

Pls help. Those are two floating rocks. Should I put those down on the sand? Thanks!

 

[Funkcol]

Thanks for making yourself available for this! I've put a ton of work on this Aqueon 125, and am just about ready to add sand water. I'm going for about 3 inch sandved, hence the island risers in center. Will have one crossbody wavemaker in middle and one powerhead at each side. All of these rocks are epoxied, and the arches are secured with acrylic rods and can be easily removed if necessary. I'd appreciate any advice you can offer before I get it up and running.

 

[Glowurm]

Pic dump...

I'm working on the scape for a 4x2x2 120 gal

I'm not sure why I can never get video uploads to work

Liked this a lot, great sense of depth with the rock placement. Only criticism i have is the height being uniform. Would be interested to see how this turned out for you.

 

[Glowurm]

Could use some advice for my 29 gal scape.
Tank dimensions: 22”x22”x14”

I was thinking of removing this section but am open to any ideas

Looks far to high, your almost breaching the top of the tank so not sure you'll get any coral placement.

 

[Freenow54]

If you need an outside perspective to help with improving your aquascape, just post here a few shots of your tank, and will try my best shot at providing specific advise according to your goals for the tank.

Sometimes I can just answer here, show the alterations using photoshop or make a video.

Just post here front shots with your cellphone/camera positioned at 3 different heights (sand level, centre and water level) and also a couple of angled photos, so that I can have a better understanding of your tank's layout.

This is a subject that is surprisingly not researched by most reefers and I have given some thought and some time ago I did a similar exercise in another forum.

It's also a great way for everyone to learn from each other and see a few freshwater techniques that we can apply and also many others that are specific for reef tanks.

In the meantime, if you want some inspiration here are a few videos I made with suggestions for different tank shapes.

Found out mine is a challenge to get the Par I wanted it is established had 3 fish 2 were jumpers. Only yellow tang left. Want to start adding coral but ignorant as to what will work and Par needed mapped my Par with my Apogee meter. All over the place. Would like more consistency with Par

but my tang is used to what is there

 

[Debramb]

Great find on this site! I will definitely be checking out opinions on our 125gL. After taxes that’s the focus. Problem I’m dealing with is 100GTall is loaded with 30+ year old LR and palys and mushrooms that grew out of it. Will post pics of current tank and collect opinions!!
Debra

 

[dangles]

Liked this a lot, great sense of depth with the rock placement. Only criticism i have is the height being uniform. Would be interested to see how this turned out for you.

Thank you!

I would tweak a couple of things if I had it to do over. That’s one of them.

My most recent tank photo. 5 months in. Not very many corals yet sadly. I’m hoping to change that in the coming months!

 

[corallineaddict]

Think I might need some adjustments here - looking for some advice. I prefer to not have the rocks touching the back wall and want to make it look less like a few big rocks stacked up.

Prefer a semi-minimalist scape and like to have a lot of empty sandbed. Should I rearrange something?

 

[cowfootball]

Spent several days on the focal structure and then hurried the second one.. not sure this is salvageable with my sanity!

We really didn't like the modern NSA trend and wanted it to feel more dense without being too dense so one big one little was the goal. We're really happy with the big structure and the little structure actually has quite a few caves so practically is pretty decent for fish but looks... uninteresting.

 

[cowfootball]

90% done. Might add a lil’ more to the top before water goes in.

 

[Wouterdutchreefer]

Good day all

I've purchased a Red Sea 625g2, delivery and installing on the 15th of May (will make a diary). This is my 1st attempt at a scape. this is about 80 pounds of 'dead' rock. At the the delivery date i also will receive about 45 pounds of 'life' rock. The cardbord in this clip is part of the life rock. The wooden plank it's on now is about 20inch in depth. let me know what you think

 

[BadMagnificentFirefish]

Hey there, hoping I can get some critique. I’m planning my first “large” system (coming from a nano background), a standard 50g, 36”x18”x18”H). I had some old pieces of real LR, along with some assorted base, shelf, and chunk pieces of dry marco rock.

The current structure is 12” at the top of the left peak, 10” on the left peak, and 7” in the center.

Got some good cave and overhang structures on the left with some vertical pass-throughs. I’ve also been putting thought into coral placement, as I have a list I’d like to accommodate and have grow to decent sizes. There is around 2.5” of space between the rock and the back wall, large enough to fit a gravel vac in.

 

[RastaReefarian]

Hey everyone, welcome feedback on this first aquascape attempt. Thanks!

 

[mswanson515]

I'm starting my 55gal reef back up after a total loss crash 2.5 years ago. For as long as this tank was set up I had the rock much like it is in the attached picture. I'm thinking about rearranging things this time and going a little higher on one side and create more negative space on the other with maybe a smaller island. I have the really neat table rock in the middle that I want to incorporate. Basicaly thinking about moving some rock from one side and building it up higher on the other. The plan is to build it back out with SPS, LPS, and softies. I have 3 Hydra 26HDs over it lighting the way so very little shading concern across the length of the tank.

2 questions:

1) What are opinions on this general approach?

2) If doing this, which side would you build up? On the right I have my skimmer, heater, and cannister filter intake and on the left I have my temperature probes and canister return. I think building up the right would "hide" some of the equipment but fear it may hinder the heating and cause the canister intake to be less than efficient. On the left the canister return could serve to keep the area behind the rock stired some to keep detritus down.

 

[N11morales]

Would a scape like this be okay for these fish? Some more caves and arches are planned to be added.
List of larger fish
4 tangs, rabbitfish, foxface, pair of masked swallowtail, 4-6 bimaculatus anthias?

Dimensions would be 62x18x12-14 height

Want to keep it 12-14 since I plan on doing sps want that extra room for sps growth. Tank dimensions are 72x24x24. Or would yall go a little higher?

 

[WvAquatics]

Would a scape like this be okay for these fish? Some more caves and arches are planned to be added.
List of larger fish
4 tangs, rabbitfish, foxface, pair of masked swallowtail, 4-6 bimaculatus anthias?

Dimensions would be 62x18x12-14 height

Want to keep it 12-14 since I plan on doing sps want that extra room for sps growth. Tank dimensions are 72x24x24. Or would yall go a little higher?

It s a great scape! Very Open. But fish like to sleep in caves and holes would they all have a nook or crazy to hide in? That scape is a coral dream not so much fish imo! But if that was my scapebid be happy maybe ad a few smaller caves for fish to hide in or leave it haha

 

[N11morales]

It s a great scape! Very Open. But fish like to sleep in caves and holes would they all have a nook or crazy to hide in? That scape is a coral dream not so much fish imo! But if that was my scapebid be happy maybe ad a few smaller caves for fish to hide in or leave it haha

ty for the suggestions! yes i was hoping to add more caves or holes for fish to sleep in. Do you think 14" height is fine or should i go higher to accommodate the fish making more holes to sleep in?

 

[WvAquatics]

ty for the suggestions! yes i was hoping to add more caves or holes for fish to sleep in. Do you think 14" height is fine or should i go higher to accommodate the fish making more holes to sleep in?

Most suggest to only fill rock in 2/3 of the tank into think your heights good think sps will grow up

 

[N11morales]

Most suggest to only fill rock in 2/3 of the tank into think your heights good think sps will grow up

Okay so I can go a bit higher maybe 16" high (height will vary on the top) to maybe some more caves or holes for the fish to live in