Need help with your aquascape?

[Shefilbel7]

You have 2 structures with similar heights and shapes. It will be more interesting if you make one much longer and taller than the other.

Thanks for the advice. I think that will look better. I was thinking I needed more rock and I probably do to make it taller and longer

 

[Daren Brantley]

Ok I need help with my pile of rubble LOL. This tank has been kind of on autopilot for a while. About to start over. My son is now 16 and want to share the reef tank with him. Any help on how to rearrange is really appreciated. Over the years rocks have fallen. Never was happy with it to begin with.

Thanks,
Daren

 

[Average joe the reefer]

Ok I need help with my pile of rubble LOL. This tank has been kind of on autopilot for a while. About to start over. My son is now 16 and want to share the reef tank with him. Any help on how to rearrange is really appreciated. Over the years rocks have fallen. Never was happy with it to begin with.

Thanks,
Daren

Try make one side high and make it slowly slope down towards a smaller shorter structure like this

 

[Shefilbel7]

Trying to get some input and figure out a good scape for my 90. Here is what I have so far. It is a mixed reef tank upgraded from a 32 in the last couple weeks. Thanks!

This is what I have now. Extended the left side and made it more interesting to look at. I’ll probably add more rock to the left side structure soon to make it taller.

 

[Ardeus]

The 2 structures will look more interesting if they have different heights.

 

[bmbpka]

Starting to really hate this scape, any advice?

Torch/Hammer garden is on the right. Zoa garden on the left.

 

[Ardeus]

Here's some tips.

You have big pieces in there, all in the same category of size. If you had a few medium and smalk ones it would look more natural.

That vertical straight line doesn't look good. The rock on the left could be an island by itself, turned 90 degrees (up).

That rock horizontally placed on top of the other 2 looks a bit artificial.

I would consider creating a structure with just 2 of them (one leaning on the other to create a cave, trying as much as possible to make it look like a single rock. I would remove one of the rocks.

 

[TattooReefer]

I’ve been trying to figure out this left corner of my tank. Any advice would be great.

 

[Ardeus]

I like it as it is. There are a couple of rocks that are clashing against the others because they are new, but time will fix that.

The reason I like it is probably because the structure reminds me of this tank.

Here's the same tank at an earlier stage

 

[JHeckler22]

Just received a used 180 gallon oceanic bowfront that im preparing to set up. It came with a custom artificial reef wall which sold me on it. Wanted to create an aquascape that would have plenty of hiding spots for some inverts and fish I would like to add. Any recommendations based on what I have shown from the pics?

 

[Average joe the reefer]

Just received a used 180 gallon oceanic bowfront that im preparing to set up. It came with a custom artificial reef wall which sold me on it. Wanted to create an aquascape that would have plenty of hiding spots for some inverts and fish I would like to add. Any recommendations based on what I have shown from the pics?

I would recommend removing the back wall as it will give you more rooms and then making a tall long structure on one side of the tank and a short small one on the other side

 

[Ardeus]

If you want to keep the backwall, I would do 2 hollow islands with different sizes. Being hollow will allow the fish to have caves.

 

[cdfjr1975]

This is a before and after. Any commentary would be appreciated.

 

[Ardeus]

The angle I pointed in red looks weird. Here's a suggestion.

 

[cdfjr1975]

I like it. I was thinking a gap would look better.

Unfortunately I'm not sure how I can eliminate the angle you pointed out since I already attached them in the first go around, but I may be able to plug it with smaller pieces and increase the green height to compensate. All of the new is unsecured rock so I have more options with it.

 

[Ardeus]

Here's an idea. Move the structure a bit to the right and add rock to fill the left.

 

[JCTReefer]

Any suggestions for some final adjustments? Big or small, I’m open for opinions. I’m about maxed out coral wise. Take into consideration all the corals are pegged with 1/8 inch acrylic rod so they’re easily movable. I have rotated, moved left to right, all three structures in the tank. I’m just never happy. Maybe I should eliminate one of the structures. I’m trying to keep everything open with good flow and enough negative space for fish to swim. I also didn't want to clutter everything up with the minimal amount of real estate I have. I know when everything grows out it will look different. The leather has already grown from 3 to about 6 inches in a matter of a few months. Originally the structure on the right and the taller one in the back were connected with a bridge. The old scape is on page 7 of this thread I believe. I was trying my best to follow the rule of thirds and go for and iwagumi style lay out with the rocks being 2/3 the height of each other. Attempted it anyway. There are two small caves in the tall structure that look interesting the way it's facing. I’ve rotated it several different directions. The tank honestly looks a lot better in person and I find myself happy with it one day, and then not so much the next.
I’m always messing with it a bit. I would honestly like it to look semi natural. Corner tanks are a pain to scape. The corals were also placed by color and compatibility for the most part. The frogspawn will probably have to move at some point. And the hammer at the very top of the tall pillar was just put there to get it out of the way. I may get rid of it and do some palys or zoas up top. I decided on the leather as a center piece. I was trying to avoid having the tall pillar smack dab in the middle. And was also trying to avoid having the other two rocks placed in the same location on each side of the tall pillar. And at the same time I am trying to give the scape a sense of depth, without cluttering up the sand bed. Idk, I guess I could just leave it or possibly start over. I hate to do that though. I could redo some kind of bridge/arch to connect two of the structures, but like the openness of it. Here's a top down shot and front/low shot.

 

[Ardeus]

I wouldn't mess with it. As corals grow they will fill the middle and top of the tank, leaving lots of circulation space at the bottom.

If you want to make it look more natural, putting 1 or 2 small rocks or corals next to the base of the structures (not necessarily all of them) will get you there.

 

[JCTReefer]

I wouldn't mess with it. As corals grow they will fill the middle and top of the tank, leaving lots of circulation space at the bottom.

If you want to make it look more natural, putting 1 or 2 small rocks or corals next to the base of the structures (not necessarily all of them) will get you there.

Thanks for the reply Ardeus! I certainly value your opinion. So maybe a small rock or coral smaller than the right or left structure placed next to the base structures. I had thought about maybe a Lobo or Plate coral on the sanded next to one of the smaller rocks offset of the tanks center. Maybe towards the front with room still between the coral and glass? Or possibly a small isolated rock with some Zoas or GSP.

 

[Ardeus]

The structures are tall, so I would avoid plates and even lobos, they wouldn't look integrated into the layout. I lean more towards zoas or gsp. Regarding position, this will be very easy to try different options and see which you like best.

You could place 1 near the taller pillar and 2 near the middle one, for example.