So I've been reading through the aquascaping forum and realize that my rock is sitting on sand and not the glass bottom. What would be the easiest way to correct this? Will it be possible without stirring up a lot of sand? The tank was purchased with live rock and some fish and a couple leathers. So when I got home it was a rush to get everything back in the tank (fish were in buckets for about 8 hours). Also, while I'm here, am I using too much rock? It's what came with the tank.
New to hobby, looking for pointers.
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RMS18
I keep water chemistry as my hobby
So I've been reading through the aquascaping forum and realize that my rock is sitting on sand and not the glass bottom. What would be the easiest way to correct this? Will it be possible without stirring up a lot of sand? The tank was purchased with live rock and some fish and a couple leathers. So when I got home it was a rush to get everything back in the tank (fish were in buckets for about 8 hours). Also, while I'm here, am I using too much rock? It's what came with the tank.
Hey there, a couple of questions. Is the sand new?
Do you have any animals that burrow in the sand or move sand around?
Are your rocks just stacked or are they glued or held with rods etc?
I dont think there is ever "to much" rock. It just comes down to a few questions, will you have enough surface space for bacteria to populate for your bioload.. do you have enough open swimming space for the fish you want to keep..and lastly do you like the way it looks.
Billldg
My Gem Tang Is Watching You
Welcome to R2R!!! Agree with above, to much rock, not enough rock, it really just comes down to whether u like the way it looks. As far as the rock structure sitting on sand, you could try and push the rock down and help it settle on the glass bottom, but not sure it that will work.
Rodey09
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There are some small snails and hermits, a couple of urchins, sea cucumbers and 2 shrimp. The sand is not new. It's been in the tank at least 3 years. I tried pushing the rocks down while setting it up when I got it home, but it was packed pretty solid. The Rocks are stacked, no glue, no rods.
RMS18
I keep water chemistry as my hobby
Since you do not have any livestock that could move sand around for borrows, I would not worry about it. Maybe if you were bored one day and wanted a project you can pull the rock out and set the bottom pieces in the sand but this really isn't necessary. - just in case the OCD doesn't go away.
Billldg
My Gem Tang Is Watching You
Personally, if the tank hasn't been set up in your house long, I would pull enough of the rock out to get to the base rock and then wiggle the rock thru the sand to the glass bottom and then put the rest of the rock back. The fact the rock isn't glued or pinned means the rock could tumble due to the sand shifting over time.
Rodey09
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Cool. Thanks man. Just out of curiosity, and maybe this should be in a different forum...with a sand bed, should I have things that burrow to help stir it around?Since you do not have any livestock that could move sand around for borrows, I would not worry about it. Maybe if you were board one day and wanted a project you can pull the rock out and set the bottom pieces on the sand but this really isn't necessary. - just in case the OCD doesn't go away.
Billldg
My Gem Tang Is Watching You
Nassarious snails will stir up the sand bed as they bury themselves in it.
RMS18
I keep water chemistry as my hobby
That is a widely debated topic. Personally I do not think sand shifting animals do a good enough job that would make me confident enough to stir up a mature sand bed.
I vacuum my sand bed twice a month. This allows me to prevent any major detritus build up that would risk a "crash". The sand always looks clean and i don't have to worry about any tank crashes due to nutrient build up.
The more critters you have like snails, starfish or fish that stir the sand the more mouths you have to feed and more poop to clean. Counterproductive imo when a bi-weekly sand cleaning will do wonders.
Radman73
Valuable Member
I cut 1-2" pvc pipe into 1-2" lengths and used those as a buffer between the rock and glass. Just push the PVC into the sand and set the rock on top of it. I have maybe 10 of them throughout the tank(a 220) so I didn't have to worry about where I was placing the rock.
SPR1968
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Hi Rodey and firstly welcome to R2R it’s great to have you with us!
I think as already said, the design and quantity of your aquascape is really up to you and as you will have seen there are many different ideas to choose from and yours looks great to me.
Remember as well that the rock work will also form part of the bio filtration within the system, so the more you have the better this will be, but it’s all a balance with what is pleasing to your eyes of course.
I would certainly get the rocks onto the glass bottom otherwise you risk ‘collapse or movement’ as soon as any critters start moving in. You could maybe turn of the powerheads and then gently wiggle the base rocks down making sure nothing falls off when you do this.
And as you say, it’s better to do it now rather than when it’s stocked
I think as already said, the design and quantity of your aquascape is really up to you and as you will have seen there are many different ideas to choose from and yours looks great to me.
Remember as well that the rock work will also form part of the bio filtration within the system, so the more you have the better this will be, but it’s all a balance with what is pleasing to your eyes of course.
I would certainly get the rocks onto the glass bottom otherwise you risk ‘collapse or movement’ as soon as any critters start moving in. You could maybe turn of the powerheads and then gently wiggle the base rocks down making sure nothing falls off when you do this.
And as you say, it’s better to do it now rather than when it’s stocked
I personally like a thin layer of sand down before rock, like 1/2" maybe, and this helps buffer and give stability as it fills some voids under rock and helps seat better.
I agree it's not too much rock really, but I do like some open space for swim room.
I like to do structures w/ rods so I can go up and maintain stability, but it's not a must.
I'm not sure what size tank that is, but keep in mind that sailfin gets pretty big pretty fast, they usually require at least a 180g, maybe bigger, just FYI.
He might be fussy w/ newcomers taking up limited space
I agree it's not too much rock really, but I do like some open space for swim room.
I like to do structures w/ rods so I can go up and maintain stability, but it's not a must.
I'm not sure what size tank that is, but keep in mind that sailfin gets pretty big pretty fast, they usually require at least a 180g, maybe bigger, just FYI.
He might be fussy w/ newcomers taking up limited space
Well, just know he may need to be rehomed pretty soon, and he will probably cause trouble w/ any new additions
