Reefer 170 Aquascape Thoughts

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

I have a Red Sea reefer 170. I have a bucket of Marco e400 get cement. Looking to do sps in top and lps/softies on the bottom. Please let me know if you think this looks good. I’m not sure if I should raise it any higher.

Peach02 · Mar 17, 2020

I like the idea however two things I would change
1. Raise it up a little as you said but hard to tell without looking flat on.
2. try to make it a little less symmetrical

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

Peach02 said:
I like the idea however two things I would change
1. Raise it up a little as you said but hard to tell without looking flat on.
2. try to make it a little less symmetrical

Thank You for the feed back. I think I will add another flat rock between the bottom rock and the middle rock. Also, do you know how to make the title of posts and threads display in bold? I cant't seem to figure out how to do that.

Peach02 · Mar 17, 2020

Dodgersallday said:
Thank You for the feed back. I think I will add another flat rock between the bottom rock and the middle rock. Also, do you know how to make the title of posts and threads display in bold? I cant't seem to figure out how to do that.

Sounds like a plan and unfortunately I dont

PotomacReef · Mar 17, 2020

Are you going to do bare bottom or a sand bottom?

I think your design would look better with a sand bottom. Usually people with the "center mound" style in tanks like the RedSea 170 with a single point of LED light end up having trouble with shadowing as coral grow out. You do a good job of flattening out the levels as much as possible. You definitely want to exaggerate the coral levels to avoid shadows as much as possible

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

I have this for the equip

PotomacReef said:
Are you going to do bare bottom or a sand bottom?

I think your design would look better with a sand bottom. Usually people with the "center mound" style in tanks like the RedSea 170 with a single point of LED light end up having trouble with shadowing as coral grow out. You do a good job of flattening out the levels as much as possible. You definitely want to exaggerate the coral levels to avoid shadows as much as possible
[/QUOTE. I’m going to have like 1cm of Fiji pink sand or something else. Here is my equipment.

PotomacReef · Mar 17, 2020

Dodgersallday said:
I have this for the equip

Ok! T5 LED hybrid is more than perfect.

sp1187 · Mar 17, 2020

I'd rotate the whole thing 45 degrees so the high center rock was in the back corner. but that's just me.

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

Not a fan of the reef led 90 or the 50. I hate the shimmer. In the ocean, there is no crazy disco ball effect. There is some shimmer, but nowhere near the amounts that Kessil and reef LED put out. Plus, you need a sniper scope for the new A360x to put out any sort of par. If I didn’t go with radions, I would have gotten two hydra26hd or two ilumagic blaze lights.

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

I was going to do this scape

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

However, the front rock is close to the front glass and I’d like to be able to gravel vac the sand every once and a while. I changed it and just put two smaller rocks in and ended up with the scape shown at the beginning of the thread.

Dodgersallday · Mar 17, 2020

Left enough space so I can clean the back walls. Only thing I’m afraid of is not having any small caves for the fish to go in. I plan on putting in two clowns, a blue spotted jaw fish, and three anthias In it. May even put in a tiny yellow tang, but I doubt it.

sp1187 · Mar 18, 2020

Dodgersallday said:
Left enough space so I can clean the back walls. Only thing I’m afraid of is not having any small caves for the fish to go in. I plan on putting in two clowns, a blue spotted jaw fish, and three anthias In it. May even put in a tiny yellow tang, but I doubt it.

don't think you will need hiding spots for those fish. I have a pair of clowns and 4 anthias and multiple caves. have never seen them use any of the caves.

I now see my scape suggestion isn't feasible with that tank layout. didn't realize there was a overflow box
at the back.

DHill6 · Mar 21, 2020

I have the same tank, been through multiple scenarios with Marco shelf and pedestals, different ceramic pieces, Tonga branch, etc. High to low in height. Finally settled on a smaller ceramic tree type piece and a mini structure made from Tonga branch and eMarco cement. SPS/LPS, red Hawaiian anemone stays small and put, gorgonian, mimosa clam.
Alot of space for flow, BB. I went shorter with the ceramic sculpture to give SPS grow out room, and visually heighten the tank.

Dodgersallday · Mar 22, 2020

DHill6 said:
I have the same tank, been through multiple scenarios with Marco shelf and pedestals, different ceramic pieces, Tonga branch, etc. High to low in height. Finally settled on a smaller ceramic tree type piece and a mini structure made from Tonga branch and eMarco cement. SPS/LPS, red Hawaiian anemone stays small and put, gorgonian, mimosa clam.
Alot of space for flow, BB. I went shorter with the ceramic sculpture to give SPS grow out room, and visually heighten the tank.

Could you please leave a link to your build thread or just post a picture. Thank you for the advice.