Set-Up For The New Guy.

[JawaReef]

Hi All,

I have been reading and watching videos on how to set up an aquascape in a tank. My question is, is it important to keep space behind the aquascape for either fish to swim or cleaning? I'm hearing that it is important to have space and that it is not at the same time. Just so long as you have caves and spots for the fish to hide. Does is matter what the dimensions of the tank are? Does it just come down to preference?

What should I do?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

What you want is good open swimming space relative to the type of fish you keep, & caves for hiding & sleeping, but also to allow good water flow throughout the tank.
Caves are easy. They just eventuate when irregular shaped rocks are layed against & on top of one another.
In larger tanks large caves can be made using plastic crates with the rock on top hiding them.

 

[Oscaror]

Hi All,

I have been reading and watching videos on how to set up an aquascape in a tank. My question is, is it important to keep space behind the aquascape for either fish to swim or cleaning? I'm hearing that it is important to have space and that it is not at the same time. Just so long as you have caves and spots for the fish to hide. Does is matter what the dimensions of the tank are? Does it just come down to preference?

What should I do?

You want space behind more because it prevents flow issues and detritus buildup and it looks better, trust me it looks way way better. There is an aquascaping forum https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/aquascape-discussion.1028/ and there are great guides https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-on-creating-amazing-aquascapes.97209/ where you can learn a ton

 

[JawaReef]

You want space behind more because it prevents flow issues and detritus buildup and it looks better, trust me it looks way way better. There is an aquascaping forum https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/aquascape-discussion.1028/ and there are great guides https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-on-creating-amazing-aquascapes.97209/ where you can learn a ton

Thanks, I'll check those out!

 

[Old Fritz]

There are some people that do like walls of live rock and one of my nanos has a little bit of space in back, enough space for my fish to swim through and hide. However I kinda regret making it that way. 1) it is very hard to clean 2) good luck scooping out a fish without taking out the rocks 3) the larger fish in the tank do not like going back there because it is a tight squeeze for anything that isn't a firefish or small damsel, my chubby clowns can make it through but if they dash through it they'll probably get scraped up. The upsides 1) fish will tend to gravitate more to the front of the tank because there is more room to move about 2) personally i think it actually looks nice in a smaller tank like a ten gallon because it kinda gives the illusion of their being more space than their actually is, if you put everything in the middle of the ten gallon then there isn't as much room to the front making it looked cramped, However this can be remedied by using smaller or less rocks. I have one big chunk of rock and then four smaller ones making arches(which the fish like to hide in).

 

[Oscaror]

There are some people that do like walls of live rock and one of my nanos has a little bit of space in back, enough space for my fish to swim through and hide. However I kinda regret making it that way. 1) it is very hard to clean 2) good luck scooping out a fish without taking out the rocks 3) the larger fish in the tank do not like going back there because it is a tight squeeze for anything that isn't a firefish or small damsel, my chubby clowns can make it through but if they dash through it they'll probably get scraped up. The upsides 1) fish will tend to gravitate more to the front of the tank because there is more room to move about 2) personally i think it actually looks nice in a smaller tank like a ten gallon because it kinda gives the illusion of their being more space than their actually is, if you put everything in the middle of the ten gallon then there isn't as much room to the front making it looked cramped, However this can be remedied by using smaller or less rocks. I have one big chunk of rock and then four smaller ones making arches(which the fish like to hide in).

Yeah, it works in nanos although if keeping SPS in the nano (beyond the scope of a beginner obviously) then the room in the back adds place for corals to branch out behind the rock and peek out from the back creating very much depth. Works super well in larger systems on a bigger scale.

Check out the tank of @junio melo
Scape:

Results:

Notice how the tank isn't that deep horizontally, but when looking at with all the SPS colonies in the back adding depth, it looks like it could go on forever. This is why I say leave space in the back. A rock wall in a full sized reef destroys any illusion of depth bc it's literally a wall, space behind creates the open reef look.

 

[JawaReef]

There are some people that do like walls of live rock and one of my nanos has a little bit of space in back, enough space for my fish to swim through and hide. However I kinda regret making it that way. 1) it is very hard to clean 2) good luck scooping out a fish without taking out the rocks 3) the larger fish in the tank do not like going back there because it is a tight squeeze for anything that isn't a firefish or small damsel, my chubby clowns can make it through but if they dash through it they'll probably get scraped up. The upsides 1) fish will tend to gravitate more to the front of the tank because there is more room to move about 2) personally i think it actually looks nice in a smaller tank like a ten gallon because it kinda gives the illusion of their being more space than their actually is, if you put everything in the middle of the ten gallon then there isn't as much room to the front making it looked cramped, However this can be remedied by using smaller or less rocks. I have one big chunk of rock and then four smaller ones making arches(which the fish like to hide in).

I have a 90 gal tank(not in use), L60" D16" H24", Its shallower than a normal tank, so would it be better to just put the rocks up against the back at this point? I might upgrade to a 120 Long.

 

[JawaReef]

That is one nice aquarium Oscaror! Yes, I see what you mean. The 90 gal tank as I just put is narrower, so that set up would work really well!

 

[Oscaror]

I have a 90 gal tank(not in use), L60" D16" H24", Its shallower than a normal tank, so would it be better to just put the rocks up against the back at this point? I might upgrade to a 120 Long.

Pretty standard tank measurements tbqh. I seriously do not recommend the rock wall. I made that mistake myself and came to regret it very very much. My tank majorly crashed just so you know. The rock wall was one of the first mistakes that lead me there, and I seriously recommend you don't repeat it. Now since the crash 2 years ago I've been researching and researching successful tanks, and a common consistency is a lack of rock wall aquascape.

Edit: Didn't see your reply to my reply, so read this in that context. Still believe in this advice tho.

 

[cracker]

I have a 180 & like separate rock piles or mountains room across the back for access & flow. Plenty of free sand bed & swimming room . Just what pleases my eye at this time.

 

[JawaReef]

Pretty standard tank measurements tbqh. I seriously do not recommend the rock wall. I made that mistake myself and came to regret it very very much. My tank majorly crashed just so you know. The rock wall was one of the first mistakes that lead me there, and I seriously recommend you don't repeat it. Now since the crash 2 years ago I've been researching and researching successful tanks, and a common consistency is a lack of rock wall aquascape.

Edit: Didn't see your reply to my reply, so read this in that context. Still believe in this advice tho.

I will defiantly take that under advisement! If I can avoid a crash I will. What are the dimensions of your tank if I may ask?

 

[Oscaror]

I will defiantly take that under advisement! If I can avoid a crash I will. What are the dimensions of your tank if I may ask?

46 gallon bowfront