Thoughts on rockscape

[tom39]

Trying to rock scape my 150dd. Let me know what you think about this configuration.
They are not the greatest pics but the order is - left side, front, right side, above left and above right.
Thanks,
Tom

 

[mkutsch]

Meh. I usually like more precipices and "cliffs" in mine, but I don't think I can be of any help cause I haven't ever gone that large..though if I were you--being the clumsy oaf I am, lucky for you I'm not--I would take a chisel and break everything down and build it back up in a more favorable manner. Good luck, though! I always love the scaping part of new reefs.

 

[nerses818]

I personally would break up the larger pieces a bit more to give u a little more options. Also those tonga branch pieces can make some beautiful support or bridge pieces. I personally like a lot of cave and bridges in rock work.

 

[nerses818]

This is my rock work just as some inspiration. Everyone has their own style though really, as long as ur able to keep detritus build up and dead spots to a minimum anything after is really just based on everyone's personal taste.

 

[Snookin]

Great advice on this thread so far! Break up those bulky pieces ASAP. I'd remove the branch completely or use to just accent other rocks and create over hangs and bridge structures. Smash that pukani into 4-6 pieces. Remove that middle boulder and have an empty rounded cove for sand and a nice open middle section. I like how you kept the rocks off the back wall though. That will help with overall flow in the tank. Good job there. But, getting a little less blocky and more minimalist with caves, coves and overhanging structure is best. Since you used dry rock you have time to relax and make the perfect aquascape. This is the artistic part of building a reef. Don't settle for the 1980 boulder look.

 

[rockhead51]

Concur with what most people are writing. Google the "rule of thirds" for photography composition. In short, you need to visually break your tank into vertical and horizontal thirds, and then place focal points where the lines cross. You can estimate or literally do it with some sort of marker on the outside of the tank. There also some posts on this and some other forms which are dedicated to aquascaping- check those out for ideas.

 

[tom39]

Thank you all for your help and advice. I will look again at some of the dedicated threads on this topic. BRS has a segment on the rule of thirds but trying to figure out how to do that in a cube with 3 viewable sides is difficult when you only have a 3' square to work with and the height is at 27". Because of this is why I went with larger pieces and tried to make a tier look. I have to admit, even with my other tanks, of all the aspects of this hobby, this is by far my least favorite. Looks like it's back to the drawing board.
Again, thank you for your help and advice.
Tom

 

[Monti34]

What kind of coral are you planning on?

 

[LEOreefer]

I'm a fan also of a scale that has lots of cliffs and caves while keeping a clean look. I will be doing my scale around that theme.

I would deff break up some of the larger pieces and stack to columes the shorter one on the front left and taller rear right but just my 2 cents

 

[rockhead51]

Tom, I suggest you map out the grid (thirds) on the main viewing side (front). Stack your rocks with an eye to creating focal points at the intersections. (For me, it is an open cave with a high point on the left that reached the top left intersection, and a Frogspawn on the right about a third of the way up). Then look from whichever side you will see it most often- you may find it already "fits". Lights are going down, but here is what I mean. From the side, the rockwork goes all the way up that left third, but those separate leather corals on the right cover the bottom third. (Sorta- it ain't an exact science!)

 

[MamaLovesHerReefTank]

Tom, there is a great thread on here all about aquascapes. There are tons of pics. Look at the ones that are visually pleasing to you. Try and see them without the coral. Look how their rocks are stacked and layed out. See what it is you like about them and try to create something similar. Doing it with dry rock is so much easier than in the tank when they are already wet. Find a place on a table or floor. mark the dimensions of your tank with tape. Play around with different formations. You want some open swimming space but also places for them to hide if needed. If you're not sure about a scape you come up with, post the pic in this thread. We're all here to help and learn from each other. /www.reef2reef.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-on-creating-amazing-aquascapes.97209/

 

[Yellowjacket]

My aquascaping for my 150dd. I like arches and overhangs with places for fish to hide. Tank is 9 months old with 6 fish and some Frags. Go for more vertical for the dd.

 

[tom39]

Thank you all for your help and advice. Since my last post I watched a few more videos and looked at hundreds of photos. In an effort to find a scape I can live with I chiseled a 3-pount access hole through the larger rock and chipped at the larger rock some to give it addition dimension. I still don't like the look of it and may discard the large rock altogether and go with a very minimalist approach in the next configuration attempt.

 

[tom39]

Well I did change it a bit. I added a few smaller rocks and moved it around to make a few small canyons and a few small coves for hiding spots.
One of my goals with this configuration was to set it up in a way that the rocks can be pulled out fairly easily if needed.

 

[nerses818]

Much better in my opinion. There's a lot more going on in this scape compared to the original and you'd still be able to remove the rocks easily if you wanted to

 

[nemofan17]

That's too much for my taste. I would minimize it a bit.