What goes into planning an epic aquascape?

Daniel@R2R · May 25, 2023

What do you think is the key to planning an epic aquascape? What are the things that take a scape from good to GREAT!?

Petcrazyson · May 25, 2023

Daniel@R2R said:
What do you think is the key to planning an epic aquascape? What are the things that take a scape from good to GREAT!?

Imagination

Daniel@R2R · May 25, 2023

Petcrazyson said:
Imagination

Fair enough. Haha, but what sparks that imagination? And how about bringing that imagined concept to reality (sometimes that's what I think is the hardest part).

j.falk · May 25, 2023

Money!

FoolishWizard · May 25, 2023

Having an end goal idea and working towards it... Google or R2R for inspiration.

Working with smaller rocks and piecing together with super glue to make bigger structures then piecing those together (if needed) helps me be more able to "shape" as I go as opposed to dealing with big pieces and be at the mercy of their shape.

revhtree · May 25, 2023

Oooh good question! I think one matter of concern is the tools or ingredients to make the “look” a reality!

EliMelly · May 25, 2023

I’ve only built one NSA aquascape but I’m very proud of it and have a couple steps I suggest people take.

Watch a variety of videos on YouTube, BRS and Tidal Gardens have a couple good videos for creating an NSA aquascape.
Look on social media, reef 2 reef, etc. for aquascapes that you would like to replicate details of and save the pictures.
Have a proper workspace as it is a project that takes a lot of time and will definitely be near impossible to do in a day.
Order proper equipment and sufficient materials: Mallet, heavy duty gloves, goggles, chisel, enough Marco rock and foundation pieces, enough glue, enough insta set, marco cement. If I put enough by the product it’s because you should order more than what you’re thinking. About a pound of rock for each gallon is on the conservative side.
Mimic the dimensions of your tank by either marking it on a cardboard box to work on or building a 3d tank out of pvc pipes, really a game changer.
Remember not to build past 2/3rds of your tank height.
Don’t forget about fish hiding spots and coral placements. All of my fish love their homes and it was due to creating the aquascape to fit the needs of my fish not the other way around.
Have fun and patience, don’t rush it’s an art.

Sorry for the quick and unclear response, I can give a more organized, and detailed description if anyone would like the help.

Daniel@R2R · May 25, 2023

EliMelly said:
I’ve only built one NSA aquascape but I’m very proud of it and have a couple steps I suggest people take.

Watch a variety of videos on YouTube, BRS and Tidal Gardens have a couple good videos for creating an NSA aquascape.

Look on social media, reef 2 reef, etc. for aquascapes that you would like to replicate details of and save the pictures.

Have a proper workspace as it is a project that takes a lot of time and will definitely be near impossible to do in a day.

Order proper equipment and sufficient materials: Mallet, heavy duty gloves, goggles, chisel, enough Marco rock and foundation pieces, enough glue, enough insta set, marco cement. If I put enough by the product it’s because you should order more than what you’re thinking. About a pound of rock for each gallon is on the conservative side.

Mimic the dimensions of your tank by either marking it on a cardboard box to work on or building a 3d tank out of pvc pipes, really a game changer.

Remember not to build past 2/3rds of your tank height.

Don’t forget about fish hiding spots and coral placements. All of my fish love their homes and it was due to creating the aquascape to fit the needs of my fish not the other way around.

Have fun and patience, don’t rush it’s an art.

Sorry for the quick and unclear response, I can give a more organized, and detailed description if anyone would like the help.

This is a fantastic contribution to this conversation! Aquascaping is IMO one of the most daunting tasks of setting up a new tank. Few things impact the look of the aquarium longterm in the way that the aquascape will, and it's a tough job to create an epic scape that will lead to being the literal skeleton of an epic tank. Thanks for giving some great points that are certainly handholds for getting at that task!

Petcrazyson · May 25, 2023

Daniel@R2R said:
Fair enough. Haha, but what sparks that imagination? And how about bringing that imagined concept to reality (sometimes that's what I think is the hardest part).

I like to see what rocks on rocks thrown together looks like, and then adjust for eye pleasingness. In the wild you don’t see perfect arches and perfect caves, you see rocks on rocks on rocks lol, so I like to use that as a guide, this and also lots of the tanks of influencers I like like on YouTube and of course the ROTM

EliMelly · May 25, 2023

Daniel@R2R said:
This is a fantastic contribution to this conversation! Aquascaping is IMO one of the most daunting tasks of setting up a new tank. Few things impact the look of the aquarium longterm in the way that the aquascape will, and it's a tough job to create an epic scape that will lead to being the literal skeleton of an epic tank. Thanks for giving some great points that are certainly handholds for getting at that task!

Appreciate the feedback! Normally I’m on the receiving side of the information process so the ability to help others with the limited knowledge I have is quite enjoyable.

Kfactor · May 25, 2023

its all in the eye of the beholder

HudsonReefer2.0 · May 25, 2023

It’s that balance between positive and negative space that requires attention on how the corals will fill the space as they grow.

MrGisonni · May 25, 2023

The rule of thirds and the golden ratio

Daniel@R2R · May 26, 2023

MrGisonni said:
The rule of thirds and the golden ratio

Definitely!

I never finish anythi · Jun 9, 2023

EliMelly said:
I’ve only built one NSA aquascape but I’m very proud of it and have a couple steps I suggest people take.

Watch a variety of videos on YouTube, BRS and Tidal Gardens have a couple good videos for creating an NSA aquascape.

Look on social media, reef 2 reef, etc. for aquascapes that you would like to replicate details of and save the pictures.

Have a proper workspace as it is a project that takes a lot of time and will definitely be near impossible to do in a day.

Order proper equipment and sufficient materials: Mallet, heavy duty gloves, goggles, chisel, enough Marco rock and foundation pieces, enough glue, enough insta set, marco cement. If I put enough by the product it’s because you should order more than what you’re thinking. About a pound of rock for each gallon is on the conservative side.

Mimic the dimensions of your tank by either marking it on a cardboard box to work on or building a 3d tank out of pvc pipes, really a game changer.

Remember not to build past 2/3rds of your tank height.

Don’t forget about fish hiding spots and coral placements. All of my fish love their homes and it was due to creating the aquascape to fit the needs of my fish not the other way around.

Have fun and patience, don’t rush it’s an art.

Sorry for the quick and unclear response, I can give a more organized, and detailed description if anyone would like the help.

Great advice. Thank you!

AydenLincoln · Jun 9, 2023

Practice and learning from your mistakes.

flyfisher2 · Jun 9, 2023

"epic" being the key word goes beyond what we all know is needed in terms of materials and common knowledge. Step out of the norm. It's an artistic approach, It's unique. Don't jump in head first unless you are already sure of what you want and you are visualizing it. If that's not the case then get a sketch pad and start playing with your ideas. EPIC!

vlangel · Jun 13, 2023

My tank would probably not be considered what most folks consider epic, aquascape wise but I started this scape about 6 years ago and still really like it. It is very natural looking and might look like something that could be seen on a crest reef since it has some height to it. It is definitely not minimalist but it is not a rock wall either. It has a DSB where a lot of the rock is actually covered by the sand. That portion of the tank creates stability for the tall rock structure on the right plus it allows for denitrification to happen. The left side of the tank is much lower and I think the differing height of the rockwork is interesting plus allowing differing spaces for fish and inverts.
I realize that this much rock and this much sand is not the preference of most modern day reefers but it does create a great biofilter and my tank is very very stable.

MECOMI · Jun 13, 2023

For me, the most important piece of planning an epic aquascape is having a good understanding of your tank shape and dimensions. Using simple materials like a cardboard box, duct tape, and a sharpie you can create the blank canvas you need to run wild! This gave me the confidence that everything was going to fit the way I wanted it to, and let my creativity flow!

Then let your rock, interest, and understanding be your guide,

Check out this post for more if interested, RSM S500 aquascape build

Later days,

B-Kind

Gumbies R Us · Jun 13, 2023

I usually go through multiple ideas until one sticks with me. I try to go for both a natural look but something that is eye catching at the same time.