First Tank setup base rock

[jsc4354]

I got a 120gallon long and bought 150lbs of base rock. I tried an island in the middle and placing the rocks against the back glass. In the end I decide to go with peaks. Since this is my first tank let me know if I will have any regrets in the future for setting the tank up this way.

Also, I will be adding some live rock as well (approx 20lbs or more)

All feedback is welcome

Thanks,
John C.

 

[kraze3]

Looks fine to me, if you like the look then go for it.

 

[JRistau81]

Looks good. One piece of advice for putting in the Live rock. Be Careful how you do it. If it is too steep coral placement can get VERY difficult down the road. I had to re-aquascape because I coulndn't keep my tubinaria from falling off the rock as it was a bigger one that came on an awkwardly shaped rock.

 

[sinkingbeach]

If your going bare bottom, you might consider attaching pvc nubs to the bottom of your rock to allow flow underneath and prevent dietrus build-up which will be very difficult to syphon out with that configuration. Even with sand I think your going to find it to be a dietrus trap imho other than that I like it.

 

[jsc4354]

Kraze3 - I like the way it is setup and did not want to change unless for maintenance reasons.

JRistau81 - Thanks for the heads up. BTW, I planned on adding soft corals once the tank is stable. I know there are a few spots where I can add softies but not sure if I have room for something big. I will keep that in mind when adding more rock.

 

[Wryknow]

Are the rocks secured at all of just held by gravity? I recommend using some long zip-ties to make sure that the base of the rock stacks are held together securely but there are other ways to do it too. Rock slides in glass aquariums really suck.

 

[jsc4354]

Sinkingbeach - I'm planning on going with a 1"-2" sand bed and some sand sifters to go along with. However, I can see how dietrus can build up there. I will check to see how much space there is below the rocks if any. I know a few of the rocks are not flat but still probably does not leave much room anyway.

Wryknow - The rocks are held in place by gravity. The stacks in the middle and right are solid. The stack on the left has some pieces which did not "interlock" as well as the other stacks. I would prefer not to use zip ties for aesthetic reasons. I would consider using a glue which is tank safe though. Any recommended brandnames to go with or avoid for that matter?

 

[Wryknow]

You could use a silicon glue or a two-part epoxy if you wanted to glur them together but I wouldn't recommend glueing. One of the reasons that I like to use the zip ties is because they are easily cut and removed if I ever have to get into the rock work for an emergency.

Don't get me wrong - lots of people rely on gravity to hold rock work together and it works OK for the most part. I have had a rock slide off the top due of a rock pile in a previous tank and it scared the heck out of me. I got lucky and there was no permanent damage but I don't care to chance a repeat experience. With the zip ties I can create a more open ans stable island in the tank that provides shelter for fish while still allowing some water flow through the pile. One thing to remember about the zip ties is that they will get covered in coraline algae pretty quickly and blend into the rock work. I don't notice them in my tank at all unless I specifically look for them.

Other ways that I have heard used successfully were using drilling the rock and using plastic dowel pins to hold the pieces together. This would be a lot of work but it sounds like the best of all worlds: stable, invisible, and removable.