SPS dom aquascape thoughts

[customguy79]

I moved everything over to my new tank 28g to 120g and have left everything like this for about a month. But before I allow everything to settle I want to make sure I maximize the aquascaping to the tanks best abilities. The way it is now seems ok but I feel like im wasting a lot of space on nothing but open water and not maximizing the power of of the dual radions. I dont want the fruit stand look as I like the few fish I have being able to swim in and out and hide ini places when they feel they need to. The only occupants besides the lowerlevel of LPS and upper sps are 2 tangs, 2 clowns and 7 chromis. Will add maybe a flame angel and another bright colored fish later and cap it at that. Flow is 2 mp 40's and the returns so design can be anything possible. Thoughts and ideas please would be great. Supplied pics even better.


Thanks to all that reply

D

 

[toofrigginswt]

I've always liked two islands. One bigger and one smaller. Maybe try moving out that middle shelf piece. That looks like it would create two islands.

 

[Reefnub]

Here's my tank, just to give you an idea and please excuse the iphone quality. I wished I built my aquascape higher.

 

[toofrigginswt]

Reefnub, nice tank. Your coralline algae looks like it was shot on your overflow using a paintball gun. Haha. What type of lighting are u using?

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reefnub]

Reefnub, nice tank. Your coralline algae looks like it was shot on your overflow using a paintball gun. Haha. What type of lighting are u using?

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

It sure does now that I look at it lol. I'm using a 48" Giesemann Infiniti fixture. 2 Hamilton 20k with 3 ATI blue plus and 1 ATI purple plus.

 

[customguy79]

That's what I was looking for. Now to execute

 

[Reef Bass]

I hear your point about the fruit stand, basically a glorified rock wall, which is basically a glorified rock pile.

I prefer to create arches which allow open space beneath them for flow and swimming room and open space on top for mounting corals. The bottom of Reefnub's second pic shows that. Arches can be extended and built upon to create a very open structure that allows for great flow throughout, especially when compared to a rock pile. Plus there's tons of room for corals to be mounted and to grow, in the flow.

I use AquaMend or WaterWeld (reef safe epoxy) to help stabilize construction. Within a few months the epoxy gets coated with coraline and looks totally rock like.

Nicely tabling RP there nub.

 

[Reefnub]

I hear your point about the fruit stand, basically a glorified rock wall, which is basically a glorified rock pile.

I prefer to create arches which allow open space beneath them for flow and swimming room and open space on top for mounting corals. The bottom of Reefnub's second pic shows that. Arches can be extended and built upon to create a very open structure that allows for great flow throughout, especially when compared to a rock pile. Plus there's tons of room for corals to be mounted and to grow, in the flow.

I use AquaMend or WaterWeld (reef safe epoxy) to help stabilize construction. Within a few months the epoxy gets coated with coraline and looks totally rock like.

Nicely tabling RP there nub.

Nice observations, my goal was to create arches and random caves for fishes to swim into. I wish you could see the inside of the whole structure. It is hollow inside with a lot of ledges. Gives my fishes room to swim inside and outside.

That coral is actually a coral that was sold to me called Mr Uglies Red Table. Believe it was a wild coral named by Mr Uglies.
My red planet is in the middle, it's the small colony next to the white coral.
Difference in color is that the red planet is more red and green while the other one is more violet/red/pink with a lime base.

To the OP, here's my old aquascape and the other videos is what inspired me to help me create my current aquascape.
2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAXlMXrltJk
2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iYtPsjuido

Inspirations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzFSKNtF6kQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RZIGCPrMHo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvOD2wuo1Aw&feature=plcp

 

[SchnitzelReef]

the stacked rock look ends up being a trap for detritus. I am not one to give advice on scaping, but the one thing i would always try to do is keep space in between each rock. it makes aquascaping much harder, and usually u need to use an epoxy to do it the right way. one thing i really regret on my tank, is not spending the time to do the aquascpae the right way the first time. i have redone my scape 3 times, and each time i end up pulling out more and more rocks....good luck

 

[triguy]

When I upgraded from my 90g to 150g, I went with 3 islands. I used acrylic rods. My coral have filled in the open areas nicely, while giving a lot of swimming room for my fish. I did add two mag rocks on the back wall because I was running out of room on the islands.