Tips and Tricks on Creating Amazing Aquascapes

[travis32]

I have a 230 gallon wave tank that I"m just setting up. The rock I've acid washed, bleached, and now cycled in a garbage can and am nearly ready to place the rock. In total I've got close to 200lbs of dry rock to place. It seems like a lot of rock.. Nearly a 42 gallon roughneck garbage can full to the top. plus 1/4th of a 30 gallon roughneck garbage can.. I want high filtration capacity but I don't want a large rock wall.. How do I balance positive and negative space and still have the filtration I need?

My sump is a 75gallon sump, but, the skimmer takes up a majority of the sump. (18" by 14" foot print).

Also, since the tank is 30" tall, I am looking to create a multi level eco system. e.g. fish and critters that hang out at the top, middle, and bottom / sand level. So, that if one looks at it, a different set of life will be occuring at each position in the tank.

Is there any reccomendations on how to create this and still have it pleasing to the eye?

 

[albano]

just re-scaped in June... removed almost 300#s of LR to re-do 450g tank on its 3rd anniversary
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[scolley]

That is AWESOME Alfie! Not only is that a reef that most people would KILL for, it clearly demonstrates that in aquascaping (as in most 3d disciplines) that "less is more". And that is MORE sir. Good decision to remove rock IMO.

Very well done. :thumbsup:

 

[MHG]

I like dramatic arches and overhangs, i place my corals to emphasize this theme.

2 weeks

4 months

7 months

dude. the hell with aquascaping... that growth is crazy...

 

[GrampaDon]

I have a 230 gallon wave tank that I"m just setting up. The rock I've acid washed, bleached, and now cycled in a garbage can and am nearly ready to place the rock. In total I've got close to 200lbs of dry rock to place. It seems like a lot of rock.. Nearly a 42 gallon roughneck garbage can full to the top. plus 1/4th of a 30 gallon roughneck garbage can.. I want high filtration capacity but I don't want a large rock wall.. How do I balance positive and negative space and still have the filtration I need?

My sump is a 75gallon sump, but, the skimmer takes up a majority of the sump. (18" by 14" foot print).

Also, since the tank is 30" tall, I am looking to create a multi level eco system. e.g. fish and critters that hang out at the top, middle, and bottom / sand level. So, that if one looks at it, a different set of life will be occuring at each position in the tank.

Is there any reccomendations on how to create this and still have it pleasing to the eye?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1524985&highlight=aquascape+tricks
I also like this thread for many examples.

I recently also redid mine by acid wash then using marco-mortar to hold them. Its not for everybody but then again you can take as much time as you need.

G/L
Don

 

[ljr]

I am not overly thrilled, but I am getting close, the tank is 60Lx26Dx30H.

 

[Raptor72]

Almost there, the top one on the left looks a bit unstable.

 

[ljr]

They are all very stable, all the rocks do not rock or shift at all. I just think the left looks a little to symmetrical.

 

[ljr]

Let me try that again... the load thru tapatalk did not work so well...

I am not overly thrilled, but I am getting close, the tank is 60Lx26Dx30H. They are all very stable, all the rocks do not move or shift at all. I just think the left looks a little too symmetrical, almost like four "bricks" when looked at from the same angle.

 

[noobofthereef]

Maybe try the left stack leaning back towards the back? Like steps?

 

[Mark426]

Let me try that again... the load thru tapatalk did not work so well...

I am not overly thrilled, but I am getting close, the tank is 60Lx26Dx30H. They are all very stable, all the rocks do not move or shift at all. I just think the left looks a little too symmetrical, almost like four "bricks" when looked at from the same angle.

The stuff on the right looks good to me but the left side has too many rocks. If it were mine I would use 2 rocks over there instead of 5.

 

[ljr]

The stuff on the right looks good to me but the left side has too many rocks. If it were mine I would use 2 rocks over there instead of 5.

Ha! there are actually 10 on the left! Some just interlock very well, that there are three holding up the flat piece.

I will also be adding about 1" - 1.5" of sand to the tank after the rocks are set.

Part of the issue is the tank is 30" tall. I will do a little rework on the left side and see what I can come up with.

 

[mattvisocky2003]

Nothing super special or clean lol, but I'll keep this arrangement until I get my 350 up.

 

[jmShiftinZ]

first time scaping arches from a day ago In my 55...have since added some filler rocks on the far right middle so it doesn't appear stacked . turned out nice and no rock is touching the back glass.

 

[NegroModelo]

View attachment 243117

 

[Ambition]

first time scaping arches from a day ago In my 55...have since added some filler rocks on the far right middle so it doesn't appear stacked . turned out nice and no rock is touching the back glass.

It looks nice, but if at all possible I would try and get the rock stack in the middle out of the center. Moving it to the right or left so it's off center will make it look better.

 

[Raptor72]

View attachment 243116View attachment 243117

Those are some nice blues and purples you've got there. I'm green with envy.

 

[Dashylock]

What do you think of these before/after shots? Just rescaped today:

Before:

After:

 

[H.reidi.MN]

I liked before better ..

 

[jmShiftinZ]

ya Ambition I took your advice and reworked the right side. Two arches were nice but after staring at them and the big rocks in the middle they just made both sides of the tank clones of each other. After changing the right side I like the bridge in the middle and the three small steps that go up and curve back on the far right. Now just to trim the dead spots on the bottom with another powerhead and it's all good. tks