Tips and Tricks on Creating Amazing Aquascapes
- Thread starter Veganbrian
- Start date
Veganbrian
New member
That will change the whole look of the tank. Also i would run all the wires in the back down the side of the tank since it looks like you have a clear background and clean the back glass
Post pictures after! it will look so awesome!
Veganbrian
New member
Thanks! glad it helped. Color composition can drastically change the overall look of your tank. It will not look like the corals were just thrown in there. It will look composed like the art it should! :artist:
ReefNOOBIE21
New member
def a great read, i want to reaquascape and im also putting toegheter another nano.
Veganbrian
New member
Here is my tank. A 12 gallon nanocube. Please, those with art skills direct me on how to make this look as good as it can. Thank you in advance.
I would say move that forward "brain" looking rock more off center to the right get something to scrub the back false wall. Getting rid of the algae and take the corals off the sandbed. Maybe one or two on the bed but planned out so it doesnt look cluttered. The center structure looks pretty cool where it is though.
Veganbrian
New member
Great to hear!
Thanks! I'm sorry but i dont know the answer to this question. Maybe someone else can answer or searching online on the topic.
Yep yep. I also think clear backgrounds make for a cleaner tank with absolutely nothing on the back of the tank. Hiding the overflow behind rocks makes for a nice clean tank but you have to avoid the "rock wall" look.
POLYGEM reef safe epoxy.
You can get it here.
http://store.polygem.com/productDetails.do?productID=12&categoryID=5
REEF SMAC used it on his TOTM tank and he swears by it.
http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/107-tank-of-the-month
Thanks. I will try that and post up a pic over the weekend. Now, where to put all those corals and ricordea...
P.S. we call the brain looking piece Krang.
Augustus
New member
If anyone else is interested in a sculpting clay I thought I would post that the link MadBeach provided is actually for coating items sculpted from other materials (wood, foam, etc).
The upside is these guys also make a thicker clay that is designed for sculpting just like clay, which is exactly what I was looking for. I also wanted to note that if you don't need 2 gallons they have a 2 quart size for about a third the price. Thanks again MadBeach I've been looking for a while.
http://store.polygem.com/productDetails.do?productID=28&categoryID=5
The upside is these guys also make a thicker clay that is designed for sculpting just like clay, which is exactly what I was looking for. I also wanted to note that if you don't need 2 gallons they have a 2 quart size for about a third the price. Thanks again MadBeach I've been looking for a while.
http://store.polygem.com/productDetails.do?productID=28&categoryID=5
If you want to make your own live rock there are a number of recipes out there. Look up DIY rock on youtube and you'll see some examples.
The recipes tend to be based around a mixture of plaster, crushed oyster shell which is otherwise used for gardening, and really coarse rock salt. Generally you create a hollow in sand to act as the mold, pack the mixture into the mold and let it set, and then soak the completed piece for 60-90 days until it stops altering the ph. I believe the salt dissolves and therefore leaves you with a nicely porous structure which will function biologically as live rock does. You can see some nice examples which were created, and some not so nice examples as well. It's all a matter of artistry and craft at that point in terms of creating something which potentially looks fantastic.
Lavoisier
Premium Member
Great, practical idea. Thank you. Do you outline on both the bottom of the tank and the back as well or just one?
Big E
Premium Member
A couple of things I wanted to add if they haven't been covered yet....
---If you go through all that effort to make a great aquascape don't put a frag rack in there.......it's kills all the work that was done.
---One simple way to set up bommies with impact is to think of triangles. They don't have to be equal sides but the points add to set it off more give it a nicer look than a round or squared off lump.
---Another thing to do is put a taller coral that grows up in the front area. The tallest pieces don't always have to be in the back. Similar to the gorgonians & the toadstool are used in these pics below.
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---You can also scan through freshwater plant forums for ideas. They don't have a lot of color to work with so they focus a lot on shapes of the plants & artistic design.
---If you go through all that effort to make a great aquascape don't put a frag rack in there.......it's kills all the work that was done.
---One simple way to set up bommies with impact is to think of triangles. They don't have to be equal sides but the points add to set it off more give it a nicer look than a round or squared off lump.
---Another thing to do is put a taller coral that grows up in the front area. The tallest pieces don't always have to be in the back. Similar to the gorgonians & the toadstool are used in these pics below.
---You can also scan through freshwater plant forums for ideas. They don't have a lot of color to work with so they focus a lot on shapes of the plants & artistic design.
I found a really nice hunk of live rock at my LFS on Saturday. I think it looks very cool in the 3 gallon picotope I was also compelled to buy. Only the main "trunk" is touching the bottom. Plan to keep it bare bottom. The "branch" on the right comes toward the front. It looks a little like bonsai to me. The pictures don't really do it justice. So many nooks, crannies and caves from all angles. Professional opinions?
