Your ocd and rock placement.

[Versus]

I have the placement I want.

Wait no I dont

FINALLY!

nevermind

This will do

For 5 minutes

My question is, How long did it take you to be happy with your rockwork and stay happy. Since I have had issues recently with my sps growing I have had time (a year) to keep redoing the rock work and its been A LOT more changes than I have shown.

I always have a piece i want to use but it doesnt look right.. So i change stuff around.. and then again after I get bored of it. Then come to the conclusion "well once it fills in what is the point of this kind of rock work" etc.


I once hated the rockwall but i am really starting to see the appeal now.


What made you content with your setup?

How many times did you get angry after the wife would tell you "WHY ARE YOU CHANGING THE ROCKS AGAIN, IS THAT GOOD FOR THE FISH?"


I changed them again today, and I am not satisfied but something stung the crap out of me on one of the rocks so I am taking a break for a day or 2.

 

[Brian Chong]

I like the 3rd the best. keep in mind that once your acros grow out they will cover your rockwork.

 

[Bigcefa]

i dont know but i happen to like the frag rack that looked like a star wars transport ship, and um ya just maybe leave the rocks alone drink a beer and relax!

 

[Versus]

i dont know but i happen to like the frag rack that looked like a star wars transport ship, and um ya just maybe leave the rocks alone drink a beer and relax!

I think it looked more like one of the ships from tron.

 

[mcoomer]

I'm kind of partial to number3, 5, and 6 but I definitely know where you're coming from. I'm still amazed at the self control that I showed when I setup my 180. I put the rocks in place and haven't moved them once since then, other than to add a coupler small pieces for more frag room.

Mike

 

[RyanAlan]

#1 is by far the best IMO.

I really like the look of a "valley". You can gradually build the sand up toward the back part of that area give it an optical illusion that the tank is deeper then it really is.

This is one of the many tricks of rock placement that I learned from Dr. Paul Whitby when he did a presentation on this at an event I attended.

 

[AquaticFins]

Your first effort was beautiful! That valley was tremendously well done and your layout flows extremely well to the eye.

Speaking for myself, I usually don't move the rockwork very much after its set...but I will take many an hour to get it "just right." As Brian Chong said, it's important to remember that the coral growth will obscure most of your rockwork in fairly short order...the rockwork is just the base structure the real aquascaping begins on.

 

[Fieroguy19]

+1 on the first one. I had to chuckle when looking at how many times you changed it though. I did spend several hours arranging the rocks for my 90g, but would never totally rearrange them again. You are right in that once things grow out you won't really see the rocks nearly as much anyways. IMO it is more important to place the corals in the right locations to get the look you want.

 

[MammothReefer]

I usually have an idea in mind for my rock work but over time it changes due to coral demands, or random 1am "ideas". Typically I've found I always like it better... ...how it was before I change it.

on a side note is one thing I've found is that more rock work doesn't always display well in photos, you sometimes loose the depth of a tank depending on how you shoot it.

oh and I prefer #1

 

[dzhuo]

I like this one the best:

I think the first one looks good initially but the valley will be gone in a year (your corals will quickly make this narrow gap disappear).

 

[Versus]

Thats why I had gotten rid of the valley. I think thats what a big issue is with rock work is that I always try things and then come to the conclusion once it fills out it will just be a big clutter.

Its so hard to decide and im not good with just letting something sit.

 

[dzhuo]

I completely agree. I think most people get overly excited about creating the craziest rock work but lacks the long term vision of grow. I think the most important things are negative space (other people like to refer to this as depth), a strong focus point and good color composition.

Which is why I like the single rock formation. It has lots of negative space and a strong focus point. Once your colorful sticks grow out, it will have good color composition.

 

[kimoyo]

I like your equipment setup.

FINALLY!

This was the best for me. I like how the sand is in the front and I like the rocks in the upper right hand corner. The rocks in the upper right hand corner were perfect. Move out those two little rocks in the front, move the boulder looking rock forward and angle it with the upper right hand corner and your done. You could find a porous rock to replace the boulder but with corals you wouldn't even notice. Don't crowd the tank with rocks.

 

[ryshark]

I like the 1st one the best.

 

[jcolletteiii]

#1 makes all the rest look boring.

 

[allsps40]

I like the first best also. I managed to get my rock done the way I like it the first time. I have removed so rock since then but the lay out is the same, just opened it up a little. I have set up many tank in the past, work for a few LFS. So my aquascaping skills have been well honed.
First set up

Now

 

[t4zalews]

I agree with number one looks the best...I just put my rocks together and just let it be. Once you get used to it, you'll like it.

I just have a couple things that are a must for me...an overhang, caves, place for fish to hide and enough sandbed for clams

 

[Versus]

Yeah still messing around with it, even having to break off my encrusting frags which is awful but at the same time my growth and color has been sub par due to some issues (unknown what those are at the time. 1/2 inch growth over a year for almost every frag isnt exactly thriving)..

Also I had original plans for it to just be rock work and a full mangrove in the corner which I have a few of that I have grown (7 years old and trimmed) with sps around it, unfortunately I have learned their root system is overly strong and could cause a major tank leak once they roots were to mature again. Some smaller mangroves I have grown have taken over rocks that I use in the first picture so unless I want to destroy them I do not have as much rock to work with.

I suppose I will go minimal to an extent and just let the sps fill in the rest. But I am afraid my constant "not happy with the layout" isnt going to go away :lmao:

 

[allsps40]

Always rearranging everything will stress out your corals as well and make them look like crap. Set up your rock place your corals and leat it. Stability remember is key.

 

[t4zalews]

Always rearranging everything will stress out your corals as well and make them look like crap. Set up your rock place your corals and leat it. Stability remember is key.

I agree 1000%, always moving things around is terrible for corals. If you just let things be, good things will come