Aquascaping Ideas

[RYANLAWRENCE]

Hi guys setting up a new aquarium. My aquarium has been cycling and probably will be ready within the week so I decided to start stacking my live rock instead of having it scattered everywhere. However when i got done, it didnt look very good. Does anyone have and aquascaping design or pattern that looks good. Im not happy how mine looks at all

 

[mfdrookie516]

can you post a pic of what it looks like now? IMO, tanks look best with the bigger pieces on the bottom with the smaller pieces stacked on top, leaning against the back glass, narrowing the higher it goes. Its all personal preference, and its probably going to be one of those things where you have to keep playing with it until you find the way you like. Now is the best time too, while the tank is just getting started and you dont have fish/inverts/corals to worry about. My best advice is get it the way you want it now, so you dont have to worry about it later

 

[Zer0]

Yeah, i agree with mfd. Sometimes what you make may look iffy at first, but then it starts to grow on you haha.

Can you give us the dimensions of your tank?

 

[RYANLAWRENCE]

Its 40 gallons I think its 36n by 18 in by 18 in

Ill try to get a pic up later and see what yall think

 

[Zer0]

Oh nice. A breeder tank. Those tanks have amazing footprints, but i think it's a little shorter than 18 inches. When i get my own place, that's the tank i want. I could do an amazing aquascape with a tank like that.

So.. is this live rock your working with? Or base rock? I think base rock would be easier to aquascape with since you could do it out of the tank and not worry about the rock dying.

 

[cmor1701d]

Well I'm re-aquascaping my tank a bit. I started it a couple of weeks ago and did a more today. This is a 125g that I've moved some rocks around in several tiimes. The last major change wwas 3 years ago when I had to get all the fish out to fight an Ich outbreak. I had to remove about 80% of the rock and put it back.

Now I'm looking to have a break on each end and one (or short area) in the middle. I'm actually going to take some larger pieces out and break them up.

So don't think you need to make it perfect day one. Get an idea of what you want it to look like. If you can it on paper first, all the better. Then scape the tank, sit back and look at it. Then leave it alone for a few days and then sit and look at it again to see if you're pleased with the result, want to tweak it, or redo it.

 

[Zer0]

I agree with cmor. It took me a week to perfect my rock structures. That and some silicone and acrylic rods..

 

[bavass]

a nice idea a found was taking light diffuser and fitting it to the size of the back of your aquarium and gluing pieces of rubble rock to it, making ledges and what not the what ever white is from diffuser is showing using mortor to cover that and just pour sand on it to hide it then hang it on the back inside as a background and will add more surface area for bacteria. I think it was on www.marcorocks.com that shows how to make it. I will def be doing that on my next build!

 

[RYANLAWRENCE]

Thanks guys yeah im working mainly with baserock but I do have one pretty large piece of premium live rock about 5 lbs or so and also a few pieces of dead coral that look pretty cool and almost kinda real since they are covered in pink algae. In yalls tanks do yall have the rock all the way touching the back of the aquarium?

 

[Sadielynn]

When I redid mine to one that I was happy with I used anything from hot glue to epoxy (marine 2 part in a syringe ) I placed them on top and epoxied away ... To do it all over again I would use the mini blind wands cut to size dipped in epoxy to hold it and drill into the LR with a longer drill bit and sink the wand into the holes .. (these can be found at most home improvment stores or discount stores for under $3 bucks in most areas and works just as well as acrylic rod with out the cost associated with it ) I would also take my time a bit more than I did in the past Most of mine is tough as it is for a nano ... I tried the egg crate and it just did not work I did not take into account the skimmer and the filter intake tubing and having it do do all over again I would give it another go ... Some folks have had great luck using great stuff black foam and placing rocks into it then building onto it with LR ... I can picture in my mind what I would do with it but have had ZERO luck with that stuff ..... so I just went blue back ground and LR as an island in the tank with 99% of the sides open so I can get a razor or a mag cleaner around the sides ... other than that the best advice I can give is to look at pics try to find something you like and make it yours ... what ever appeals to you will be what you will find you like most once you have it where you want it if you tinker you will never get it back also try a theme what part of the ocean are you trying to get the look of and go from there GL

 

[RYANLAWRENCE]

ok yeah redid mine today. The reason it didnt look good was because i didnt have enough rock. Got about 20 more lbs of live rock and the tank looks great

 

[rogersjw]

pics?

Also, just wondering - You think cheap plastic dowels would be SW safe? Way cheaper than buying acrylic threaded deals offline. Here's a link... what do you think?

Wilton® Plastic Dowel Rods : decorating accessories : cake & cookie decorating : crafts : Shop | Joann.com

 

[Deep Seven]

Well, I can't tell what number plastic those are made of, and I haven't read whats aquarium safe as far as plastics beyond PVC and acrylic, but for humans #2, #4, and #5 are safe because they won't leach. (pop bottles are mostly #1, a plastic which will leach into it's enviroment over time, but it's considered "safe")

Even though #1, #3, #6, and possibly #7 leach into the enviroment, it's possible they won't affect your aquarium.

 

[harmy4993]

Oh nice. A breeder tank. Those tanks have amazing footprints, but i think it's a little shorter than 18 inches. When i get my own place, that's the tank i want. I could do an amazing aquascape with a tank like that.

So.. is this live rock your working with? Or base rock? I think base rock would be easier to aquascape with since you could do it out of the tank and not worry about the rock dying.

If he is basically a week away from the cycle being over it is live rock now. Base rock is only base rock until you start growing bactira from your cycle. Then it is live rock.