AquaScaping Looks Good??? ****UPDATED****

[cj10488]

Does my AquaScaping look good??? There is currently about 95lbs of LR and about 15lbs of LS... Opinions please...

BTW this is a 55gal Tank and all LR and LS was Purchased thru LiveRocks.com except 11lbs of LR purchased thru LFS..

I would like honest opinions about this please..

TIA,
James

 

[possum]

Looks great to me! Wish I could get my rocks to stack up like that without falling over lol!

 

[cj10488]

First off Thanks..

Second.. All it takes is a little bit of patience and a very picky person like myself..

Honestly I would like others opinions as I am very picky and not quite sure if I like it myself yet or not.. So I have decided before the wife kills me to ask the general public and that will be my decision....

James

 

[e-cat]

i think it looks good, are those just perfictly matched rocks or did you use some thing too hold them in place?

 

[cj10488]

I just patiently stacked them.. I dont believe in using glue or other methods.. Seems unnatural to me.. Over time the Coraline Algae should "Glue" these rocks together to mimic the typical coral reef.. Its time now to let the tank balance out that load of LR and prepare and research my corals that I would like...

BTW I think the ppl over at Liverocks .com kinda give you an assortment of rock that easily stacks.. I was much more impressed with their rock than anywhere else..


James

 

[e-cat]

i dont like the idea of glueing them either, i think your right that they will grow together over time.

 

[alrmc4]

looks terrific lots of little territories for the fish to claim they will love it!

 

[lmw80]

I think it looks great!! Now, far be it for a freshy to say that! It's true...I've roamed into "the other" forum (gasp!)

Seriously though it does look great, and as lor said, lots of little places where lots of fish can claim to be king, lol.

 

[reefrunner69]

Personally, it looks a little unstable to me. Most of your bridges look precariously perched and there is not any anchor rock around some to keep them from falling in the case of a sand shift or a fish accidentally bumping it. That said, there is only so much you can tell about the stability of the structure from a pic. I also think it is a little to "busy", to may arch ways and bridges, for my taste, I don't think you'll see a natural structure quite like that. The impotant thing to remember is do you like it...my taste and your taste are bound to be different, so go with what you like your the one that is going to be enjoying it

 

[troutman11111]

i agree with kevin, many yrs ago i to did something like that. it cost me my 7yr old damsel.take the sand over time and it will move. you can still make some holes,just tighten it up abit. nice tank anyway.

 

[cj10488]

Ok I was thinking the same as Kevin.. I have rearranged the layout.. Kevin Can you please tell me what you think now? or any suggestions please feel free to make.

Thx again,
James

 

[kidafius]

I think it looks MUCH better now. Good job. Looks great!

 

[reefrunner69]

I agree it looks more stable...but I have a feeling your not quite happy with it

First rule of aquascaping...HAVE FUN!! Consider doing something different than "the" wall, perhaps two islands ina spur and grove formation...or a single coral bommie, at any rate be as creative as you want, but don't sacrifice stability for creativity.

Make sure the rock is in a loose arrangeent that allows for good water flow, this doe not mean loose as in unstable, simply that it is not so packed together that water can't flow through and around it.

Keep in mind the perfect aquascaping will ot necessarily come overnight, it may take a caouple weeks (or more of tinkering_ to get it just right.

All that said, here is a little constructive critisism of the new look. I would not have the rock sitting on the glass, in either the back or the sides, this makes it difficult to clean around as well as hinders water flow.

 

[fishfreek]

IMO the second attempt looks better to me aswell. Of course its not my tank to look at day in and day out so aquascape to where you like its appearnace but dont sacrafice stability for apperance. A heavy rock toppling on the glass can leave you with a very wet floor.

 

[Reefaddict]

It does look good, but I also agree with kevin and troutman. In my experience with stacking rocks is that, if they are just perched ontop of one another they will eventually fall or get knocked off. The sand settles, and fish and especially turbo snails will knock them over.

You might want to have a deeper sand bed, so as to anchor some rocks, and to help with NNR.

If I were you, I would look in as many ocean photography books as I could get my hands on, and try to duplicate a reef structure that exists naturally in the ocean.

Just my little two cents here but, I personally think that a tank with a center focal point is most aesthetically pleasing than a straight "brick" wall approach..Like a "peak" in the middle, so there is no one level the same. Also I would paint the back of the glass or put a solid backing on it

It looks good though bro...you are definitaly doin' it up right!

 

[troutman11111]

looks better, but like said keep the rock off the glass, give yourself room to clean the glass all the way around. i personaly let the coralline cover the back.. at least the 2 sides and front. the magnet is my best friend. is'nt this just fun

 

[two11devan]

Ahh this looks alot better (in my oppinion and for my taste). How do you like it?

 

[ReefLady]

Can I be wishy washy?

I do like the open-ness of it - lots of room for water movement, plenty of space for fish to swim.

OTOH, I don't think it looks "natural", IMO - you wouldn't see a natural coral reef with rocks precariously stacked like that. Personally, I like to try to keep my tank as natural looking as possible - some ppl don't. Also, I'd question the stability, as RR mentioned.

Anyway, I do like it better than the "wall of solid rock" look.

JMO!

 

[fishlips12]

James, to me it is all personal preference but I prefer to go for the natural look and to me your set up looks more like a human inspired masterpiece. On the up side looks like the fish have plenty of cool obstacles. If you are happy with it by all means keep it the way it is.

 

[lilismom1]

first let me say that this was very hard for me too. i kept changing it around until i felt like i didn't want to anymore, if that makes sense. that's when i knew i was done. here's my 2 cents for what it's worth. it's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like it lacks depth. what i mean is, make the bottom row curve around and then the second row could sit a little further back on the first. then try turning some of the smaller rocks vertically or at a wierd angle so they make little caves. i also agree with the other person who wrote about the peaks and the background. try like two towers at the ends or one in the middle and the background will make a huge difference. one last sugesstion, i actually did this myself, after i rearranged my fiji i decided to get a few pieces of another kind of rock. i got some tonga branches that look really nice against the "boulders". haiti rock is nice too, and the "branchy" pieces aren't as heavy so they aren't that expensive depending on how much you get. i got the idea you were looking for some technical advice, so i hope this helps. good luck!