Are there any Aquascaping Experts in Central IL?

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TheChad

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
568
Location
Warrensburg, IL
Hey all,

I have recieved my 50lbs of Reef Rock, and my 50lbs of Caribbean Live Rock is on the way.

... and I haven't the first clue how to setup an aquascape. Especially a nice one..

we want several places for the fish to swim threw, and some caves for small fish and inverts to hide in...

Anyway, I don't suppose any of you aquascape experts are in the Central, IL Area?

Thanks,

-TheChad
 
What sized tank? Just put'm together, twist then and urn them until they look like you want and they are "seated" or wedged into each other well. Also push the bottom rock into the sand and make them rest of the bottom of the tank. This will prevent avalanches from sand stirring critters (gobies, pistol shrimp, etc). You going reef. Is so, keep in mind that new corlas may need ledges and spots to be added later.

By stacking rock, you should be able to do it so that there are plenty swim thru areas. As you place 2 or 3 powerheads in the tank, you'll make them crash on the front wall and blow back thru the middle of the tank. As you add the sand and stuff, and as fish food gets to dropping, you may see dead spots w/out circulation, Often positioning a powerhead or moving a rock can fis it.

Many of us don't get it right the first time in anyway, so go ahead, give it a shot. There are even folks here that can judge a photo of your set up and offer help.

You can do it. Go ahead and try it.
 
Where do you guys usually stack your rock? In the middle of the tank, or in the back?

I was thinking if stacking it along the back wall, giving caves for the fish to swim in, but leaving the front 3/4 of the tank open for display.

Thanks,

-TheChad
 
Mine allows me to clean the sides. I've stacked along the back and left the front 1/2 to 3/4 open for better viewing. 1/2 of the bottom filled nearer the middle and 2/4 filled near the sides. I think you got the right idea.

Check out some folk's galleries for ideas too... or, send me a plane ticket. I'll come help.
 
Here's the pictures of what I got so far...

All the pieces were small so its kind of hard to get large openings... Hopefully my LR will be larger pieces....

All the rocks are along the back glass. I dug out the sand and placed rocks on the glass bottom...

-TheChad
 

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Alright, I've spent over 12 hours with my arm up to my sholder in the tank trying to stack thease rocks, I am about 4 seconds away from taking my $200 in rock and putting it in the garden.

100 people here have all said "No don't glue the rock, just stack it" Yeah right, and pigs fly right?

Rock just doesn't stack, you get 1 piece stable, the second you put another ontop of it, all of it falls over.

It'll sit great on the sand, but then of course as soon as one of the fish digs the sand out from under it, all the rest of the rock will fall and everything in the tank will die, either by getting crushed, or the sand blasting after it.

You can't tell me those beautiful Reef tanks at the LFS's don't glue their rocks together.

If they are not glued, all a fish will have to do is fart and the whole thing is comming down!

The only other option to make it stable would be to lean it all against the back glass, which is great untill you want to clean the glass then you are screwed.

So I ask again, Is there ANYONE in central, IL that known ANYTHING about aquascaping?

90% of what was on the rock is now in the sand bed from toughing the rocks soo much, soo soon my $200 of rock will be just that, Rock.

-TheChad
 
Plan on stacking against the back wall. As the corraline algae grows, you won't be needing to clean the back side anyway. Push the bottom rock into the sand bed so they don't topple when someone digs. Maybe start stacking the rock halfway to the back of the tank all the way to the back, THEN start stacking it. Didja get any larger pieces form your recent order? If not, 100 lbs of rock in small pieces like you've shown above will be a problem IMO. Get some of those orange and purple aquarium gloves if you think hands in and out so often will be a problem. It'll take some placing, stepping back and looking, coming back to rotate a rock, go back and look some more, placing again end etc, but again 100 lbs of small peices is gonna be tuff. Need some 20 - 30 lbs pcs I'm thinking to make it easier.

And I agree. Glue will make it difficult to move rock later. We all do I think.
 
I have about 5 large pieces of LR, and about 4 small pieces of LR, plus all the rocks shown above..

Why wouldn't I need to clean the glass with corraline algae??

Thanks,

-TheChad
 
Purple corraline growing on the back glass for those with front viewing tanks is pretty much a standard IMO. Rocks on the back glass too.

If I were you, I'd use the large rocks on the very bottom of the tank. Try to wedge or stack some smaller ones after those. When It gets to precarious with smaller rocks (being unstable or too loose, I'd consider doing without them and getting larger base to use instead.

From the looks of those smaller pieces, I think you've been having a real hard time using them. Maybe give'm up.
 
I haven't even gotten to the smaller pieces yet!

I took out all of those rocks, and am just trying to work on the LR at the bottom right now.. I had several of those rocks burried in the sand, I am trying to stack the larger LR ontop of those so that if fish dig out the sand they would be on solid rock underneith, but the large rocks don't ballance well..

Thanks,

-TheChad
 
I would get a few flat ledge pieces and try to make something almost like a pyramid. You might be able to use your back corners. using the sides of the corners (like an L shape) put some smaller pieces in the back corner like an L put ya a ledge rock across the top and do it again with a few less pieces again a ledge and then again with a few less pieces (like a pyramid). The in the middle use the back glass. You could also use an aquarium putty to give it a little stability but also reversable. just a thought.
Good Luck!
 
thats what I use and it works well. It holds the rock and if if you should want to move something later it comes apart with a little effort.
 
come apart how? As in You can just pull the rocks apart if you want to? Does it peel off?

Thanks,

-TheChad
 
if you use it to hold 2 rocks together and you wanted to move them just pull them apart where you joined them and then just peel the putty off. I bought a mushroom that was attached to a piece of rock. I wanted to move it yesterday so I just pulled it off and moved it.
 
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