Help with arrangement/aquascape

[gimmethatfish]

So I have a 54 gallon corner bowfont, I'm trying to figure out how to arrange it. I'll be making a 3D styrofoam background. I have a decent sized piece of driftwood. I also have a number of plants and will be ordering more.

I either want to make the 3D just for one side of the tank and do wood/heavy plants on the other side OR I want to do the 3D background on both sides and kind of taper it down. Please forgive my poor art/drawing skills. I do a much better job when it's hands-on sculpting type of stuff than drawing.

Anyone care to give an opinion? I have lighting, ferts, have plants chosen - a variety of shorter slow growing and taller stem plants that are appropriate for my lighting choice - I have a Finnex Ray 2.

First picture, shows my 2 layout options.

Next picture is of what I would do if I just did the rock background on one wall. I'd build in some caves/ledges. The drawing makes it look kind of like a city wall, but I'd make it look more natural and less uniform than that.

Next option, if I did the background on both sides. I'd kind of taper it in at the center and put the driftwood in the middle with tall stem plants behind it and smaller plants kind of spilling into the middle of the tank.

 

[vexxiang]

Personally I like the background on both sides. It gives it a distance perspective and makes the scene look bigger than it really is.

Though I think it would look more natural if it wasn't symmetrical (your last picture with the identical caves on either side).

What kind of process are you using to make the background?

 

[gimmethatfish]

I probably couldn't make it symmetrical if I tried, lol! But that's a great point. I will be sure it doesn't just look cloned.

I'm carving styrofoam boards and covering that with tinted Drylok. I'm using 1/2 inch foam board so it won't take up much space, but I'll be carving into it as well as adding pieces to it like rock outcroppings so it will be more 3-dimensional.