Aquascaping and Rockwork made simple with visual guidelines and videos

[Mudbeaver]

Aquascaping and Rock work made simple with visual guidelines and videos

I'm, not a designer, or an, artist; i took 3 years of Horticulture and landscaping before doing my trade. But from my own work and word of mouth, i've been asked by some; to do their aquascapes and helping doing their's which i enjoy obviously, i've perfected some techniques. I've done some threads in other sites about aquascape and work involving rocks and other materials found on the market and the net. Since i enjoy it, i though i'd do one here too. I didn't post it as such on the thread i'm about to link you because i wasn't sure i wanted to do another one it takes time...and efforts. In any case here it is.

Follow the link below, because like i said i wasn't sure i wanted to do one, and i kept on going;

These next remarks will comeback in the thread with explanations and videos, just follow the link here on RC.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2311241

Do's and don'ts , possibilities and regrets, failures and triumphs.

Ask yourself is it?

-Reef or fish only tank.
-Small, large, medium tank.
- Do you have a backwall.
-Need to hide things


Key points;


- Cover your backwalls, or the coraline will cover it for you and not in a pleasant way and less cleaning for you.

-You'll have more grazing patch for your fish and less rocks on your sand to retain detritus, ultimatly fouling your water, everything is linked....also less rock means better flow in the tank, more swiming room for the fish, bigger fish ?.....


-Give different hights to your rockwork, different levels mean better lighting options for difficult corals.

-Use the full length of your tank, towers are for huge big tank, 200G + or very small tanks.

-Put rocks in front of that overflow who want to see an overflow wall, why put it front and center, it look like a drive-in movie screen ?

-Stick rocks on that tube or pipe with foam, super glues, anything when its dry to hide it with corals the first chance you get, other wise your tank look like its near a city sewer...

-We don't want to see the corner of your tank we know its square, your suppose to make us forget about it.....

Please post your questions and remarks on the other thread thanks.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2311241

[Mudbeaver]

Actually You should post here lol my bad lol , I'll be posting here from now on Dah

The start of the thread is here;

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2311241

I'll put the rest here, lol i wasn't thinking this morning. lol.

Some of my favorite tanks;




Mixed tanks with macro are cool.




Perfection?

[Dashylock]

Thanks for these tips, I enjoyed your other thread on rockscape as well - very well thought out and informative.

I have a 40br with central overflow and about 50# of lr. I am having a really tough time with aquacape due to central overflow, do you have any suggestions? I currently have the wall look going. Any suggestions?

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by Dashylock

Thanks for these tips, I enjoyed your other thread on rockscape as well - very well thought out and informative.

I have a 40br with central overflow and about 50# of lr. I am having a really tough time with aquacape due to central overflow, do you have any suggestions? I currently have the wall look going. Any suggestions?

Yes your rocks look more like sparse rubbles, you need to make one or two big rocks with either putty or rods. and then fix your frags on those two . Now its all over the place and theirs no discernable design to it. Don't mean to be mean, but you need to give it a shape. One of the rock should be totally back and one more upfront on the opposite corner. Now when you construct your big rock at the back incorporate your powerhead in it to hide it. Make it shoot toward the front glass panel to create movement. Your other returns towards the sides glass panels, they'll create a counter current againts the one from your powerhead in the rock. Look at some of the examples in my thread with pvc and zip ties, you can also use super glue, but with it would be easyer with dry rocks.

A common mistake , because you have a smaller aquarium, don't take small rocks take the bigger rock, you'll have less aquascape to do and a sturdier rockwork and more fluid look to it.

[Dashylock]

Thanks for the tips! How high should I go? My dimensions are 36"x18"x16". I just want to partially cover the center overflow, that's why I just started stacking rocks in front of it. My tank isn't very big so using the minimalistic approach w/central overflow might not look so good. I will try my best this week and post some pics.

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by Dashylock

Thanks for the tips! How high should I go? My dimensions are 36"x18"x16". I just want to partially cover the center overflow, that's why I just started stacking rocks in front of it. My tank isn't very big so using the minimalistic approach w/central overflow might not look so good. I will try my best this week and post some pics.

Ok cool , try different approach go as high as your corals light needs , i would personnaly go as high as the waterline for the back, a little less for the front tower.Take your time you'll get there. TTL.

[Dashylock]

I took your advice today and worked on the scape...I wanted to do three separate islands but with the center overflow this is difficult to accomplish because you can't hide it!

Here is what I came up with, I kept the left side pretty much as it was and worked on the center and right side. I found that huge center piece on the bottom of the tank. Let me know what you think, thanks

[Mudbeaver]

LOL can you do me a favor take a smaller resolution so i can see a full tank shot
its too big lol and i can't really see. It looks promissing.

[stempy07]

Just set up a 500 gallon and the aquascaping about drove me insane. Started with rods and didn't like the outcome so moved stuff around abit and still not sure I like it but at the same time feel it could be better. It's hard to judge from the pic the depth as its a 4ft wide tank so there is a ton of room around all the rock structures as well as under them as water flow was important. I am considering moving the rocks in the middle (the little bridge) to the tower just to its right to make that an open "valley" and the structure on its right more of a "mountain" if that even makes sense, what do you think? Its still a bit cloudy as well as I just finally got it full monday evening

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by stempy07

Just set up a 500 gallon and the aquascaping about drove me insane. Started with rods and didn't like the outcome so moved stuff around abit and still not sure I like it but at the same time feel it could be better. It's hard to judge from the pic the depth as its a 4ft wide tank so there is a ton of room around all the rock structures as well as under them as water flow was important. I am considering moving the rocks in the middle (the little bridge) to the tower just to its right to make that an open "valley" and the structure on its right more of a "mountain" if that even makes sense, what do you think? Its still a bit cloudy as well as I just finally got it full monday evening

NO its insanly beautiful!!! I love it! You did a great job, and your too close to see it but its great. You have plenty of room for fish lots of levels, great flow, great and inovative forms, don't touch anything with the addition of corals its gona rock. Enjoy your well earned rest. Have a cofee or beer or something, great job! LOL This is cool. Keep those bridges. Love those JAWS!! Oh and please keep us in the loop with the progress of the tank its too great to ignore .

[stempy07]

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words. It is really nice to get an outside perspective on the tank and thankfully a positive one! I will leave it as is and let the corals do the rest It's going to be a very slow process cycling and getting it going but I'll be sure to keep updates going on it

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by stempy07

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words. It is really nice to get an outside perspective on the tank and thankfully a positive one! I will leave it as is and let the corals do the rest It's going to be a very slow process cycling and getting it going but I'll be sure to keep updates going on it

LOL yes we are alway more critical of are own work i should know i'm the same, actualy most people are. Thats because we are too close to are own work, we are less objective. And yes keep us in the loop, that be cool.

[Dashylock]

Originally Posted by Mudbeaver

LOL can you do me a favor take a smaller resolution so i can see a full tank shot
its too big lol and i can't really see. It looks promissing.

Here you go

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by Dashylock

Here you go

Ok i see it now, funny it didn't show at first ?? Its actually much better, you have a higher grounds .You don't need 3 but two would be enough for your size tank.

[Dashylock]

It showed up on tappatalk...

How about now?

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by Dashylock

It showed up on tappatalk...

How about now?

Its much better. Your getting there. How do you feel about it, You have to like it too. If you ever add another piece make sure its huge and place it appart so its creates an island , even if you have to take some out to accomodate the new live rock. Don't add a dry rock or you'll start a new cycle. Lol. Another way would be to take the biggest of your piece and place it up front , standing tall and use the smaller pieces and fuse them with epoxy to make a high wall in the back that long piece in the center would look awsome fused with a rounder piece to give it stability and make it stand in the front right corner

[Dashylock]

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it. I like the way it looks, I had created some islands on the left and right side but then added the bridges and stacked a few pieces of smaller rock to conceal the overflow.

It can use some work, but the remaining pieces I have will not fit right and I don't want to spend $ to buy new rock. I will figure something out.

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by Dashylock

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it. I like the way it looks, I had created some islands on the left and right side but then added the bridges and stacked a few pieces of smaller rock to conceal the overflow.

It can use some work, but the remaining pieces I have will not fit right and I don't want to spend $ to buy new rock. I will figure something out.

Well that the most important thing, if you like it and feel comfortable with it.
Good luck with the build keep us in the loop too we want to see it growing lol.

[Mudbeaver]

Brainstorming

[Mudbeaver]

[Mudbeaver]

brain·storm·ing [breyn-stawr-ming]
noun
a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc., by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion.

a fit of mental confusion or excitement.