aquascaping

VictorE · 03/11/2010, 05:04 PM

I have 300 pounds of rock (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...-eco-rock.html) that just came in for my 300g aquarium which has been under construction for a couple of years

I have no clue as to the kinds of coral I want or like, but I have plenty of light (about 1800W) to keep most anything alive.

Question:

What considerations to I need to make as I build my acquascaping so as I buy coral of any kind, it will have an appropriate place in the tank? To clarify, do I need large shelves to place these on? How does one affix transplanted corals to a new structure?

I posted this yesterday in the Coral Propagation and Aquaculture section but there were no takers to respond.

Krystalklear · 03/11/2010, 05:40 PM

place the rocks the way you like it first...or you can browse into people's tank threads to see how they place the rocks...it's your tank, do what you want. If you don't like it, rearrange it.

when you get corals, you can affix them either by using glue or epoxy.

lordofthereef · 03/11/2010, 06:17 PM

If you are wanting to keep SPS you need to leave room for the coral to grow vertically. Often we see rock stacked to the tip top of the water level. This may suite the aquarists tastes initially, but the corals have nowhere to grow. You will also want some more shaded areas for some softies and some LPS, if you are planning to go that route. Frequently this is achieved by making bridges, caves, and overhangs.

BTW looks like a super slick tank. Wish I had the funds to even afford buying a tank like that let alone stocking it. One day.... LOL

I hope to see a build thread!

VictorE · 03/12/2010, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

If you are wanting to keep SPS you need to leave room for the coral to grow vertically. Often we see rock stacked to the tip top of the water level. This may suite the aquarists tastes initially, but the corals have nowhere to grow. You will also want some more shaded areas for some softies and some LPS, if you are planning to go that route. Frequently this is achieved by making bridges, caves, and overhangs.

BTW looks like a super slick tank. Wish I had the funds to even afford buying a tank like that let alone stocking it. One day.... LOL

I hope to see a build thread!

Thanks for the tips.

So, if one cretes these shaded areas, can you generalize as to how much vertical clearance to leave for certain popular types of softie & LPS corals to grow?

I have photos to make a build thread, but let's get this beast up and running first!! The tank came into my home back in April of 2008 and sat on the floor for almost a year before getting placed on the overengineered stand last August along with the completed canopy.

The reason it takes so long is that I refuse to rebuild this once I'm done, so I'm making sure that everything I can think of is part of the initial construction (e.g. 1800 W lighting, ReefKeeper Elite w/ Net, UV, phosphate & carbon reactors, stainless steel nails and hardware, 40A dedicated electrical service, etc). And I had to to this totally solo . . . which is another reason (other than my perfectionism and unwillingness to perform a lot of maintenance) that it has taken so long.

The fact that this is my first tank and I have no idea what I'm doing does not help in terms of time to completion.

03/11/2010, 06:17 PM	#3
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	If you are wanting to keep SPS you need to leave room for the coral to grow vertically. Often we see rock stacked to the tip top of the water level. This may suite the aquarists tastes initially, but the corals have nowhere to grow. You will also want some more shaded areas for some softies and some LPS, if you are planning to go that route. Frequently this is achieved by making bridges, caves, and overhangs. BTW looks like a super slick tank. Wish I had the funds to even afford buying a tank like that let alone stocking it. One day.... LOL I hope to see a build thread! __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

03/11/2010, 05:40 PM	#2
Krystalklear Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NYC, New York Posts: 72	place the rocks the way you like it first...or you can browse into people's tank threads to see how they place the rocks...it's your tank, do what you want. If you don't like it, rearrange it. when you get corals, you can affix them either by using glue or epoxy.