Aquascaping - Need Ideas

[jamesw]

Hi Y'all,

I'll hopefully be getting in my liver rock tonight and could really use some ideas an how to do the aquascaping. I have a 6' long tank and would like to have 2 bommies I think but I'd like to see what other people have done.

Would y'all mind posting a photo of your tank showing the aquascape?

For those who have a really vertical structure - how did you achieve it? I already have 20# of base rock in decent sizes and I'm getting 2x 50# boxes of rock and should have a few big pieces. What I'd like to avoid is the "stack or small rocks from front to back - with corals on it like a fruit-stand" look.

Thanks!

James

 

[leftovers]

here is my tank....light on rock from what it was ....im removing the toad stool...again....seems it never really ever leaves...

there is even less rock now than that picture shows but its all very open and i finally have all but one of the anemones back on the left hand side...

This is my tank now after the massive clean out and removal of probably 40% of the rock and all the sand...and it had been 10 years since i last purged all started over...so this is a start I will continue to remove the soft corals and restock again with hard frags again...I still have one more sump purge to do.

 

[Anonymous]

When this was all rock and the corals were all still tiny frags it had a more open look... that monti cap in the middle kind of ruined that

Keep in mind this is 3 feet front to back, so that did afford me some additional room to scape.

 

[jamesw]

Thanks for the pix so far guys - keep them coming. Oh - my tank is 6x2x2 w/ no overflow/obstructions inside the tank. It's also plumbed/drilled for a closed-loop which I will probably use w/ an Iwaki 55

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

Leftovers, leave the toadstool, get rid of that wallpaper, it'll really make everything look a whole lot better.

 

[WRASSER]

my 220...

 

[leftovers]

Leftovers, leave the toadstool, get rid of that wallpaper, it'll really make everything look a whole lot better.

Toadstool = crap. At one point it had a 3' crown and was just ridiculous so i cut it out...now 2 years later i have 2 crowns about 12" across each when fully open...so one is getting cut and tossed...no im not looking to give them a good home...they are like weeds...you dont need weeds in your tank...

the wall paper was due to be painted over this year but i kept the tank...soo the paper stays for now....

 

[Len]

I think you've seen mine already, but here's my two-boomies aquascape:

[rimg]http://www.reefs.org/forums/download/file.php?id=43723[/rimg]

I only used 100 lbs of rock (for a 176g).

 

[Anonymous]

Leftovers, leave the toadstool, get rid of that wallpaper, it'll really make everything look a whole lot better.

Toadstool = crap. At one point it had a 3' crown and was just ridiculous so i cut it out...now 2 years later i have 2 crowns about 12" across each when fully open...so one is getting cut and tossed...no im not looking to give them a good home...they are like weeds...you dont need weeds in your tank...

Can you come over and tell my woman that too please? I got a rather large toadstool and devil's hand leather, nothing special, they're brown, I yanked them from a tank but I had to setup another tank just to house them *sigh*, and I really don't want them at all but I'm not allowed to get rid of them... YET

 

[jamesw]

Thanks for posting those again Len. Those are some amazing shaped pieces.

I decided to go with the Alor rock with is a much different shape - it's more like ancient Heliopora and Pocillipora colonies. It has a great open honeycomb structure, but not tabulate or long. The thing is, I heard from the vendor that none of the Fiji rock comes in by air anymore! I was bummed to hear that. I got the Alor rock because it comes by air - and it paid off I think - there was lots of life and even 3 anemones (in Q tank now) that were alive in the bottom of the box - along w/ a chiton.

I think w/ the big pieces I got I have a lot of options. I'll post some pix soon.

Cheers
James

 

[Len]

Yeah. Alor is the only rock that comes by air now (AFAIK). Your rock definitely will have more life than most people's (including mine). I was actually thinking of buying some Alor to seed my tank, but I have no room for more rocks.

How many pounds did you get?

 

[jamesw]

Hi Len,

I got 2 boxes of Alor - w/ a total weight (including boxes) of 130lbs. The rock shipped from Denpesar Bali straight to LAX on Quantas - which is about a 12 hr flight. I don't know how it gets from Alor to Bali or what they do w/ it once it gets there - but I'd like to find out.

There was not as much life as when I used to get the RAW uncured fiji rock from Walt - but there is still a lot. It came w/ about 5 flower anemones, lots of live small barnacles (which are feeding like crazy right now) and a bunch of different turf algaes. One rock is also covered w/ star polyps - but they haven't opened. I think the shape/makeup of the rock is better too - it's much less lumpy.

If you can pick up a few pieces locally this would make great seed rock.

Cheers
James

 

[Unarce]

That looks awesome, Len!

James - I've always been a fan of the bommie/island formations. Especially with long channels for fish to swim right through. I went with only 70lbs of live rock in 110g set-up, and never regretted it. I've always felt the common rule of thumb of a pound of LR for every gallon was overkill. Give the fish some room to roam and your coral room to grow

 

[Anonymous]

This was my tank

More can be seen here if interested.

topic96205-80.html

 

[jamesw]

Thanks guys. I have all my rock in tank curing now w/ my high-flow and monster old-school ETS Gemini. Lots still alive on the rock but lots of dead stuff too. Running carbon and ammonia absorber... Also got the closed loop working.

I'll take some pix of the tank and rock tonight - I need to document my build a little methinks.

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

Looking forward to it! I love build threads. 8)

 

[jamesw]

Here's my preliminary Aquascape:

The bommie on the left will change a bit once my loc-line and eductors get here. I got a SCWD for 10 bux and I may or may not keep it - it seems like a good use of the closed loop. Obviously the LR rubble pile on the right will move too

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

Looks good so far, plenty of room between the rocks, with proper pump setup you most likely can get good flow in that "canyon".

As to the SCWD... don't bother with it, more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Anonymous]

I like it as well. I prefer aquascapes with two bommies where they're different sizes/not symmetrical. Adds an extra dimension to the impression it gives.

 

[Anonymous]

Left side:

Shot with Canon PowerShot SD790 IS at 2009-10-04

Center:

Shot with Canon PowerShot SD790 IS at 2009-10-04

Right side:

Shot with Canon PowerShot SD790 IS at 2009-10-04