Aquascaping coral in my BC 32G

[John M]

When it comes to plants I have no problem with aquascaping, but when it comes to rocks I draw a blank. Here are 2 pics of the rock work I have - hammer is for scale. I know It's a little more than needed ( a little over 40lbs. ) I have about 18-19 large rocks and a few small ones - under 3"x 2" - I'd like to make a few caves & over hangs - maybe an arch - using BSI IC-GEL for gluing rocks together. I also have 2 Eshoppes Frag Cave (6"x 4"x 3.5") with 12 frag plugs ( looks pretty realistic) coming next Wednesday that I want to incorporate into design.
Any suggestions? Would really appreciate any photos of smaller tanks with rock work layout from anyone.
Thanks
Pics :

 

[Trio91]

Here's some pix of how I did my tank
Red Sea 130D AIO

 

[Mark_C]

Obvious considerations are amount of rock and visible sandbed. Arranging for flow around tank is important as well, flow keeps algae at bay and makes certain corals very happy while others, like shrooms and zoas, arent impressed with it.

My 25 is crammed full of rock, so flow isn’t great, but I dont want any corals (plate, LPS) on the sandbed, its a zoa only tank so disrupted flow and semi dirty water arent a bad thing, and i have a massive cuc of varied snails, bristleworms, tiny hermits, shrimp, etc..., plus i clear the rockwork with a baster daily.

New 20g has 2 zones, a low and a high. Low is going to be shrooms so the rockwork is a bit heavy to disrupt flow and give them lots of places to gain hold. Upper zone will have some sps so rockwork is spartan, close to lighting, and open to high flow.

Build for looks but keep flow and coral-scape in mind as well.

Biggest advice is to make sure the rock is far enough away from the glass that you can clean it!
Do a dry run and determine how much space on the inside of your tank your scraper needs, or just keep it 2” away from the glass on all sides. Nothing more frustrating than a small area of glass you cant get your scraper to due to a rock just a millimeter or two too close to the sides.

The ‘rule of thirds’ section here is helpful as well...
Aquascaping for Beginners
Theres also a ton of good advice on the net with a few varied searches.

 

[Jim]

If I had it to do again I'd give more attention to fusing the stacked rocks together with rods and construction epoxy. Every time I give the rocks a brush off I have to worry about the denizens within until I see them out in public again after.

 

[John M]

If I had it to do again I'd give more attention to fusing the stacked rocks together with rods and construction epoxy. Every time I give the rocks a brush off I have to worry about the denizens within until I see them out in public again after.

I hear ya about keeping those rocks together. That's why like i said in my original thread I'm gluing them together ( will try & do a couple overhangs) with the BSI IC-Gel. I've seen many positive reviews of this gel over epoxy.

 

[Jim]

here's a vid with some tips if you haven't already come across it;

I found the reefrock a challenge to drill with a standard cordless think i gave up on it, but brs does sell the dowels for that if you go that route.

 

[John M]

here's a vid with some tips if you haven't already come across it;

I found the reefrock a challenge to drill with a standard cordless think i gave up on it, but brs does sell the dowels for that if you go that route.

Thanks Jim. I already watched that video, very interesting aquascaping with rock. The Caribsea Life Rock appears difficult to work with . It is very dense which makes it difficult to saw, drill, or chisel. The smaller amount of Florida dry rock is more porous
& a little easier to work with. I'm also finding out that BSI IC-Gel isn't that great to work with especially gluing rock work together. Think I'll try epoxy instead. I think 2 little fishies has gotten pretty good reviews.

 

[diana a]

John

Try Aquaforest Stone Fix. I have Walt Smith Reef Rock which is extremely dense....heavy. I created hang-overs by using this product.

 

[John M]

John

Try Aquaforest Stone Fix. I have Walt Smith Reef Rock which is extremely dense....heavy. I created hang-overs by using this product.

Thanks Diana I'll give it a try. Seems to have pretty good reviews. The key seems to be mixing just the right amount of hot water.

 

[John M]

Well this is my 3rd attempt trying to make it look decent. Is it too much rock for a 32G? I wanted to get some caves & once I get Stone fix maybe create some better over hangs. I put the "arch" stone on top so as to make the whole thing less "horseshoe shape". Still have to find a place to put the 2 Eshoppes frag Caves coming Wednesday.

 

[diana a]

No need for hot water. I just used water for the tank. The keys is just to make sure you don't mix too much.

 

[Trio91]

Well this is my 3rd attempt trying to make it look decent. Is it too much rock for a 32G? I wanted to get some caves & once I get Stone fix maybe create some better over hangs. I put the "arch" stone on top so as to make the whole thing less "horseshoe shape". Still have to find a place to put the 2 Eshoppes frag Caves coming Wednesday.
View attachment 17808 View attachment 17809 View attachment 17810

I like it

 

[John M]

I've decided to go with AquaMaxx Reef welder for gluing the rocks together. I've read one of the things that the manufacturer says for you to do with AquaForest Stone fix is to wash the rocks after cementing with RO water, which would really be a pain.
AM reef welder isn't really epoxy or a glue, it's a type of polymer plastic that can be used over & over just by heating water to 140 degrees , placing it in & it becomes soft again. Watched it on YT and was very impressed. Completely reef safe and very strong once it solidifies. It is a little pricey but appears to be worth it based on many reviews. Should be receiving it tomorrow along with the 2 frag caves and hopefully by Friday have everything finished and start adding the SW to start the cycling.

 

[diana a]

..... I've read one of the things that the manufacturer says for you to do with AquaForest Stone fix is to wash the rocks after cementing with RO water, which would really be a pain.
....

I never rinsed my pieces after cementing. I didn't have cloudy water etc. I applied the Stone fix to the rocks and let if harden for about 10 min on the pieces that were my over hangs. The other pieces where cemented and placed in the tank 3 min later. Good luck on your rock-scape! Look forward to seeing your layout.