Hows my Aquascaping

[ReeferBobRW]

I just posted my new tank in Tales of the Tank so please take a look.

I'm also looking for opinions on my aquascaping. It's been setup for about 2 months now. The tank is an Oceanic RR 120g 4x2x2. On the top right I put a large piece of shelf rock. I think it will be fun sticking corals on it. looking to do SPS mixed tank, but it also shades allot below it. Let me know what you think. Comments are very welcomed.

Thanks,
-Bob

Ignore the cyano bloom

 

[DaveK]

I'll first start that aquascapeing is very subjective, and what I may like you might hate.

Since you asked, I'd consider your aquascapeing to be ok, and with a few corals on it and so on it will look fine. OTOH, it's also not in the class of aquascapeing that really makes it stand out. It's still more or less a pile of rocks. My preference would be to have high areas where it's almost at the surface, and lower ones with plenty of open space.

 

[MikeNapoli]

Looks good. I would raise the light up a hair though. I used to have my light that low and salt creep would cover the glass and hinder the light.

It's better to have lights further from the water at full power than close to the water at 50%.

As for the aquascape. You'll end up ripping it apart one day and re-do it. It's happened to all of us. Take a look at my thread to get an idea of how many times i've changed mine in the last year. I think i'm on my 3rd pile of rocks.

Good luck.

 

[Demo]

I agree, can't get much more subjective than this topic. I like it, but you will tear it down and redo eventually, we all have. I'm not sure how you constructed the rockwork, is there any epoxy holding the rock in place? Water flow on growing corals can make even large rocks tumble.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Bob, how do YOU like your aquascaping? That's the most important question. You have to like it, nobody else. Everyone has different taste, different likes, different preferences. Some like stacking rock, some like layering it, while others like to create islands, or even others create low and high points.

When I first set up my 75 and was finally done aquascaping, I liked it a lot. But as soon as I started adding corals I realized my rockscaping wasn't particularly coral friendly since I had stacked way too high, not giving my corals much room to grow, so I redid it. Months later I realized I had to add some rock to add stability since corals don't just float in the water column, and big snails can create big rock slides :-[

---
Wendy

 

[mynd]

Hello there,

Hey BOB... I agree that aquascaping is completely up to the owner.. However, I don't like when people tell me something looks good in my tank when it actually does not. That just irks me to no end. Now no one can TELL you if it looks good cause no one knows your taste. On the other hand even I like when people look at my tank and go.. Wow, that is nice. So here is the truth with some honest reasons.

The AS you have done is not beneficial to the tank inhabitants. I usually call that the "wall of whoa". I think you can imagine what I mean by that. Personally no matter what I think others will chime in and say.. ouch.

So here is what I suggest. Move the rock around and envision yourself as a small fish in the tank. Think of the air space between the rocks as the route the fish roller coaster tracks will run and design something open, tall ( use the height ) and stable. Personally if I were you since you have so many smaller pieces in there. I would glue the rocks together in some places once you get the look a bit more NATURAL. The only thing I see right now is a natural landslide under the ocean ( not to be mean, but I think even you agree it looks like a pile of rocks. ) NOW, there is a good possibility that since WE can't see perception in the tank that is may in fact look really good in person. So you know what? ( leave it alone ). However, I usually find that if I NEED to ask others how it looks ( the rock that is ) then I in some way don't care for it myself.

Now, I am not saying that it is ugly or bad or looks like crapola.. I am just saying that it is not how I would design the rock and I THINK you could do better if given the right motivation. I hope that is not offensive or you don't take this the wrong way. I am just saying what I feel others and myself SHOULD be saying.

I HATE when people say your/my tank looks great and it really looks like crap. I would rather be told the truth.. ( somehow I know I am going to pay for this ) LOL

I would rearrange the rock with more openings, more height to allow maximum flow through and from behind the rocks. This will help in alleviating bad areas of algae and detritus piling. Be sure you can get a turkey baster in there and blow out all the junk from behind the rocks weekly and that placement of corals are natural and not PLACED.

When you finally get it, you will step back, look at the tank, and go.. Yeah.. that's good..

HTH

 

[JRWOHLER]

For what it is worth I like the LHS better then the right. If you can break up the table thing going on keep the left side it is quite nice.