Aquascaping & Waterflow

Newbie here :. Is there somewhere on this site that has pictures of aquascaped tanks? I'd like some ideas for my 90 gallon. Also, is it better to put the rock in the middle of the tank for better waterflow around it or should I put it against the back. My 37 has it against the back and I've had to move everything to locate a missing fish (I've also got ALOT of rock in there, so......). Thanks

 

I lay all my rocks agianst the rear glass I go from mid way of the bottom and then to to a peak from left to right and then just 8 inches of so from the surface .. I'd never move my rocks to loact a fish .. Why would you do that Its not a good idea to disturb them or the fish causes stress and can create a little cycle.

 

What Tangster says is very important.

If fish is hiding out, it is for important reason.

Will show back up eventually and if it does not, keep eye on hermits. If they all have seemed to disappeared also, expect the worst...:-[

 

I don't mean to blow my own horn but I think I'm pretty good with the rockwork. I don't like what I see out there in most tanks that builders blocks kind of thing or the wall. I live in jamaica and we have dead rock on the beaches all the time. I actually collect nice stuff I find and put them down at home. I play with them allot just putting together aquascapes over and over and over just for fun. (I mean in an empty tank without water..)

I don't place the rock up against the glass all my rockwork is far enough from the glass to leave a space between the glass and the rock so that I can get the magfloat behind there. This also helps allot with water flow detrius doesn't get trapped in the center as easy as the middle as well. You can float it up when you need to with a powerhead or turkey baster.

I hardly pull the rocks out to look for something. I did it once because I had pistol shrimp that killed cleaners. Couldn't find them in any case. I also find that you get way better results when you have rocks vary greatly in size. Like all big rocks and all small rocks won't make something nice.

I've also seen and tried a tank that has rock glued to the back of the tank. So that you don't have to worry about cleaning that back glass. And it gives you a nice backdrop for your front rock. When selecting rock as well don't just go with the lightest stuff that you can find. Get most light and get some dense. Variety is important. I have a couple pics of tanks with cool rockwork ideas, I'll put them up when I get a chance.

 

Oh also. If your drilling your tank.... Envision how you want your rockwork to look like and get those pipes inside the rockwork in your mind first. They make great structural stabalizers and it's awesome if the PVC is hidden.

 

I say if you can see rock then you need more corals or the corals need to fill in .. Rocks for me is just a place to mount coral.

 

What Tangster says is very important.

If fish is hiding out, it is for important reason.

Will show back up eventually and if it does not, keep eye on hermits. If they all have seemed to disappeared also, expect the worst...


I guess I should have noted that I was looking for a fish that swam to the big ocean in the sky when I said moved my rock in my 37 gal. I've only had to do that twice, and I still couldn't locate the remains of my scissortail goby. I'm in the process of setting up my 90 gal - has a built in overflow (so anticipate plenty of plumbing/refugium questions soon ) so I haven't even ventured into reefland yet. I've got FWLR, snails and a peppermint shrimp that I'm looking to move into the 90 eventually.

Thanks Tin, I like your work. How do you stabilize the rock that high? I've seen people put pvc pipe through the rock, but how do you drill through live rock?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've gotten some helpful advice on this forum and want to make sure I'm doing things right the 1st time with the reefing.

 

LOL all I ever had to swim to the sky stayed where they laid .. They will just become food ..

 

I can only imagine what I'll find, moving everything from my 37 to my 90 and the smell to boot...................:-X

 

Reyno: No I don't stabalize the rock, I think I don't have much problems though. I use a couple large rocks for the foundataion. And when I say foundation I don't mean the base I put two large rocks up against one another. Drilling would have been my prefrence I guess and I'd use a typical drill with a long masonry bit. I think my structures are pretty stable because I have HUGE turbo's and astrea snails in my tank about 2 inches across and they are VERY clumsy. If I don't putty/glue my corals down they WILL get knocked over daily. As for selecting rock try and get strange shapes. Stay away from brick and egg shaped things. If you can find single pieces that are insanely freaky collect those.