Can someone help me with Aquascaping?

[kappaknight]

Here's another pic of mine looking from the right side through the tank.
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[kappaknight]

I forgot where I saw this... but this is by far my favorite aquascaping job for a 30 cube tank.
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[tsciarini]

nice...

 

[triga22]

So pretty mcuh I should go get some flat rocks and make some overhangs and some caves. I should aslo make some further back and closer.

 

[kappaknight]

Yeah, that should help a bit. ...and of course, have fun with it.

 

[kzoo]

I think picking the right rock has alot to do with the look, the mor openings the better. Here is mine still new just getting over first algae outbreak.

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[dakota]

I'm surprised my neighbors don't call the Police whenever I aquascape.

I live in an apartment, and I'm screaming "I hate this rock!", "I need more rock!", "Why did I buy this rock?!", "RRRROCK!!" for hours.

No telling what they must think....
I always act a bit sheepish walking to my car for a few days until the blinds stop being parted when they hear my door open. LOL

I'm the last person to give advice on aquascaping. I must have about 40 pounds of it in my 15 High.
Love the rock - hate the stacking.

 

[dakota9]

I just purchased another 5 lbs. of live rock for my tank, I think it was just enough to finish my brick wall efect I have going. It seemed to fill in those puny caves I had started quite well. Should we suggest an aquascaping demonstration at an upcoming meeting? Dakota(9)

 

[ubfishy]

alt="" /> heres my 29 gallon cave

 

[triga22]

That 29 cave is awsome. And I think we should do that at the next meeting. Lots of people dont seem to get it so I think a fellow member or someone good should show us.

 

[dakota9]

Was epoxy used to make the cave? Don't laugh, but does the live rock need to be taken out of the water to use epoxy? If so, how long does it need to stay out of water? Perhaps a board member will see this thread and kick the idea around for a demo at an upcoming meeting. Dakota(9)

 

[nano_reefer92]

oh i belive it is 24 hours to fully cure and the rock has to be dry and rid of debris.

 

[ubfishy]

no epoxy here. actually i just placed them in there; with the thought of a cave. with alot of rearanging until i liked what i saw. i have my biggest pieces on the bottom in two pillers and sorta just bridged them together. intertwining smaller rock to keep them sturdy

 

[xyzpdq0121]

When I can get my tank cleaned up for pictures maybe I will shoot some of the rock work. Or better yet, I think I have a few from about 6 months ago that I can post if I can find them.

Epoxy can be used underwater but it all kind of sucks. it never really holds that well and if you ever have a problem that you need to take the rock work out, you could be kind of screwed.

I have made plenty of caves by just learning how to stack and use gravity.

 

[dakota9]

Notice the brick wall effect in my 30g long tank. The tank is set as like a room divider, so it can be viewed on 3 sides, which means stacking rock against glass isn't functional, but the tank is only 12 inches in depth. As a result, I only have 10 inches I can place rock after I leave room for the mag-float. I'll accept any advice. I agree about the rock shape and structure making a visual impact, as many of my rocks are just round balls, and it shows. Thanks, Dakota(9)

 

[kappaknight]

The cool thing I've learned about rocks is that if you play around with it enough, you'll often find pieces that will lock-in together. It's like a very advanced game of tetris except the goal is not to build a solid wall.

As far as designs go, it's always good to have an idea of what you want before you stick your hands in to arrange that way you can kind of see which pieces you will need to use where to build caves, arches, hiding places, etc.

 

[dakota9]

Yeah, the design in post 36 was supposed to be a Split Lagoon design, planned it out for a week or two, and THIS is what I ended up with. Has anyone ever took out all the live rock, epoxied it as a single unit and then put it in the water? Just a thought. Dakota(9)

 

[sj miller guy]

The more caves the better is what I have found. Stacking rock, leaning it, and twisting it around to fit really sucks...but it's worth it in the long run.

The more caves you have the more water can flow through the rock work instead of being stagnant behind the formation.

 

[sj miller guy]

I'd also like to add that it also comes down to combining different types and shapes of rock. I've got about 5 different types of rock from Fiji, Tonga, Blue Ridge etc and it all adds to a better look IMO.

 

[FutureInterest]

I'm a big proponent of arches and caves for aquascaping. It's honestly all about personal preference though. I also like placing all the rock on acrylic stands. It allows water to flow below them, minimizes detrius build up, and provides more "caves" for your fishies. Also, since 1/5 of your rock isn't buried in sand you need less rock for the tank .