aquascaping 18" deep tank pics/suggestions please..

[cateyes]

i'm going to move into a 125 gallon, 72" x 18" x 21", and am in need of ideas on how to scape it without having "the rock wall" look.....

i currently have a 100 gallon that's 40" x 24" x 24" so i know the more from front to back makes it a lot easier to scape but i'm looking forward to having the length. there will be more room for the fish to swim, mine now just seem to be swimming in circles, and more surface area for corals..

i'm thinking about 2 or 3 mounds down the middle or maybe a column/pillar for sps to grow out from.....

any input is appreciated.... :)

thanks a lot,,, lisa

[46FiatYamaha]

Not sure if it's what you were looking for, but I have my rock in two seperate islands to keep away from the rock wall look http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=267618&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

[cateyes]

yeah, that's along the line of what i will probably do....
the left end in my situation will actually be up against the wall in the corner so i may have that end butt up to the glass...

ithanks a lot, appreciate the pic.... lisa

[r-balljunkie]

here is my 125 tank.
i am more of a minimalist. i like the open middle as well, very fish friendly.
c
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/fts.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/left.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/cchavis/right.jpg

[andrewkw]

With 18" its very hard to get the rocks in a decent spot. You can angle them to make it seem wider. Another thing I tried to do is have lots of different height levels.

Here's my tank sorry the second closeup is a bit out of focus

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/andrewkw/IMGP6011.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/andrewkw/IMGP6005.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/andrewkw/IMGP6006.jpg

[r-balljunkie]

wow, nice specimens, LPS, SPS mixture. that is definately gravity defying on left side. acrylic rod?

c

[scaryperson27]

What are you going to be doing with the 100 gallon?

Are you going to be going with a mixed reef in the 125 also?

I would go the minimalist route if your are going to be doing corals.

[andrewkw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14626230#post14626230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by r-balljunkie
wow, nice specimens, LPS, SPS mixture. that is definately gravity defying on left side. acrylic rod?

c

PVC

thanks, LPS dominated but I'm starting to add a few hardy SPS on top. Millipora does well. Monti's when Nudi's aren't eating them. Acros are next. At one time I had quite a bit more SPS but after some crashes I redid my tank and now use just 6x54T5 over a 5 foot tank. Tons of flow and lots of feeding so I still get great growth.

[cateyes]

r-balljunkie -- i really like the openness of your rockwork, that arch on the right is awesome and even the rocks on the left side aren't touching the sand completely, leaves some area to swim under, very neat!!!

andrewkw -- that's a good idea for stabilization in a narrow area, no worries about slippage or shifting of the rocks.. very nice!!!

it looks like you both have single overflows on the end.. the tank i'm looking at will have dual overflows that come in from the corner about 6-8" or so, i'm not sure if that's going to help or hinder my aquascaping....

thanks again,,, lisa :)

[cateyes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14626257#post14626257 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scaryperson27
What are you going to be doing with the 100 gallon?

Are you going to be going with a mixed reef in the 125 also?

I would go the minimalist route if your are going to be doing corals.

my husband is inheriting the 100 gallon, guess his 240 isn't big enough :). i think he's going primarily SPS in it , his 240 started out mostly LPS but is now a mixed reef..

yeah, the 125 most likely will be mixed, i've tried but had a very hard time sticking to my original plan for my tanks, my husband would confirm this... :)
there are just toooo many pretty corals out there, it's so hard to be selective when you have a bit of rock showing... :)

i definitely will go minimalist with the rock, i like the openness... that in itself should help me be choosy with my coral selection... (i hope!!)

lisa

[scaryperson27]

That, and your corals will have some space to grow out into the water column.

[r-balljunkie]

If possible, try to get your hands on some Haitian live rock. it plates at funky angles, some close to 90 degrees, so it makes it easier to use as a base for your structure. i rely on gravity only, and its pretty stable. Fiji and other boulder type rocks can be used on top.
Try to be selective with what rocks you arrange with. End of the day, i probably have 6 important pieces that makeup the base of the rockwork. All is swimmable from bottom, and back, so when there is "lights out", all the fish have somewhere to go.

good luck
c