aquascaping input

[zaf888]

so putting together the 240g. put some newspaper in for ideas and this is what we came up with. anyone see any possible problems with a layout like this or if u think it can be improved in some way let me know.

[zaf888]

p.s. that lady will not be holdin gthe plant there in the final rendition

[eho72]

I think it's a little too high. I like to see clear swimming room in the upper 1/3. Maybe flatten it out and use 2 islands instead of 3 hills.

[zaf888]

i played around with it and agree 2 slopes are better. here they are a tall one and short one also added a sloping one

[HippieSmell]

Personally, I don't like rock touching any side. I really think the best way is with small amounts of rock. Look at the minimalist thread here, as that is the proper way to aquascape IMO.

[zaf888]

wheres the thread

[Cloudburst2000]

wheres the thread

Right here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1658490 but minimalist aquascaping isn't for everyone either. Your scapes in your second post look okay if you don't care for the minimalist look.

[Cloudburst2000]

Personally, I don't like rock touching any side. I really think the best way is with small amounts of rock. Look at the minimalist thread here, as that is the proper way to aquascape IMO.

There is no 'proper way' to scape. It all depends on personal preference. Some like the minimalist look, some don't. Nothing wrong if someone opts for a non-minimalist look.

I also prefer the minimalist look, but I do in everything. All my furnishings, etc are the mid-century modern minimalist vibe, but then again it's not for everyone and nothing wrong with that.

[zaf888]

those tanks r nice but def not my taste

[mdb_talon]

i played around with it and agree 2 slopes are better. here they are a tall one and short one also added a sloping one

That poor woman hanging that plant has been there for hours while you re-aquascape !!

Anyway I think the middle picture is the best, but I would not put the rocks to the edge of the glass.

[serpentman]

IMO, the number 1 mistake people make when aquascaping is to use symmetrical designs, which aren't really interesting to the eye. Natural growth like plants, corals, etc. almost never grow perfectly symmetrical. Although the last pic you have is close, it would still look too "artificial". I would build one side to cover 2/3 of the tank and do a small island on the empty side.

[HHIreefer843]

i think the second group of pictures and the middle pic is the best one so far, it takes a while to scape and as long as your happy with it, its correct!! Yea +1 you should give that lady a break holding the plant and invest in some cceiling hooks haha

[DreamMachine]

I like the second one the best. As previously mentioned, you might consider not having the rocks right up against the sides as it makes it hard to clean, unless you don't intend on viewing from the sides at all. Generally, less rock is better because it allows more room for corals and for them to grow into the space over time. You might also consider having more caves inside your rock structure to allow better water flow. Your on the right track over all though. Good luck!

[HippieSmell]

There is no 'proper way' to scape. It all depends on personal preference. Some like the minimalist look, some don't. Nothing wrong if someone opts for a non-minimalist look.

There most definitely is a proper way to scape, and it all has to do with composition. If a master artist were painting an aquarium, he wouldn't paint a wall of rock. He would use rule of thirds, focal points, ways to get the eye to travel around the painting, shapes, paths, framing, etc. The tank doesn't need to be minimalist to accomplish that, but once the coral grow in, a minimalist rockwork often helps. A minimalist rockwork allows for a larger relative difference in the size of rock shapes, more separate shapes because of the small size of most aquariums thus more focal points and more opportunity to move the eye around.

Of course the OP can do whatever he wants, but there are guidelines to follow that can improve how his tank looks.

[zaf888]

like art everyone see's it different. but i am interested in those guidelines to make my scape look better. the tank is starfire on three sides so maybe i wont block the sides with the rocks. the reason i want two separate islands is i want to put xenia and anemones on one side and other stuff on the other side. its sort of a barrier to prevent them from taking over the tank. im leaning towards the second pic as well, although the slope looks nice too.

[lucidheights]

Go with whichever way maximizes flow and you'll probably thank yourself later.

[rioshilo]

Using newspaper to aquascape:hmm4: who would do that? I used styrofoam... With your scapes, I like the one that slopes down from one side to the other. Make it not so high on the left and seperate a little island out on the right side. Btw, good luck isolating the zenia if it decides to take off and grow. Mine took over and I was vacuming out a 100 stalks every water change.



This was my styrofoam scape...

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/rioharbour/03.jpg

[HippieSmell]

like art everyone see's it different. but i am interested in those guidelines to make my scape look better. the tank is starfire on three sides so maybe i wont block the sides with the rocks. the reason i want two separate islands is i want to put xenia and anemones on one side and other stuff on the other side. its sort of a barrier to prevent them from taking over the tank. im leaning towards the second pic as well, although the slope looks nice too.
Of course art is subjective, but composition really isn't. As far as guidelines go, just google composition and you'll get a bunch of hits to help you out.

[mutateddogbone]

IMO i think it all depends on what kind of corals you want and how many fish you plan to have.
EX.

SPS corals with lots of fish = more rock in sump and minimalist in display
LPS or anemoneas and med. fish = higher rock or more dense rocks in display
fish only and soft corals = go nuts with your rocks

[zaf888]

lps , softies and fish