What makes a GREAT aquascape

[livebait]

I'm preparing an article and need the opinions of many individuals on what they feel makes a great aquascape in marine tanks.

I've posed this question on another forum and it seems to confuse the readers. So to make it clear:
The type of tank doesn't matter, i.e FOWLR or reef. How you would lay they rock out does matter, i.e walls and pillars, caves, laced arches etc.

So all I'm really asking for is what style of aquascaping makes you drool when you see photos of it.

 

[DaveK]

In my opinion, to get great aquascapeing you first need to do at least some planning. You need to have some idea about what your trying to do.

Also in my opinion, the type of tank makes a big difference. I sort of hate to say this, but FO and FOWLR tanks look rather dull next to a reef. Not that FO or FOWLR tanks are going to look bad, and depending upon the fish being kept might be required, but for pure aquascapeing a reef system, because of the live corals and related livestock is the system of choice.

Great aquascapeing will include fish, but the main emphasis is on the aquascape, not the fish.

Tank shape does matter. It's extremely difficult to get a decent aquascape out of a comparatively narrow tank such as a 55 gal, since it's only 13" front to back. A wider tank or cube will let you do more. Personally, while a lot of people love them, I just can get excited about bow front, wave front, hex, and similar tanks. I find that these tank shapes look interesting, but do a far worse job in showing off the aquascape, which I feel is the main attraction. I'm not saying you can't do a great aquascape with one, but it's tough.

As for "... walls and pillars, caves, laced arches etc. ..." they need to fit together so they look like something your see out in the wild. For example, making a single cave right in the center of the aquascape looks very artificial, but a series of interconnected caves through the aquascape will look great. Other things that I find that makes an aquascape instantly fail are a pile of rocks in the center, or a rock wall that goes top to bottom and left to right. Another almost instant fail is a design that is completely symmetrical.

Consider that the live rock, along with any hidden structure, is the supporting structure for your tank. The corals that are going to grow on it need to look like they always lived there. They are going to take some time to grow in. You may have noticed that the really fantastic systems have been set up for years, and have had time for livestock to grow in. This can take a long time with LPS or SPS corals.

Lastly, keep in mind that this post is my opinion of what I like and don't like. Everyone is welcome to disagree, since an aquascape is very much a matter of personal taste. You might love a look that I'd never even consider for myself. That's OK.

 

[jpsika08]

This is my scape, basically the image speaks better of what I personally like,

Many arches, hiding niches and open spaces for fish to hang out, also, lots of coral placement without sacrificing too much swimming and sand space.

 

[PSU4ME]

@ Juan:



Nice Aquascape........as Dave said.....planning goes a long way and so does rock selection.

 

[jpsika08]

Thanks Bryan and totally agree, lots of reading viewing and reviewing, basically take the best ideas and mix them the best way possible with the things you mostly like.

 

[PSU4ME]

And let's not forget about cost......if you want to hand pick your rock to fit your plan, you can pay upwards of $7-$12 a pound.....most people's scapes are a product of the rock they bought and "most" times those rocks are bought blind.....but over time, you pick up awesome rocks and after a while you have something nice. There is a guy up this way with just incredible scapes......he told me he bought about 10 setups and kept the rocks he wanted along the way to get to where he is.

 

[N83259]

When diving, I'm always impressed by the dramitic and that goes for aquariums too. Steep walls coming out of a sand bed. Overhangs that look like they defy the laws of gravity. Coral heads twisted in odd shapes. Caves. In very deep (front to back) tanks, a cool effect I've seen once was a wall on the back with zoas & coraline algae, but the main LR structure was very close to the front glass. It provided an interesting illusion of more depth than was actually there.

In an aquarium, another thing that helps it look dramatic is the variety of and number of life forms. Sometimes when you encounter a great reef aquarium, there is so much going on that you almost experience sensory overload. The eye can't decide what to lock on to first. Part of it is the architecture of the LR and the other is the beauty of all the different organisms and their colors. Some moving, some not.

 

[livebait]

In my opinion, to get great aquascapeing you first need to do at least some planning. You need to have some idea about what your trying to do.

Also in my opinion, the type of tank makes a big difference. I sort of hate to say this, but FO and FOWLR tanks look rather dull next to a reef. Not that FO or FOWLR tanks are going to look bad, and depending upon the fish being kept might be required, but for pure aquascapeing a reef system, because of the live corals and related livestock is the system of choice.

Great aquascapeing will include fish, but the main emphasis is on the aquascape, not the fish.

Tank shape does matter. It's extremely difficult to get a decent aquascape out of a comparatively narrow tank such as a 55 gal, since it's only 13" front to back. A wider tank or cube will let you do more. Personally, while a lot of people love them, I just can get excited about bow front, wave front, hex, and similar tanks. I find that these tank shapes look interesting, but do a far worse job in showing off the aquascape, which I feel is the main attraction. I'm not saying you can't do a great aquascape with one, but it's tough.

As for "... walls and pillars, caves, laced arches etc. ..." they need to fit together so they look like something your see out in the wild. For example, making a single cave right in the center of the aquascape looks very artificial, but a series of interconnected caves through the aquascape will look great. Other things that I find that makes an aquascape instantly fail are a pile of rocks in the center, or a rock wall that goes top to bottom and left to right. Another almost instant fail is a design that is completely symmetrical.

Consider that the live rock, along with any hidden structure, is the supporting structure for your tank. The corals that are going to grow on it need to look like they always lived there. They are going to take some time to grow in. You may have noticed that the really fantastic systems have been set up for years, and have had time for livestock to grow in. This can take a long time with LPS or SPS corals.

Lastly, keep in mind that this post is my opinion of what I like and don't like. Everyone is welcome to disagree, since an aquascape is very much a matter of personal taste. You might love a look that I'd never even consider for myself. That's OK.

This is my scape, basically the image speaks better of what I personally like,

Many arches, hiding niches and open spaces for fish to hang out, also, lots of coral placement without sacrificing too much swimming and sand space.

@ Juan:

View attachment 20103

Nice Aquascape........as Dave said.....planning goes a long way and so does rock selection.

And let's not forget about cost......if you want to hand pick your rock to fit your plan, you can pay upwards of $7-$12 a pound.....most people's scapes are a product of the rock they bought and "most" times those rocks are bought blind.....but over time, you pick up awesome rocks and after a while you have something nice. There is a guy up this way with just incredible scapes......he told me he bought about 10 setups and kept the rocks he wanted along the way to get to where he is.

When diving, I'm always impressed by the dramitic and that goes for aquariums too. Steep walls coming out of a sand bed. Overhangs that look like they defy the laws of gravity. Coral heads twisted in odd shapes. Caves. In very deep (front to back) tanks, a cool effect I've seen once was a wall on the back with zoas & coraline algae, but the main LR structure was very close to the front glass. It provided an interesting illusion of more depth than was actually there.

In an aquarium, another thing that helps it look dramatic is the variety of and number of life forms. Sometimes when you encounter a great reef aquarium, there is so much going on that you almost experience sensory overload. The eye can't decide what to lock on to first. Part of it is the architecture of the LR and the other is the beauty of all the different organisms and their colors. Some moving, some not.

This is all great! Exactly the type of input I'm looking for. Thank all of you so much for taking the time to do it!

 

[20nano]

i think what makes a great aquascape is up for every individual to decide. I personally like caves and platforms and what not. Depending on the rocks that i purchased and how they stack together without falling. As long as my fish can swim in and out of a pile of rocks and corals and lay atop a flat piece and grow into its surrounding without being restricted by the rock's scape. I like rocks all over the back of the wall and less towards the front but the middle having come out more so if you look at it from the side, u can see a cliff/platform towards the center. Wonder if anyone gets my idea? ahah

 

[BigAl07]

Here are some aspects that really catch "Allen's Eye" (In order of preference):

A) a Clean (and minimalistic approach) Bonsai layout

B) a nice clean ATOL arrangement

C) Deep Caves & Coves

D) A nice clean look with flats & over hangs.
(didn't locate any really good pics but everyone knows what these are . . .)

 

[livebait]

Here are some aspects that really catch "Allen's Eye" (In order of preference):

A) a Clean (and minimalistic approach) Bonsai layout

B) a nice clean ATOL arrangement

C) Deep Caves & Coves

D) A nice clean look with flats & over hangs.
(didn't locate any really good pics but everyone knows what these are . . .)

Very nice! Thanks for the links and letting me pick your brain a bit.

 

[Rhodes19]

Tagging along for some more great pictures and ideas.

 

[cheeks69]

I like a clean simple approach and I think that generally speaking people overdo it with the amount of LR either out of necessity {dense rock} or poor planning and not taking into consideration how corals will grow and change the scape over time particularly the reef building corals SPS.

This is how I started mine about 75 lbs. of rock in a 93 cubish tank but eventually as the corals grew I removed close to 20 lbs. of rock from the display to the sump to make more room for the growing SPS corals.

Here you can see how the SPS changed the scape and was shading all the corals on the bottom of the tank.

 

[KARussell88]

My favorite things about a good rockscape:
1. Lots of open water
2. Caves/overhangs
3. Lots of open white sand
4. asymmetrical design

Rockscape ruiners:
1. A "wall" of rock
2. Rock from the bottom of the tank to the top of the water
3. Rock against the glass
4. Rock that looks stacked (like blocks where one can easily tell where one rock starts and another ends) as compared to interlocked (like one big flowing structure)

This is mine:

 

[mbdave]

My personal opinion in aquascape is "less is better". The coral should be the concentration of the tank and too much rock is in the way of that.
I usually use larger rocks if I have them and spread them away from each other. There should be plenty of sand showing to get the nutrient reduction that it will perform, "I know this is in some opinions sand is not the best anymore but it works for me fine". I think the rock wall is the an incredible bad design that I still see happening on occasion, it doe's not look natural, it is terribly disfuntional, and in my many dives never saw it on a natural reef only seawalls, "if you want a seawall more power to you".
Also I love really branchy rocks, "stylo or pocilo skeletons" but imho they are the worst rocks to use for aquascape, the flow has a harder time flowing through them while a smoother rock has much more ease. I believe many hobbiest "including myself" gets wrapped up in the way the rock looks and at times forgets that it has to be functional also? Maybe not putting as much thought into the flow that is imo one of the top 3 things that should be pondered, completed, and well spend the money, to me that important. Now when it is all said and done the biggest thing to remember when the coral starts thriving, "hardly anyone will care about the rock it's on" only if it is algae covered or something and that is not the goal
Always keep that in mind

 

[livebait]

Thanks for your input Dave! It's great to get such a varied bunch of ideas from all of my fellow reef enthusiasts. I hope today finds you full of satisfaction and thankfulness. Peace be with you brother.

 

[mtk]

I think everyones idea of a perfect aqua scape will vary. I have not changed my tank's aqua scape since I set it up and love it so I guess this is what I feel a perfect aqua scape is.

 

[Funlad3]

my scape has come a long way and it's pretty good now, but I'm going to have to redo it at least two more times. One, because I need to keep my rock from being infested with a thriving mushroom colony and two when I re-vamp and re-plumb my tank in a few months.

Anyways, here's a mediocre picture time line.


This one is from the second or third day of my set up that I bought used. I knew I wanted to try and hide the overflow on the right and I was piling rock in dark murky rock, so it turned out superficial but still pretty cool!

(Back right)

This scape lasted a month or two, so I got rid of a lot of the hair algae.

There were a few transition scapes that weren't quite the above on but not quite the current one. Here are some of the scape I have now.

And lastly a video from a few months ago:

[video=youtube;B4ZBKBgnuBk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZBKBgnuBk[/video]



In the future, I want to have a cove of rock that ultimately gains height toward the right and have that side have a hole... I'll try to make a quick 3-D model.

 

[Funlad3]

Here we go! I have a few islands and two caves, but I really want that hole to take up the majority of the right face of the scape. Obviously, I didn't put in all of the holes that the rocks will naturally make, but this is the basic frame for what I love and hope to create in my 75 gallon!

 

[livebait]

Here we go! I have a few islands and two caves, but I really want that hole to take up the majority of the right face of the scape. Obviously, I didn't put in all of the holes that the rocks will naturally make, but this is the basic frame for what I love and hope to create in my 75 gallon!

Nice! I like that quite a bit. Thanks for the images and your input. What is the software you use to make the models?