When aquascaping.........

[Michiana]

OK, the reef bug has hit me BIG time...... I pretty much have all the necessary equipment (some is getting upgraded/updated), but I find myself with all kinds of questions. Yesterday it was snails, today it's liverock placement / aquascaping. I've got a decent size tank (120 gal, the one that's 60in long), and I'd like to do something interesting with the liverock. I've got about 250 lbs, of which 60+ lbs is softball sized, 80 lbs football sized, and 3 "show-piece" rocks making up the balance. What I'd like to do is to use the rock to semi-divide the tank into 2 "flow" regions (one high, one medium). I intend to use 8-12 powerheads hidden in the rocks to accomplish this. I'd also like to use some of the plate type rock to create overhanging ledges. My questions are........

When positioning the liverock, is it a good/bad/neither idea to have the rock in contact with the aquarium glass ??? If not, how much space should I leave between the glass and the rock ??? Also, how high can / should the rock be piled in the tank ????

Since I'm going to be creating ledges that jut out over the substrate, should I work to have the waterflow above/below the ledge ???

I have a programmable wavemaker that I will use to control the on/off of the concealed powerheads. Am I correct in assuming that the proper use would be to have a stronger flow during lit periods (daytime), and to slow down GPH when dark (night) ???

I apologize for what may seem like nuisance questions, but I'm in the planning stages, and all sorts of things are running through my head. One thing I like about this hobby is that everyone seems to have an opinion and is willing to share. It may not always be right, but it does usually lead to a different way of thinking, and eventually a solution.

Thanks again, Jim

[blue_eyes53813]

Im sorry im not gonna be much help on the aquascaping aspect but my only thought was on the concealing of the powerheads, it probably can be done but think about maintenance that will need to be done on the powerhead at some time... hate to see you pull your tank apart for repairs.

I know tunze makes powerheads concealed in rock like figures, but they are pricey...Good luck and cant waite to see the results

[boozeman]

don't be nervous about asking too many questions...I've been here for months asking and planning...and I don't even have a tank yet
many criteria need to be fullfiled pertaining to rock placement. Foremost in my oppinion is aesthetic value. In your desire to create various ledges and 'pillars', I believe you are well on your way to achieving this ideal. things to consider are accesability...how can you reach throughout the rock to reach a fallen ''something or other'' ...and of course you got to give the lil fishies space to swim...especialy the pelagic types like anthias. It is impossible to create flow thru each and every piece of rock[ I've seen many setups attempt elaborate perforated pvc racks powered by powerfull closed loop pumps in vain attempts to create flow. You must remember that other types of micro and macro fauna exist in the 'dead' areas where light and flow dont exist between rocks...and contribute greatly to the ecosystems overall health. Last but not least consider that a rock may fall and bump against the glass when determining an adequate distance from the pane.....ouch finger cramp

[sasquatch]

Very good points made there, have you gone to the topics of the week? not long ago it was on aquascaping, I had most of my rock piled against the back glass and it was a nightmare for cleaning, after the posts on aquascaping I redid everything and put over a third of my rock in the sump,world of changes all good, if youve got rock too big they can be cut with a tile saw. you can get a saw for 40 to 50 $ and save a ton on buying better pieces, Steve

[cheeks69]

It sounds like you have very dense rock...is it aquacultured ? I really like large pieces of porous rock instead of piles of smaller rocks and I would try to make some islands and leave open spaces for fish and coral placement particularly the sand dwelling type and it also allows for good flow throughout the tank. Aquascaping is an art unfortunately it's something I haven't mastered yet

[JaxReef]

Concealing power heads in the aquascape has 2 flaws IMO

1) if the pump breaks you need to move LR and corals to access the pump, the same is true for cleaning the power heads.

2) if a fish or crab was to be sucked in the power head you will also have to remove the LR to get to the pump.

If you wish to hide pumps you can create DIY liverock to fit the pump.

Mix a batch of DIY liverock and take the pump that you wish to hide. Wrap in it a plastic bag and the pump becomes the mold to create the DIY liverock to hide the pump in. When the DIY LR dries you have a similar but much cheaper version of the tunze rock.

I would not make contact with the glass and the LR.


Using 8-12 power heads in the tank will create more work for you and use up more outlets that will need for other equipment. 2 large Tunze or Seios will do the same job with less power, heat, maintenance, and outlets.


My old way of aquascaping was to take a mason drill bit and wooden dowels. I would drill holes in the rocks and connect them with the wood dowels. Underwater the wood swells and creates a bond as strong as epoxy. The problem with this is that it was time intensive but I did make killer arches and caves. Now I use 1" pvc frames rectangular in design to "suspend the LR above the sand bed. This creates better flow above and below the reef, it gives the impression that you have more LR, and it helps gravity pull out phosphates from the LR and you cant see the pvc. These frames can also be connected to your returns or closed loop system to allow multiple outlets to stick out of the reef, much like your idea to conceal power heads with in the aquascape.

Hope this helps