Setting up the live rock

[KarenM]

Yet another lesson from a newbie: put your rocks in a "mountain" so that all levels are exposed to the light and you can get the top higher. I would think this would be common sense, but I'm apparently missing that gene. I put mine it a straight line across the tank. Now I'm having a hard time placing mushrooms and zoos where they'll be directly in the light and the top of the pile is level across the middle of the tank. So.....next water change I'll have to do a slight rescaping.

Looking at some of the nanos, it appears that the back side of the mountain, top to bottom, is against the back wall and then the front and sides slope out. Sort of a right triangle shape. My question is, do I put the rocks against the back wall of the tank?

[Lurker]

Yet another lesson from a newbie: put your rocks in a "mountain" so that all levels are exposed to the light and you can get the top higher. I would think this would be common sense, but I'm apparently missing that gene. I put mine it a straight line across the tank. Now I'm having a hard time placing mushrooms and zoos where they'll be directly in the light and the top of the pile is level across the middle of the tank. So.....next water change I'll have to do a slight rescaping.

Looking at some of the nanos, it appears that the back side of the mountain, top to bottom, is against the back wall and then the front and sides slope out. Sort of a right triangle shape. My question is, do I put the rocks against the back wall of the tank?

I just picked up a 8g Nano, my live rock is in a moutain shape, however I left the back side open. In short I did a mountain (I am attaching a file, this is a quick ms paint that shows how I have set my rock up).

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[KarenM]

I just picked up a 8g Nano, my live rock is in a moutain shape, however I left the back side open. In short I did a mountain (I am attaching a file, this is a quick ms paint that shows how I have set my rock up).

This makes sense to me. It allows for water flow and a hiding place. But putting the entire back wall of the mountain against the back wall of the tank would leave more room for free swimming in the front.

[Noodle]

Resting rocks on the walls of a tank could create different pressure points on the glass. What if your rock structure isn't as stable as you hoped and one of the rocks came tumbling down?

Another thing to keep in mind is that with such an aquascape is that if you don't have a source of flow behind the rocks (maybe thru use of a spraybar, or hidden powerhead behind the rockwork), it could accumulate a lot of detritus behind there and become a nitrate factory.

Right now, I have my rockwork as freestanding islands of varying heights. Water flows all around the structure.

[Entropy]

Don't be afraid to use zip ties, PVC, and acrylic rods to hold your rock together. You can make any shape you want with the right stuff. Just get a masonary bit and drill the rock. It will look funky to start (zip ties and pvc) but six months down the road when coraline and corals have covered everything you will never know they are there. My rock is a simple cave with two pillars at the front and is all supported by a PVC frame. The frame is visible from the sides, but I think it will look fine once stuff start growing on it and I know it is stable.

[Headless_donkey]

I personally think it gives aquascapes more depth to have the rock off the back wall. It also does help with flow(speaking from experience).

[Entropy]

I totally agree as well. On my old 150g, I had no rock touching the glass anywhere except the corner overflow. I had about six inches of space in the back and about the same in the from (60x24x24 tank).