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Aquascape desperation


Rocks Reef

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I need some aquascape advice. As the pic depicts, it looks like Ray Charles with Parkinsons did the rock work! 

Tank is 36x36x24. Plan on adding more rock but for now would like to get one side of it setup while waiting for other rock to arrive. Tanks been up 3 months or so...started with dry rock, most of which is turning light green with coralline beginning to show on rocks and back glass. Livestock is minimal as I can't seem to get my landscape how I want it. 

Looking at NOT having a rock wall. Maybe a peninsula coming from one side. 

 

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Golden ratio, phi. Avoid symmetry at all costs in all directions. I don't consider myself an expert at aquascaping by any means. I cheated and used ceramic rock even, for other reasons though, but I do a lot of graphic design and phi goes a long way to helping create natural, and pleasant to view, designs and layouts in any medium. That's where I would start.

There isn't competitions in reef tanks like FW planted, but just about every winning aquascape I've ever seen uses phi or another very deliberate ratio for the layout.

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The tree looking think in the center is weird to me, sticks out and doesn't look very natural. On the reef an old dead coral branch like that probably would have been knocked over in a storm. I keep my long narrow pieces horizontal and use them to make a pile or a bridge between rocks. If you got rid of the rocks in the middle you'd have two opposing islands, which is a look I find appealing in a reef tank.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When I design my rockscape I apply the rule of thirds as I do in photography. It also helps to plan out the Coral you want and consider how they grow, the colors, the speed at which they grow, the light and flow needed, etc., (generally speaking, since you can't control every aspect). In my opinion if you can picture the tank all grown out forming the scape is slightly easier. Beer helps too.

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I love the island you have on the right, I'd leave it as is. I would bring the scape on the left down a bit so it's 1/3 taller than the island and bring it forward sloping gradually to a crescent shape curving towards the island stopping around where you have the yellow leather. I'd leave some sand space between the crescent and island, maybe 3 or so inches. I love the idea of the branch laying down or perhaps partially laying in part of your scape. You'll have to play with it. I would try leaning it on the taller side to offset the front of the island that points to the right since the crescent curves that direction as well. Now that's all my personal idea, and it's much easier said then done. It may not work at all! Thats where the beer comes in handy. It took me 2 weeks, probably 10 tries and a 6 day hiatus to get mine where I like it. Now every time I add coral it looks different again; but that's part of the fun, right?

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