FishShrink Posted December 15, 2017 Author Share Posted December 15, 2017 Something like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 I dig it! [emoji3] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 43 minutes ago, FishShrink said: Sascha, I'm finding the cube to be little more difficult that I was expecting. I changed the design a little to try and open it up and give more room for growth. Also tried to incorporate a gradual slope to help with coral shading. The plan from here would be to build out an arm on the right side of the left island extending behind the right island. I will probably still cut down the right island but haven't done that yet. Thoughts? The dimensions of that tank something like 23x23x24? It's a difficult tank to aquascape for both fish and sps corals. You need open water for fish to swim and sps corals take up space as they grow. It's good practice to put the rocks in before sand. It helps stabilize the structure and gives it a more natural look. Some people use PVC or light diffuser, but I simply place them on the glass. Placing the rocks directly on the glass makes it easier to slide around if you change your mind later. IMO you shouldn't stack the rocks any higher than 18". The distance between the top of the live rock structure and the water level will give you room for circulation and coral growth. If you stack the rocks up to 20" then you'll only have 4" of coral growth before they run out of water. If you want to have larger colonies or put branching species, like stags or digis, on top of the structure, then leave more room for those. I have the best results keeping branching corals, like stags and acros, higher than plating/encrusting corals. You'll want at least enough room on the sides for a magnet cleaner. The beauty of a cube tank is that every side is the display view and I would leave a little room to add corals to every side that you want to view. I think cubes lend well to U shaped aquascaping, as well as, old school sloping walls and center structures. I don't want to spam your build with pictures, but I'll include some links to give you ideas. Here is one example of a U shaped structure. Here's an old school look and another one I like. I like what you've created so far. Maybe drill a hole into the big piece and add a shelf or downward sloping branch would look pretty good. Here's a link on how to drill live rock if you want to go that route. I have a drill bit and some small pieces of fiberglass rod that you can borrow if you need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted December 15, 2017 Author Share Posted December 15, 2017 Sascha, thanks that was super helpful! I have some masonry bits if I need them. Hopefully will glue/epoxy it up tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnM Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 To make the ledge you can drill whole and put a acrylic rod to support it then epoxy it. I made a shelf in my tank by doing the acrylic rod worked very wellI really like the rocks cape plansSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted December 16, 2017 Author Share Posted December 16, 2017 All glued up. Is it just me or did the rocks seem to shrink? I may have to add some height to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 I think the height is perfect. Trust me, those colonies will fill the height in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted December 16, 2017 Author Share Posted December 16, 2017 8 hours ago, FarmerTy said: I think the height is perfect. Trust me, those colonies will fill the height in no time. Alright....I'm gonna trust you on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 Trust Ty. I also made the height mistake on my first scape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefpuck Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 On 12/14/2017 at 1:59 PM, FishShrink said: BRS forever! It took me a quite a while to decide about the bulbs. I ended up going with 2 ati blue+. I want the growth and the glow. If it is too blue I will increase the whites on the LEDs. Sounds good. Looking forward to see how the colors look. Rockscape looks great IMO. Just what was mentioned before...trying to stack rocks and prevent shadowing can be a chore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted December 23, 2017 Author Share Posted December 23, 2017 Water going in today! T5 retrofit/supplement installed. All the rest of the equipment came in and installed. Hurray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted December 24, 2017 Share Posted December 24, 2017 That lighting setup looks sharp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted December 27, 2017 Author Share Posted December 27, 2017 Water in, skimmer running, got the return pump dialed in. Also picked up some liverock today to help seed the tank. Most in the sump but I put some small purple pieces in the display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 Update: Water cleared up right nice. Skimmer is pulling out junk. Put a small hunk of fish in to rot and help the cycle along. Made a couple of frag racks with extra bits laying around. They will be ready to hold some frags from the swap coming up. Wish I had another few weeks to let the tank settle in before the swap but I'm biting at the bits to get something in there. I also ordered a travel frag carrier. Supposed to be FAA approved for carry on. Pretty cool! http://buildinganobsession.com/products/personal-sized-frag-transport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Nice, the shower door test fixture is creative too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 2 hours ago, jolt said: Nice, the shower door test fixture is creative too! Thanks, I avoid putting my grubby fingers in the water unless I have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Thanks to everyone I got frags from at the swap. Special thanks to Ty for the frag pack and John for getting them to the swap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Ok little guys -- grow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 13 minutes ago, jolt said: Ok little guys -- grow! That's what I'm talking about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Heck yeah! Looking good already! I see you grabbed one of those cool green with bright blue polyp caps too! It is the nicest one I've ever had in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 On 1/18/2018 at 12:11 PM, FarmerTy said: Heck yeah! Looking good already! I see you grabbed one of those cool green with bright blue polyp caps too! It is the nicest one I've ever had in the tank. Yes I did! I love that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishShrink Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 Fish have entered the tank. Clown for the kids and a fairy wrasse for daddy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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