Our first aquascape

tomboys · Dec 4, 2021

Hi, we're just doing our first aquascape and have made this. Some bits might get changed or added, but what are your thoughts so far?

Dbichler · Dec 4, 2021

Fish love hiding and they’re very Limited hiding spaces with your scape and corals may get shaded out. I would try moving the very talk section and angling it from front right to back left and see if you can create a cave or overhang

tomboys · Dec 4, 2021

Any thoughts on the changes we've made?

JNalley · Dec 4, 2021

tomboys said:
Any thoughts on the changes we've made?

I think what was not mentioned was that fish like small tight spaces to hide, big open spaces (like huge caves) don't allow them to drop their guard. Depending on the size fish you'll be keeping, consider that. My Orchid Dottyback for instance swims into small nooks that are just barely larger than it's body (I have an old piece of coral rock, I think it was a brain coral or something similar once upon a time that has a network of tiny tunnels in it) My Flame Hawkfish likes some things a little bigger (it's a bigger fish), and my Yellow watchman goby used a 1" archway that was below the sand to build it's hiding space. Consider your stocking list, and what kinds of habitat they will like.

JNalley · Dec 4, 2021

Probably better with real-world examples so here's a full tank shot:

Here is where my Flame Hawkfish spends most of his time:

This coral rock is where the Orchid likes to swim into, all the tiny holes it swims in and comes out the other side, and it even sleeps in there over night:

This is the burrow my Yellow Watchman Goby dug out (behind the stargate):

and this is the chosen burrow if my Japanese Snapping Shrimp (Pistol):

If you know what fish you want, try and look for images and videos that show what their natural hiding spots and hangouts are and build around that. Your scape looks really nice, I just think it might not give your fish (depending on what you're going for) enough alone time.

Flameback Pair · Dec 4, 2021

JNalley said:
Probably better with real-world examples so here's a full tank shot:

Here is where my Flame Hawkfish spends most of his time:

This coral rock is where the Orchid likes to swim into, all the tiny holes it swims in and comes out the other side, and it even sleeps in there over night:

This is the burrow my Yellow Watchman Goby dug out (behind the stargate):

and this is the chosen burrow if my Japanese Snapping Shrimp (Pistol):

If you know what fish you want, try and look for images and videos that show what their natural hiding spots and hangouts are and build around that. Your scape looks really nice, I just think it might not give your fish (depending on what you're going for) enough alone time.

@JNalley are you the one that got that cool Stargate bubbler in the Secret Santa exchange? I saw it on the SS show off thread. Better watch your fish, they go through that and they’ll end up on a different planet !!!!

Flameback Pair · Dec 4, 2021

tomboys said:
Any thoughts on the changes we've made?

@tomboys love the arches are they the Carribsea Arches, or did you make them yourself? Anyway there great !! I think there’s regular size then XL arches. Which are you using? I think I’ll use a single XL on my Reefer 250. I’ve seen videos of fish fighting and by swimming around an arch in 360*, through and over, it lessens aggression.

JNalley · Dec 4, 2021

powers2001 said:
@JNalley are you the one that got that cool Stargate bubbler in the Secret Santa exchange? I saw it on the SS show off thread. Better watch your fish, they go through that and they’ll end up on a different planet !!!!

haha yes, I am. It's awesome :-D

ApoIsland · Dec 4, 2021

tomboys said:
Hi, we're just doing our first aquascape and have made this. Some bits might get changed or added, but what are your thoughts so far?

That first set of pics looks so good. Great work for your first scape!! I would glue together a few small thin pieces to provide sleeping spaces and stick them behind the main pillars so they don’t obstruct the view. Shading from corals will not be an issue as long as you are smart about your placement. Don’t put anything plating or branching up top of those arches. They have great height so you could put something like zoas or whatever up there on the middle.

really nice work.

And would you mind telling the size / dimensions of the tank for perspective?

tomboys · Dec 5, 2021

powers2001 said:
@tomboys love the arches are they the Carribsea Arches, or did you make them yourself? Anyway there great !! I think there’s regular size then XL arches. Which are you using? I think I’ll use a single XL on my Reefer 250. I’ve seen videos of fish fighting and by swimming around an arch in 360*, through and over, it lessens aggression.

I just bought 2 20lb boxes of the Caribsea "Shapes"