Creating amazing aquascapes: What is your primary focus when designing your aquascape?

[JoJosReef]

Fish/motile invert environment first, coral/nem environment close second and my tastes third. If the fish and corals are happy, I tend to be happy, too.

 

[Timfish]

I ahd to vote other because I couldn't vote for the other 5. Here's my list in bullet form:

· Enough aquascaping ot look interesting initially but leave plenty of room for coral growth

· Plenty of nooks and crannies and overhangs and arches to give fish a sense of protection and still be able to see them and create negative spaces to accentuate the 3d efffect of aquascaping

· Extensive use of "rule of thirds" and the "golden ratio"

· Cryptic areas for organisms essential for a reef ecosystem the need low flow and/or low light.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Creating amazing aquascapes: What is your primary focus when designing your aquascape?

There are so many aspects to consider when putting together an aquascape or rescaping the aquascape that you currently have. However, there is often a leading area of focus whether it is more form or function. The emphasis may be on ease of maintenance, aesthetic appeal, coral growth and health, water circulation, habitat and natural behavior for the livestock, or something else. Whatever it is, please let us know what your primary focus is when designing your aquascape.

Photo by @ChristopherKriens

If you are looking for some help with your aquascape, please check out the R2R article about Tips and Tricks on Creating Amazing Aquascapes.


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com

“Dinkins Aquatic Gardens specializes in producing top-quality copepods, phytoplankton, amphipods, and berghia nudibranchs. We are a small husband-and-wife company that intensely focuses on customer service. We'd love to have you experience the Dinkins Difference!" ~@Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

Wow, it's like, this post could not come at a better time for me...



My aquriam before and now during the process today of rinsing my rocks, I'm looking to re configure for my mushrooms, long story short, had an explosion of pineapple sponges and vermited snails, sponges was all 'underneath' my rockwork, I know beneficial in some regards but got to the point of too much/ smothering so decided to remove and clean, my aquarium is 5 years old, I believe we'll established, I know basics of water changes, testing (salifert) + others.
Nearly everything has survived since introduced so I believe I'm doing good in that way.
Just sponges started to take over so thought best to remove half of my rock to 'deep clean'

Any advice will be very much appreciated and I'll gladly share photos if required
Following

 

[d2mini]

I voted for aesthetic appeal because that is first and foremost in my mind, but it's combined with a few of the others.

In other words...
I think of coral placement... but it has to look good.
I think of flow... but it has to look good.
I think of fish hiding/swimming... but it has to look good.

So i think of pretty much all aspects, but try to accomplish them in a way that is visually appealing.

 

[Zoa.Mania]

I'd say all of the options

 

[ForTheLoveOfCoral21]

I think its a mix of a few. I want my tank to look good as its in my living room.

I want it to look natural and be good for all the living creatures.

I think we need to take into account all of the above when making our scapes.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Planning should have been around the jawfish. He throws sand on top of the rock and corals constantly.

 

[Rp8]

I chose other, since there was no “all of the above”.
I live by the law of thirds when it comes to aquascapes.

 

[xiaoxiy]

Aesthetics and open space is what I try to prioritize in my scape. I find it helpful to think about what the tank will look like after corals grow in and try to not make it overly cluttered.

Here’s the progression of my current aquascape.

 

[TinnysReef]

I love all the bottom dwelling shrimps, crabs, and little gobies and try to make as many homes for them as possible.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Aesthetics and open space is what I try to prioritize in my scape. I find it helpful to think about what the tank will look like after corals grow in and try to not make it overly cluttered.

Here’s the progression of my current aquascape.

This looks more like alot of the shallower reefs you see. love the layout and spacing.

 

[GuppyHJD]

I thought I was creating for coral placement but apparently I had no clue what I was doing.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

My simple little layout. Ignore the mess from prior projects on wall lol. This room will be patched and painted in a month or 2. since going back to work in office I get to clear out and turn this into a spare room for guests/personal office rather than work/personal office. Wife is happy about that but not me going back in lol.

I am focusing on the single SPS and want the SPS Coral to overtake the rock. I will upgrade the tank to larger ones as it gets bigger and budget allows. I wanted a nice piece of rock that sits flat so I would not have to worry about retransplanting. I used 2 pieces of live rock. One for base to lift and another for the SPS itself.

 

[MrGisonni]

I am going to do this on any tank I do from here on out regardless. If it's not modular where I can take it apart section by section and pull it all easily, I will never put anything else in a tank.

One of the hardest things is having issues and not being able to get to them because of the rockwork

Ideally each coral would be on its own to plug and unplug

I have some frags attached to acrylic rods that are slid into holes in the rockwork FWIW

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

For me it has to be a very small slice of oceanreef

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

For me it has to be a very small slice of oceanreef

great looking scape. those two kids don't bother the corals?

 

[SunnyX]

Aesthetics and flow:

 

[legendhua]

I think the above are all important~
It is also important to reserve space for coral development!

The following is my coral tank, which is over four years old and it is still growing.

2019
P5260044 by legendhua, 於 Flickr

2023
DSC04851 by legendhua, 於 Flickr


2019
P6010028 by legendhua, 於 Flickr

2023
DSC04880 by legendhua, 於 Flickr



2019
P6120016 by legendhua, 於 Flickr

2023
DSC04876 by legendhua, 於 Flickr


Theoretically, the white sand in the middle should be left blank, but you know, if you want to put too many things, the tank will never be big enough...

 

[Duzzy]

Most important to me is to use the rule of thirds and golden ratio. If both of them are followed then it usually turns out pretty good. The hardest part is when there is more than one visible panel ie. Front plus sides and making the scape look great from all angles.

 

[Newreefmama]

Aesthetics and open space is what I try to prioritize in my scape. I find it helpful to think about what the tank will look like after corals grow in and try to not make it overly cluttered.

Here’s the progression of my current aquascape.

Hi! Would you please share what kind of tank this is? Is it a Euro brace tank? Thank you!