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Aquascaping for Blondes!
Topic Started: Mar 28 2010, 10:35:43 AM (222 Views)
Post #1 Mar 28 2010, 10:35:43 AM Suzy
I am learning so much hanging out at our public aquarium! The thing I have learned most is my tanks kinda suck as display tanks! I have known for years they are not what most people want: wall to wall sps. But, I am not a big fan of sps so mostly I didn't care about that. But, after seeing all the different types of tanks at the aquarium makes me want to change up mine a bit. I am loving the new planted. I thought about it a bit before I did it, and pictured what I wanted before I tried to create it. So, I am now doing that with my reef.

With my reef tank, the thing I want most is lots of swimming room for the fish. I have fish I bought years ago, a few rescues here and there, and they have really grown. I have a few fish that are like a decade old, and huge for what I thought they would grow to be. So, I want this scape to have lots of what my brother calls apartments for the fish, lots of swimming room to cruise. But, how do I do that with only a 75 tank?

Here is a list of supplies I collected before I started:

PVC tubing and the T's and elbows I would need to make a table.
Acrylic rods
Egg crate
Gorilla Glue
Styrofoam
Cable Ties
Fishing Line

I will update this list as I figure out what I still need.....
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Post #2 Mar 30 2010, 09:38:00 AM Suzy
So, I worked all day on this project and I hate it! Going to do a mulligan today.

First, I made a template out of newspaper so I could arrange and rearrange the rockwork out of the tank. I taped a spare piece of styrofoam on the wall to mimic the height of the background.
Posted Image
I made this table to put the rocks on and make 2 levels of swimming for the fish. It is just pvc and eggcrate. None of it is glued so it can be changed, plus I didn't have to wait for the glue to dry overnight. I did add some cable ties to keep the eggcrate down while I played with the rocks. (They are orange!)
Posted Image

Posted Image

When I have done this in the past, I was never able to completely hid the PVC. I thought maybe this would help: Using fishing line to tie small rocks to the pvc on the front.
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Post #3 Apr 1 2010, 02:36:10 PM Suzy
Ok, got the do over done. The table I had built was way too wide. I skinnied it up a bit, and tried again. This is what I have: a basic background for the design process I am going to do over the next few months. I am really happy with this basic foundation. I have doubled the swimming space for the fish, and there are lots of ins and outs for them to swim around and around. Plus, there are many, many safe spots to rest at night .

Posted Image

I am not sure why all my pics in the basement are coming out with a yellow or green tint, but I hope you can see the basic foundation scheme I am trying to do. I am trying to use the principle of 3, like in photography. Basically, you try to divide the viewing pane into 3 parts, with the theory that having things too symmetrical looks unnatural. I attempted to add a bit more to the right 2/3's of the viewing pane. I was also attempting to divide the vertical pane into 2/3rds strong and forward, 1/3 backward.
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Post #4 Apr 1 2010, 04:49:49 PM Amie
I can't believe how fast you work when you get an idea. I get an idea and it takes me 2 years to put it into action. I have to work through it about 5,000 times before I'm willing to disrupt my tank. I'm very impressed. I like the eggcrete on top of the pvc and the fishing line, great idea. I need to redo my tank.



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Post #5 Apr 1 2010, 04:51:11 PM Amie
Suzy
Mar 28 2010, 10:35:43 AM
But, after seeing all the different types of tanks at the aquarium makes me want to change up mine a bit.
I love this line, Suzy. You finding excuses to change your tanks. You always want to change your tanks, now you are just blaming it on the LPA.
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Post #6 Apr 2 2010, 02:38:55 PM Clint
Great work, I like the space.
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Post #7 Apr 4 2010, 03:49:02 AM Suzy
Thanks, guys! No, not blame. Th LPA gets credit! This was a way over due redo! My fish had grown so much, and were sharing the only cave that was big enough for them to sleep in. Now, they have lots of places to bed down at night. I think I more than doubled the swimming space too. It is a good redo!
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Post #8 Apr 5 2010, 11:43:44 AM Amie
Okay, that's it...I'm redoing my tank. My sandbed needs a good vaccuum anyway so this will give me a chance to do that while I have all the rocks out. I'd like to build a 2nd layer with the pvc pipe as well. Did you completely enclose your pvc all the way around? I always thought you were supposed to leave one end open to afford 'something', not sure what.
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Post #9 Apr 5 2010, 01:53:12 PM Suzy
No, I ended up making it skinnier so I didn't need the egg crate. It is basically just a table frame. I used elbows on the corners so the inside of the tube is really blocked off to the tank water, but if you wanted to use that small area for bacteria (because bacteria will just hangout in the water column inside the tube, use t's at the corners instead.

Is that what you mean?
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Post #10 Apr 15 2010, 07:12:20 AM Amie
Suzy
Apr 5 2010, 01:53:12 PM
but if you wanted to use that small area for bacteria (because bacteria will just hangout in the water column inside the tube, use t's at the corners instead.

Is that what you mean?
Yeah, I guess. I'm not sure why I was told that you are supposed to leave at least one end open.
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