Let the fun begin. While I find it incredibly difficult and challenging, I also really enjoy aquascaping. I've been really happy with my past efforts and I am equally pleased with the success in this tank. What I do regret is that the camera really can't show the 3rd dimension and aquascaping is really all about depth. The pictures of this rock work really don't do the actual structure justice. I struggle to see the aspects that I like most, so you might need to use your imagination to see why I like my final creation.
I started with 320 pounds of BRS Dry Eco Rock and an assorment of 1/2" acrylic pegs.
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I built a total of 4 structures before deciding that I really liked the 4th. I had a rough idea of what I wanted, but the way the rocks fit together also played a large role in the final configuration.
Version 1 - This was supposed to be a cove providing lots of sheltered swimming areas and caves for the fish. I was successful in creating what I had envisioned, but in the end it really didn't look natural.
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Version 2 - In this one I was trying to create more of a sloped structure while introducing a more natural look. The results were somewhat successful, but not great.
Version 3 - When I see this in pictures, I like the look of it. I was going for more of a 'minimalist' look. The problem was that the rocks weren't really fitting together. It would have been difficult to place corals effectively.
Version 4 - This is the aquascape that I am keeping. It has all of the features that I was hoping to create, but most importantly it really creates depth in the tank. There is ample room for coral placement and I expect water circulation through the structure to be good.
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Construction - For those who may be curious.
I did not drill or peg the rock directly. The initial placement is held together by gravity. If the rocks were not stable, I selected a different rock. After completing the structure and sleeping on it for a couple of days, I used 'Aquascape Millput Epoxy' to bind the structure together.
The peg system really worked well. I had to move them around a number of times and found myself using our central vac to clean out the dust from the holes. I also discovered that a 3 peg platform was often more stable than a 4 peg platform. It's hard to get the rock to sit fully on 4 pegs and one of the pegs is often to short or two long.
The base structure was put in place first and then everything else was piled on top of the base. The base creates the general shape and then the rocks decide for themselves what the overall structure will look like.
One lesson learned is that if I were to order the dry rock again, I would ask for more mid sized pieces. I found it difficult to use the largest of the pieces and didn't really need as many small pieces as I had thought that I might. Overall, I am very happy with this rock.
I used a total of approximately 200 pounds leaving me with about another 100 pounds of unused rock. I'll offer some of this for sale in the next month or two. This puts me at about .5 pounds per gallon which is way below the traditional recommendation of 1-1.5 pounds per gallon. Let's hope those bio-pellets work as well as advertised.
The following pictures are just for fun and show some of the stages of assembly:
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