Aquascaping

[willis]

Anthony,
In your book on coral propagation, you have a section on aquascaping, pgs.
19-22. I am really interested in trying something like this with my new 300. It is 30" wide and it would seem to me that I have alot of options. Do you have any pics of tanks that have been aquascaped this way? The idea of being able to create shelves and overhangs sounds neat. I'll enclose a pic of the tank (lengthwise). Got any ideas? I am only gonna put about 300 lbs. of lr in to start with, I'll have to see what kind of rock I get to start with, sizewise. Like I said before, if you've got any ideas or helpful hints they would be most appreciated.
I bought about 30' of 1/2" pvc for just this purpose.
Here is the pic. I couldn't back up far enuf to get a front shot!
Tank is 96"x30"x 24".

[Anthony Calfo]

Howdy, Willis...

Your 30" wide tank will indeed be easier to work with... although the internal towers, if thats what they are/I see, are truly dreadful in my opinion regarding landscaping and aesthetics. Rather ironic versus holes drilled exclusively high upon the back of the tank (with or without an internal overflow). I'm assuming the holes obvious in the picture are the returns? The irony BTW is that towers are noisy, get built, then are modified (nicely so BTW with Dursos and such) just to dampen the noise that was unecessary in the first place. FWIW

I do have pics my friend... and could chat at much greater length by phone regarding concepts for this tank. Little to be said adequately in a BB message without rewriting the preamble to the constitution :p

I must admit, I'm struggling for time at the moment... the new book was released last week, yet I was called back from the signing of the pre-orders by a sudden death in my family. We are just spinning right now.

It will be some time before I can catch up and excavate my desk/files for such pics for you. My apologies.

In the meantime, do review the web sites of the bigger/better public aquaria for concepts/ideas... travel to those you can reach... and chat with local society members about such dream tanks/concepts that they have seen. SUch aquaria often have fantastic structures to get one thinking. They do indeed have the funds and space to create these seascapes.

For how cheap they are to create too (bulk carbonate dry rock and/or fiberglass... do simply experiment too in the garage as described in my BOCP1. It really is as simple as it sounds.

And feel welcome to e-mail me again in a few weeks after I get caught up a bit re: the pics

Perhaps the first week of August... I will be back from a Tampa/Orlando/Miami conference and hunkered down until MACNA early Sept.

Best regards, Anthony