Learning how to aquascape an aquarium has been my least favorite part of this whole project. Aquascaping in a reef aquarium is arranging the live and base rocks in a way that is ascetically pleasing. Looking at other hobbyist and their aquascapes, everything from PVC, acrylic rods, zip-ties, and underwater epoxy are used. Other aquarists simply stack their rock in mounds. We opted for PVC and zip-ties, as well as some stacking to get the effect we wanted.
As you can see in the pictures above we have made a PVC frame and zip-ties to create an arch. Circulation holes were drilled in the PVC to keep from having any water that would otherwise get in sit stagnant. The zip-ties will soon be covered with algae and other corals and not be so noticeable.
We drilled holes in a few of the rocks and then used zip-ties to secure them to other rocks. We also stacked rocks like in the above picture.
Lots of nooks, crannies, arches and hideouts for the fish as well as to create an interesting backdrop was the intended goal. We think we achieved that and are very happy with the results. The sand comes later this week and will help to anchor the rocks as well as hide the PVC framing.
Pingback: Our New Aquascape | SandbarAquatics.com