Creating a reef aquarium aquascape is dreaded by many, loved by just as many and can quite often be a source of frustration and regret.
The aquascape for the Tropic Marin tank is created by AquaDeco's Save the Reef Rocks. These are mined aragonite rocks, which are very sturdy and porous. The benefit of rocks like these are manyfold. For one they are sustainable. No ocean reef is disturbed with the colletion of these rocks. Another benefit is the cleanliness. These rocks are free from pests and organics.
The goal with the aquascape for this tank, is to create a central bommie which can grow corals in every direction. This is to give the aquarium a sense of depth, which is hard to achieve by stacking the rocks against the back glass as a wall. Having coral growth reach backwards and only be visible when walking around the aquarium is visibly interesting. It also gives the fish ample hiding space and more swimming area.
Finding a rock formation that can achieve your goals is not always easy. Other than being central, the other goals were to achieve little contact with the bottom, a height into the middle of the aquarium and a maximum surface area lit by the lighting. Since that is where the corals will go.
The final rock formation ended up like this. Plenty of overhangs and tunnels make the foundation which achieves most of the goals, and then smaller pieces reach up to give foundation for light hungry corals in the middle of the tank.
As the photo shows, there should be plenty of room for corals on this aquascape. Next comes the cycle.
Next post will cover how the tank is cycled and prepared for reef life. That is written in tandem with an in-depth guide on starting a reef tank with Tropic Marin products. Please look forward to it.
- Samuel Christensen