Aquascaping Done!! Lots of Tonga + custom PVC racks

[synyster11]

It took many hours, 110 lbs of rock, about 40 zip ties, and lots of rock drilling but I think it came out pretty cool. My goal was a to build a stair step / pyramid design that would have ZERO dead spots. It may look unstable….. But every single rock is actually attached to a very large rack structure I built out of 3/4" schedule 80 "grey" pvc. The rocks only appears to be resting on each other, but the weight is actually supported by the heavy duty PVC. The hardest part was drilling the rock to hide where the zip ties hold the rock to the rack. In some spots I had no choice but to make the zip tie visible. My current reef tank will be transferred over to this one soon so the rest of the PVC and zip ties will be hidden soon. I have two powerheads blasting the rock from behind to create flow through the caves.
I will have to get some more pics, but the really cool part is at night my moon lights shine through the rock and lights up the sand deep in the caves. It just gives the tank much more depth.
What do you guys think?
It’s a 120g and the rock starts at the front glass and makes it all the way to the back.

 

[synyster11]

Here is one more...

 

[greatfullreefer]

A tank with no dead spots, every reefers dream ...well done :yes:

 

[daisy]

That looks great and sounds even better! Right now my rock is just resting one piece on top of another. I want to do something like what you've done when I move and have my "final" tank -- the big one I'll get some day.
Great looking aquascaping!

 

[synyster11]

Thanks for the nice comments!!!!!
Here is a picture that will give you a better idea of how the rack is setup. There are way more support beams that this but you get the idea... Be sure to drill tons of holes for zip ties and use grey heavy duty PVC.

 

[saltynewbie]

wow looks great! you got any pics of your current reef?

 

[zanemoseley]

I just hope you never have to move..

 

[synyster11]

Well, we just had a house built and we finished putting tile down in the whole house so I am not going anywhere for the next 5+ years for sure. But I know what you mean.
No pics of the current reef, the current reef has turned into nothing more than a holding tank while I am setting this one up. Its filled with trays just holding corals away from eachother. I can almost hear them dancin in their holders just waiting to jump in the new tank.. haha

 

[synyster11]

My current reef has coral stacked 2 feet tall. I speed 20 min a day just moving coral from other corals. Hence the new tank.

 

[innsmouth]

Sick aquascape. I love branch rock when done well and yours is. Hellava nice job there. :yes:

 

[nicky1.8t]

hmm i kinda like it and kinda dont at the same time. i guess im mixed on this one. but congrats on the hard work paying off

 

[rbmount]

Man, that looks great! Good job

 

[barry cuda]

Do you have any pics of the moonlight effect? Sounds very cool...

 

[innsmouth]

I just realized why I like it so much. It reminds me of mangroves a little bit.

 

[gregvabch]

i like it it looks really cool. are those two rocks at the bottom in the front all the way up against the front glass?

 

[synyster11]

Yea, they are about 1" from the front and then it starts going to the rear of the tank pretty fast after that. I want to be able to view some of my zoo's very close to the front. I will try to get some pics with the moonlight effect but its hard to get a good pic of that. Good point.. In person it looks alot like a mangrove.
Thanks again for the kind comments. Starting a new reef has been much more work than I thought it would be. And without this site I would be lost!

 

[pacopetty]

Nice rack! :jumping:

 

[joerdie]

it looks like something out of lord of the rings!!!!
great job! i wish i was that good (or patient) at aqua scaping