Aquascaping Live Rock

bugsman

Member
Just an update. There is a design change on the LR, but not too bad really. I believe I'll be able to live with it. It's a lot more stable than what I had going on and it gives me a better platform for corals I think. If you look closely you can see a few of my new corals.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Looks good just a thought if that’s a Kenya tree which I think it is, I would move it off the rock. They grow like weeds and you will eventually have to start to pick new growth off the rock
 

bugsman

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///t/388675/aquascaping-live-rock/20#post_3431260
Looks good just a thought if that’s a Kenya tree which I think it is, I would move it off the rock. They grow like weeds and you will eventually have to start to pick new growth off the rock
This is where I have lots of trouble. I'm not sure where to put these corals. Where would you put the Kenya Tree? Right now I have most of the new ones sitting in the sand and I'm not sure where to put those either. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm not real sure what the coral is in the lower left of this photo either. It looks like an acan but I'm not sure.
I guess I should clarify. Yesterday I went to a Frights & Frags Reef show in Orlando. I won the Duncan in a raffle. I bought a yellow star polyp frag, a plate coral frag, a ricordia frag, the acan ?? and a one polyp zoa that I can't remember the name of. The prices were so cheap, I was shocked and went a little crazy - but now I have all these frags and don't really know where to put them. The plate coral is set where I want it but that's it. So I sure could use all of your help with placement and have learned my lesson. I would just like to get these placed and then try to be good and not buy anymore corals for awhile. Heck I almost came home with a clam - but knew that was way out of my knowledge base. If I keep it up, I'll have to buy a bigger tank - now wouldn't that be a shame. (hehehehehehe!)
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Ok let’s break it down now remember this is just IMO. The zoos can stay where they are. I would move the Kenya tree to the lower right. The rick can go above the zoos. Is the plate the upper most center coral? If so I would move it down to the bottom. The frag to the right of the green mushroom looks like a sun coral if so do you know the requirements to keep it alive ? The bottom left in the pic looks like a Lobo to me if so they can stay on the bottom, that is where I have mine and they do wonderful. FYI you should start all your new corals on the bottom of your tank and work upward as they get light acclimated. Corals will tell you were they want to be we just have to learn to listen

A nice feather duster would look good
 

gemmy

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///t/388675/aquascaping-live-rock/20#post_3431351
Ok let’s break it down now remember this is just IMO. The zoos can stay where they are. I would move the Kenya tree to the lower right. The rick can go above the zoos. Is the plate the upper most center coral? If so I would move it down to the bottom. The frag to the right of the green mushroom looks like a sun coral if so do you know the requirements to keep it alive ? The bottom left in the pic looks like a Lobo to me if so they can stay on the bottom, that is where I have mine and they do wonderful. FYI you should start all your new corals on the bottom of your tank and work upward as they get light acclimated. Corals will tell you were they want to be we just have to learn to listen

A nice feather duster would look good
Can I send you pics of my tank and can you direct me where to move things to? Please?
 

bugsman

Member
Thanks Joe for the advice. Tonight is water change and maintenance night so I'll see about changing some of this around. The little frag to the far right that's not open yet (although I noticed last night it's starting) is a yellow star polyp and I understand they are not difficult but I need to be careful because they can grow out of control and I'll have to trim it up. The little frag to the right of the mushrooms is the duncan or so it said on the bag it was in when I won it in the raffle. I'll try and move the plate down some. I'll give it my best to listen to where they want to be. You're the best, thanks again.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Just a note on the Duncan they do not need to be feed like sun corals BUT with spot feeding they will grow like crazy. You can light acclimate then all the way up to MH lighting. I would put the Duncan where you had the tree. Also if it were my tank I would move the green mushroom from the center of the tank to the right side (to me there are much better corals to have as the center piece of my tank) and move the lobos to the center. Keep posting pics as your rearrange
PS I personally like the way corals look placed on and in my rockwork. Again if this was my tank I would move any hammers or frogspawn corals to the substratum. This allows me to utilize the rockwork and not have to worry about any stinging tentacles
 

bugsman

Member
I agree in that I would like to have my corals more on the rockwork. I'm just unsure how to get them to stay there I have very few flat surfaces but I do have a few nooks and crannies to put things in which is why the frogspawn is where it's at. Other than than I'm going to have glue/epoxy some of this into place or else in will be falling back to the substrate. I like the idea of the duncan where the kenya tree is now. I'll shuffle and move some things around tonight and post a picture. I do believe I'll be shuffling and moving things about from here on in. I'm enjoying it.
You know a glass of wine, move something, sit back, see how it looks!!
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
A little trick I like to use is to get some clam and or oyster shells and epoxy them at right angles to my rock work to make little shelves for my corals
 

bugsman

Member
Now shells I have. I grew up in the Miami area and my family lived there for a long time. I have fish bowls full of shells I can use for that. Great idea!
 

bugsman

Member
I did a little moving around of things last night but not too much. Still trying to a get a grip on how to secure some of these things to the rockwork.


Forgot to take my magnet out.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
I like it again IMO I would switch the Kenya and lobo. The Kenya will grow tall and obscure the opening in the rock work which is a nice visual
 

bugsman

Member
I had wanted to put the Kenya on the right hand side but was afraid the frogspawn would zap it. Switching the Lobo with it will probably look good. I'll do that tonight. I may epoxy in some shells for the ricordea and I think I'm going to leave the star polyps on the sand but in a different location. Question, I have the little frogspawn frag that I just have stuck in a hole, can I place that frag near the bigger head without problems of stinging? I like the frogspawn where it is, but I'd like to keep them close together if possible.
And again, I appreciate the help and advice here. If I can keep this tank right over the next 6 months to a year, I'm going to reward myself with a bigger tank and turn this one into a seahorse tank.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
From my own experience and from talking to others. Frogspawn to frogspawn is ok, hammer to hammer ok. Frogspawn to hammer ok. NOW I would not let a torch come in contact with either the frog or hammer.
how many gallon tank is it
 

bugsman

Member
This is a 28 gallon JBJ Nanocube HQI - has the metal halides in it. Has about 30# or so of LR with about 1-1/2 - 2" sandbed.
 
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