I have been reading and looking at tank set-ups all over the net, trying to steal ideas. Anyway, I read somewhere that if you going to do any drilling to use use some kind of rods to support your LR, and even if your not, that you should pre-drill some holes in your LR 3/8 in. thick,to place corals frags in at a later date, in places you like. My question: is that the way coral frags come, I sure would hate to drill 5 or 6 holes in my LR and then the coral frags come in differant sizes than 3/8 in.? If any of you have any suggestions that might help me in this aquascaping thing, feel free to give them to me. There aren't to many artistic bones in my body. I am leaning towards some kinda layering thing, kinda like diff. levels to the strucatures.
Aquascaping Question
- Thread starter strout
- Start date
I've seen some tanks with holes drilled for frag plugs. I don't think frag plugs are a standard size, to be honest. That kind of setup works well if you plan on doing a lot of growing out/swapping of frags, but may not give the nicest eventual aquascape. In some ways, it will depend on your plans for the tank.
I'm personally not a fan of the "bunch of frags" look to a tank, I'd rather have a natural looking tank with larger corals eventually. Of course, that's a personal taste thing.
FYI, you can always remove the bottom of the frag plug, and glue the coral onto your rock.
It will also depend on how corals are mounted where you generally buy them. Our LFS almost always sells corals on live rock, very rarely on frag plugs.
I'm personally not a fan of the "bunch of frags" look to a tank, I'd rather have a natural looking tank with larger corals eventually. Of course, that's a personal taste thing.
FYI, you can always remove the bottom of the frag plug, and glue the coral onto your rock.
It will also depend on how corals are mounted where you generally buy them. Our LFS almost always sells corals on live rock, very rarely on frag plugs.
Thanks, I wasn't really sure how the corals came, I found another LFS in my area, that makes three stores, and none of them sells corals, but in their defense, all three stores say that their stock is way down because of the holidays so I don't know if by stock they mean Live stock or live stock and corals. I was looking at getting an anemone of some kind for the 2 clown fish I plan on getting, the only one that I could find that didn't get real big was a Ritteri anemone. I want a natural look to the tank like Lotus says. I am going to try and get my hands on some Tonga slab LR to help with the layered look that I want. I was talking to the LFS guy telling him that I was thinking about ordering 25 lbs Tonga show rock and 25lbs Tonga slab rock from the Aquatic Connection store on line, he didn't like this idea, says he can buy real nice pieces for me and get them for 25% less, I have already paid for 100lbs Figi LR. Well, thats about all for now, I am hoping my RO/DI unit comes in today, thought it would have been here yesterday.
I misread the article I am reading: he says he pre drills the LR with a 3/8 in. hole and mounts his coral to a 3/8 in. acrylic rod and then puts it in the pre drilled hole. TCMAS : Articles : Aquascaping Your Tank - Part 2 pretty good article.
You know it really is personal preference. I didn't drill any of my rock and it is stacked in a natural looking scape with tunnels and caves for fish to hide in. I think you need to get your rock, look at the pieces and then figure out how you want to place them. If they need more stabilization then drill it and add pvc. You just want to make sure that what ever you have is very stable and wont cause a rock fall later which can cause all kinds of damage.
The second part here is in reference to your anemone issue. Please take this as constructive. Do not get any anemone at this point. Anemones require very pristine and stable water conditions and a lot of the ones sold in stores are destined to die as they are stressed and bleached. The ritteri or magnificent anemone has one of the poorest survival chances of all and should by all accounts be left in the ocean. Clowns do not need an anemone to survive and the anemones that are sold are not the natural hosts for ocellaris or perculas. If you are very determined to get one please look at something like a bubble tip which is probably one of the easier to keep and are commonly found, entacmaea quadricolor is the natural host for maroon clowns. Even though you do put an anemone in your tank there is no guarantee your clown will even be interested in it and may not host it at all. It took my clowns 3 years to find the anemone in my tank. I am attaching an article on anemones and their care (read both part 1 and part 2), please read this along with the sticky at the top of this forum......thanks!
Anemones
The second part here is in reference to your anemone issue. Please take this as constructive. Do not get any anemone at this point. Anemones require very pristine and stable water conditions and a lot of the ones sold in stores are destined to die as they are stressed and bleached. The ritteri or magnificent anemone has one of the poorest survival chances of all and should by all accounts be left in the ocean. Clowns do not need an anemone to survive and the anemones that are sold are not the natural hosts for ocellaris or perculas. If you are very determined to get one please look at something like a bubble tip which is probably one of the easier to keep and are commonly found, entacmaea quadricolor is the natural host for maroon clowns. Even though you do put an anemone in your tank there is no guarantee your clown will even be interested in it and may not host it at all. It took my clowns 3 years to find the anemone in my tank. I am attaching an article on anemones and their care (read both part 1 and part 2), please read this along with the sticky at the top of this forum......thanks!
Anemones
It's not a bad idea to start with the 100 lbs of live rock you're getting, then add a couple of pieces that you find locally that look good. When you buy a box, you don't have much control over what you get in terms of shapes.
I also stack my rock. I didn't want to do a frame/drilling.
Anemones are definitely difficult. The usual rule of thumb is to wait until your tank is at least 6 months old. I finally got rid of my bubble tip anemone, because my clowns didn't use it and it stung my corals. Mine split several times, which I guess is a good thing, but then the clones would move and sting corals.
I also stack my rock. I didn't want to do a frame/drilling.
Anemones are definitely difficult. The usual rule of thumb is to wait until your tank is at least 6 months old. I finally got rid of my bubble tip anemone, because my clowns didn't use it and it stung my corals. Mine split several times, which I guess is a good thing, but then the clones would move and sting corals.
Usually when anemones split often they are not happy and do it as a survival technique. Not that this was the particular case with yours Lotus but it can be signal that the anemone is not in optimal surroundings. I was reading that anemones in the wild will live for many many years and in the hobby most don't survive a couple years. A lot of anemones in captivity die from over feeding.
Well I take that back or some of it.....they do split to reproduce when happy too......must be the case with Lotus' nem. Here is an excellent article on the care and up keep of anemones. Karen helped me out once with a sick bleached nem I tried to rescue.... 
Caring for these beautiful creatures | In living color with more pictures then you will find anywhere
Caring for these beautiful creatures | In living color with more pictures then you will find anywhere
Talked to my LFS guy today, went in to pay him for my T5 lights and skimmer. He said, my tank is being made today and will be delivered Saterday to his shop. I am to come to the shop when he calls me Saterday and we will bring the tank to my house, he said that I can't put any water in it till elevn days from today to make sure it seals good, at least I will be able to sit up at night and look at it,lol.
I kinda thought the same thing, you can ship it and let it take all that bouncing around in the back of a simi truck, loading and unloading, but you can't put water in it. But like you, I have never built a tank, so it is what it is. The LFS guy is kinda a friend, known him along time, he is probley just messing with me, lol.