I agree with the other guys, the new 'scape looks awesome.

I have a salifert NO2 test kit that I don't really have a use for anymore, its yours if you want it. Best before date on it is 10/09 though, not sure if a couple weeks past would make much of a difference?

Dammit guys. If you didn't dig the old rocks you should have told me! The rocks tricked me into thinking they were done prematurely =)

Thanks xtreme you have pm!

They weren't BAD before, they just had an Ikea Bükjelv sort of look to them. Now they have a "Brêt's Bjæd Æss Rjockwerk" (say it out loud if I'm being too obtuse)

Haha thanks man. But dude...just how hard HAVE you been coding?:razz:

I dunno. It's a bit facetious, I think, to come out and tell someone that the aquascape looks bad. I don't think there's much 'scapes out there that are bad, just some people have different tastes :p

Besides, we've all been following this build so long that we wanted to love your aquascape. Kinda like when you finished watching Star Wars: Phantom Menace the first time and trying to convince yourself you loved it for the sheer fact that it was Star Wars. It's hard to admit that it wasn't very good...

I was also expecting you to wave your magic wand and make it look incredible - like everything else you've done in this build. And look! You did!

In summary: new aquascape rocks! now, delete those old pictures and let us never speak of it again >>

If my rocks in any way draw parallels to Jar Jar...well there's gonna be fisticuffs haha. I think you're right we best never speak of this again lol.

I think the problem is we try and make our tanks look good before there is coral in them. A real reef is often a pretty boring boulder or two underneath all the splendor isn't it?

That's what I'll tell my dealer. I'll keep you posted haha.

You just have no idea what to say when you've got no place for a 'MORE PICS' do you? No shortage of those in this thread cowboy.

I like both scapes about the same. The first one purely because of the open sand bed/swimming room. The second one because it gives the tank a more filled out look/caves/hiding spots. I think the 2nd one will work best for optimum coral placement though.

Exactly! Rockwork doesn't matter much long term in my opinion. Its more about the layout (ie. islands, rockwall, ect.) but in time, its all about the CORALSCAPE to get the look you want. I don't think as many people are good with placing corals as doing their rockwork. Getting a good aesthetic balance with coral shapes, sizes, ect. is much harder. Especially when going for the Japanese garden style or less is more look. Tanks jam packed with huge colonies always look impressive for the talent it has taken to grow and keep those corals alive but in my opinion have little to no real visual interest...but I work with design all day long and that's pretty much all I look for now lol.

Did you ever see Leonardo's Formosa Forest rockwork? :smile: That became such a "famous" and beautiful tank but if you look at the initial rockswork, you wouldn't think much of the tank.

But I agree with the rest that the second is a better layout.