280g Inwall

[Delphinus]

I thought I had given myself enough markers to be able to rebuild the layers inside the tank. But between the dim lighting and my -6 or so eye prescription, I just couldn't see well enough to pull it off (maybe if I actually DID crawl into the tank, but I didn't - I think I'd need a SNUBAby tube or something so that I could get my head the requisite 6" away so I can see - man Lasik is looking better and better - I just need to convince someone to pay for it!!) Anyhow so I thought OK, take the rock out, rebuild it outside the tank with the glasses back on and this time drill more holes and use as many acrylic rods for alignment as I need to be able to rebuild it by touch and feel.. But you know how it goes - no two rocks will ever fit together exactly the same more than once - and the whole thing just lost its mojo - and became one of those moments where no matter what you do - you know the ones - everything you do just makes it worse? "No that's worse - undo it - no now it's worse some more - undo the undo - wait what, that's worse than the worse before which was worse than the worse before that!" .. and I find when I get into that state it's best just to wallllk awayyyyyy slowwwwwly..

Another thing, the shelf pieces are overwhelmingly large inside the tank. I have to go look at Brett's old 225 pictures to get some inspiration because I'm not sure I liked the look of the huge pieces in the tank the way they were going to go now anyhow.

So I might focus on some other facets on the rockwork next. I have to go look up again the tanks that have served as inspiration to see what other ideas I can try.

[Delphinus]

Went and found Brett's FTS of the 225. Here they are: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...&postcount=385

So I recognize the pieces on the left island but I'm not sure I ended up with the shelf pieces from the right side island as I don't recognize them in the pile of stuff. I think two people ended up buying rock from Brett after the shutdown so I think they probably ended up with the other person. Which is too bad since that was my favourite part of his old 'scape. Oh well, life goes on. One thing that I am reminded of though after seeing the pictures is that low rockwork is better. I "thought" that I wanted one island to be nice and high just to give the tank some different visual flow, but seeing the low rockwork convinces me now that I'm probably wrong on that idea and should stick to lower lying rockwork anyhow.

So I hate to say it but I'm not sure that the enormous shelf pieces are doing anything for me. I'm REALLY not good at visualizing something with an aesthetic quality to it, and I'm even worse at connecting reality to a vision (there's a reason I'm not an interior designer - man I envy those with the talent to "make stuff look good.") Some smaller shelf pieces would do better but it would be a HUGE shame to bust the big ones up as they would go really nicely into a big tank somewhere. Maybe I'll sell them if I don't end up using them, we'll see. Between a 50g rubbermaid with rock, a 20g tank holding some rock, the rock from Brett and some rock from Kien it's not like I'm sitting on a huge deficit of rock (in fact I'm thinking I might have gone a little overboard with the rock collecting the last year or so), so the options should be out there in the meantime.

All I know is I want swim-through caves and ravines and a slight island look. I also like the bonzai look to a tank but it's clear to me now that I have NO hope of blending elements from say someone like Kien's 'scaping to someone like Brett's 'scaping (or "Sweet Ride's" tank here: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...12&postcount=3 ) I mean .. it could probably be done and be an epic win, but, it's WELL outside the realm of what my own talent (or lack thereof) is capable of. Boo. I'll have to leave the visionary work to those whom are better visionaries.

@$%^&%*&!!! Man alive I hate the aquascaping phase of a tank! The temptation to do what I've always done and "just throw the rock in there and let it be what it may, landslides warts and everything" right now is huge and it's taking a lot to fight the urge at the moment.

[Lance]

Tony have you thought of breaking the larger shelf pieces? I ended up doing that. I had made two columns but it just didn't look right because the pieces were too big. After breaking them into smaller chunks it was much easier to make a nicer-looking island.

[Lance]

Tony, I broke the largest piece here into 3 pieces and it was much better to work with.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/o...k/IMG_2356.jpg

[Delphinus]

Yeah maybe that's what I have to do, I'm not quite done yet convincing myself I can do it and not feel too guilty about it but maybe that's the direction I'll have to go with the pieces. Weird how in Brett's tank which was 30" deep IIRC, and considerably shallower (mine is 30" tall and 30" deep) that it doesn't seem to completely overwhelm the tank.

Darn it, I KNEW I'd have been better off lining the room with acrylic and making that the tank instead of trying to move the rock into the glass box. Phoo!

[lastlight]

Tony I recall not wanting to mess around with parting rock out during that time so you did in fact receive ALL the rock. I'm almost positive.

The right column has a base that is actually made of a piece of shelf rock sorta put upside down. The middle shelf piece broke on my and you'll recognize some tie wraps and epoxy holding the 3 pieces together. The top piece was a sort of triangular piece and I had to use tie wraps to keep it how you see it. I think the boulderish piece on top of the very bottom shelf base had sorta 3 or 4 little leg/nubs to it and you'll see that there is a hole drilled for a tie-wrap through each nub. Those all connected thru the bottom shelf bit and I used those massively long tie wraps to do it.

Hopefully that gets you started in the right direction I dunno it's a tough bizz.

I also got very frustrated with the shelf pieces. I mean they're sorta the creme de la creme but are so damn big and tough to position. I'm sorta a fan of piles now and letting the corals BE the shelves. You could certainly sell them =)

[lastlight]

And holy hell you're trying to do this with the tank full I forgot. No way in hell I could have done that either man. I water tested with regular tap water. Drained. Scaped. Ro/di'd that beatch. May the rock gods have mercy on your soul =)

We should set aside a night this week and I'll swing by if you want?

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Tony I recall not wanting to mess around with parting rock out during that time so you did in fact receive ALL the rock. I'm almost positive.

I thought there was someone else you gave a couple pieces to, I remember you sort of saying "hey is this cool?" and I'd have never said "NO IT'S NOT COOL, I AM DELPHINUS, ALL HAIL DELPHINUS!" or words to that effect (I might THINK it, but I'd never state it out loud). I could be wrong (even if it did happen it's OK, it's more for my own sanity that I can't find those pieces now so I'm grasping at a possible explanation). I'll look at the stuff more closely again but I could swear that some of those pieces I see in that smaller shelf are not there. It's no biggie either way.

Your description should help me look through it all though - thanks - and - you kinda scare me that you can remember details like that. On a good day I can't even remember what I had for breakfast the day before, and you're all "the triangular piece this with the crack that I fixed that" and so on. ALL HAIL LASTLIGHT MASTER OF THE GOODER REMEMBERORAY THAN DELPHINUS WITH THE BAD REMEMBERORAY!

I also got very frustrated with the shelf pieces. I mean they're sorta the creme de la creme but are so damn big and tough to position. I'm sorta a fan of piles now and letting the corals BE the shelves. You could certainly sell them =)

Who would have thought they're frustrating?! But yeah that they are.

[Zoaelite]

@$%^&%*&!!! Man alive I hate the aquascaping phase of a tank! The temptation to do what I've always done and "just throw the rock in there and let it be what it may, landslides warts and everything" right now is huge and it's taking a lot to fight the urge at the moment.

You now if you throw it all in there your going to get the urge to aquascape it eventually, I don't think any of us are ever truly happy with the rockwork so it's nothing to exhaust yourself over.

Perhaps having Brett or Kien over for an aquascape consult isn't a bad idea, that or maybe post a photo of what your working with and we can give you some informative ideas?