How to Aquascape a Saltwater Aquarium

Aquascaping marine aquariums is an integral part of starting a new aquarium. Not only does placement of live rock, sand and other materials affect the appearance of your tank, but they also influence water current, lighting, micro-habitats and other variables that affect the biotic integrity of your aquarium. With proper planning and a little hard work, creating an attractive as well as functional aquascape in your marine aquarium is a simple process and requires only a few basic materials.

Things You'll Need

  • Substrate
  • Live rock
  • Plastic egg crate
  • Aquarium-safe epoxy
  • PVC pipe
  • Plastic ties
  • Chisel
  • Drill
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Research the species of fish that you intend to keep and ensure that the design you come up with will facilitate their needs in an aquarium environment. Common aquascape archetypes include rock walls, sea mounts and lagoon-shaped live rock structures.

    • 2

      Insert the substrate of your choice into the empty aquarium. Live sand and crushed coral are both easy to clean and facilitate biological filtration in the aquarium.

    • 3

      Place portions of plastic egg crate over the substrate where you want to build live rock mounds in your aquascape. Plastic egg crates provide a steady foundation for attaching life rock. In addition the plastic egg crate elevates and live rock and increases surface area exposed, maximizing biological filtration potential.

    • 4

      Place live rock in the aquarium. Arrange the portions according to size---larger portions on the bottom and work your way up with smaller portions. This will help provide a solid and stable aquascape, preventing damage from physical disturbances marine animals might cause later on.

    • 5

      Sculpt the live rock using a chisel to add the final touches to the shape of your aquascape.

    • 6

      Drill holes through the live rock and attach the base layers to the egg crate with plastic ties.

    • 7

      Connect larger portions of live rock to one another by drilling large openings in the core of the rocks. Use a piece of PVC pipe to attach them and provide stability. You can anchor the PVC piping to the live rock by adding aquarium-safe epoxy on each end. This is especially useful for creating secure aquascapes that are tall with multiple levels of live rock stacked on top of one another.

    • 8

      Attach small portions of live rock directly to larger rocks with plastic ties or aquarium-safe epoxy.

    • 9

      Add water to the aquarium and inspect under aquarium lighting. Observe the water current, stability of live rock and appearance; make adjustments as needed.