Tall Aquascaping 20g Extra Tall

[kelslovesfish]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. Im new to saltwater aquascaping. I've just upgraded from a 10g to a 20g extra tall tank. Are you supposed to use the back of the tank as a support for the rocks? I set up my 10 gallon with room for the fish to swim all around the rock pile. My problem is I want to stack the rock up pretty high to fill the tank, but I don't quite know how to achieve that. I'm assuming I'll need to get some larger pieces for the bottom and get work my way up. Basically can someone give me any sort of advice they feel like giving. I am completely new to saltwater aquascaping other than my 10g rock pile.

[hallucinathan]

Hey! the 20g extra tall will be a cool tank. There isn't a "right" way to stack the rock, if you want to have it against the back glass and you can securely have it there then do it!. I personally like to give the fish room, like you did in you 10 gallon, to swim around all the rocks front and back. I believe it also helps maximize the surface area for the beneficial bacteria. If you want to stack the rock tall, starting with larger bottom pieces is a good idea. Also as you go up I would recommend epoxying the rocks together with a marine epoxy. I personally use the Instant Ocean epoxy, works well enough. You should put some pictures up when you have it finished.

[Pinner Reef]

I would certainly suggest using Epoxy to keep a rockslide from blowing out one of the sides or cracking the bottom..Other solutions are to drill a hole in the rocks and use a plastic dowel to keep them from falling over. Or using some of the magnetic rocks that many vendors are making these days.

[SantaMonicaHelp]

There are no right or wrong ways to aquascape. But Epoxy is very helpful.

 

- C. Smith

[William]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. Im new to saltwater aquascaping. I've just upgraded from a 10g to a 20g extra tall tank. Are you supposed to use the back of the tank as a support for the rocks? I set up my 10 gallon with room for the fish to swim all around the rock pile. My problem is I want to stack the rock up pretty high to fill the tank, but I don't quite know how to achieve that. I'm assuming I'll need to get some larger pieces for the bottom and get work my way up. Basically can someone give me any sort of advice they feel like giving. I am completely new to saltwater aquascaping other than my 10g rock pile.

http://www.tbaquatics.com/coral-propagation/nyos-reef-cement-500ml/

 

Nyos reef cement !

 

This should allow you to make a pretty intricate and interesting verticale scale while allowing you to not need the back wall as support

 

I like it much bette than the epoxy and it's hardens/holds much better

[Reef Queso]

 

 

Built the rocks from the bottom in a horseshoe layout. Keep stacking in a horseshoe pattern, and you'll have a nice cave in the middle.

 

13x13x18.75 - 15 gallon tall that Ive had running for a few years. I had rocks about 4 inches from the surface. Just took out some rocks to add to a new tank I started up.

[Reef Queso]

Just added some new rocks to the column!