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love2skiutah 
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 Topic: Acrylic Rods aqua-scaping
Posted: October 07 2013 at 2:42pm |
If anyone needs acrylic rods for aqua-scaping, you can pick them up at Delvies Plastics by RC Willey off of 21st. I just got these this afternoon and they were super cheap and they will cut them for you for free.
3/8 rods, 6 foot in length and they were only about $3.00 a piece. You can get them as small as 1/8th.
Edited by love2skiutah - October 07 2013 at 2:43pm
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Studboyt
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Posted: October 07 2013 at 3:09pm |
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Thank you for posting this, I will be needing some soon.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 8:52am |
Acrylic rods work nice but I would not use them in most instances. I figure you have done a lot of homework, but just in case, here are the reasons for my opinion. When using rods it's important to mate the rock together so that the rod is hidden/covered. Mating the rock close together means the rod wasn't needed after all. Unfortunately, I have seen tanks after a year of maturation where the rod, which at first seemed invisible in the water between two rocks, was now an ugly coralline covered rod, looking entirely unnatural. I have also seen tanks where the Aquascaping needed to be changed because of one reason or another (pests, algae, water flow, etc). The change was made difficult or even impossible because of acrylic rods. It's an art, a real skill, to place rock in such a way that it creates a natural looking yet spacious reef structure. An example of one of my best aquascaped tanks is the one I did for MSM at After Hours Urgent Care in Sandy at 7998 S. 1300 E. The suspended reef I did in 2007 is another example. I would be happy to help you with your aquascaping.
Aloha,
Mark 
808-345-1049 call/text anytime
Edited by Mark Peterson - October 08 2013 at 8:54am
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love2skiutah
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:13am |
 Mark Peterson wrote:
Acrylic rods work nice but I would not use them in most instances. I figure you have done a lot of homework, but just in case, here are the reasons for my opinion.
When using rods it's important to mate the rock together so that the rod is hidden/covered. Mating the rock close together means the rod wasn't needed after all.
Unfortunately, I have seen tanks after a year of maturation where the rod, which at first seemed invisible in the water between two rocks, was now an ugly coralline covered rod, looking entirely unnatural.
I have also seen tanks where the Aquascaping needed to be changed because of one reason or another (pests, algae, water flow, etc). The change was made difficult or even impossible because of acrylic rods.
It's an art, a real skill, to place rock in such a way that it creates a natural looking yet spacious reef structure. An example of one of my best aquascaped tanks is the one I did for MSM at After Hours Urgent Care in Sandy at 7998 S. 1300 E. The suspended reef I did in 2007 is another example.
I would be happy to help you with your aquascaping.
Aloha,
Mark
808-345-1049 call/text anytime
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Thanks Mark, I may hit you up when it's time.
I'm not sure if I will need them, but my goal with them would be to help create some type of an arch and use some for a couple over hangs. At first I thought about the fact that if I wanted to change things up a little bit, that I will not be able to and I love changing things up from time to time even thought I know I'm not supposed to. BUT, after seeing how big this tank is and how hard it is to get in and out of it, I decided over the weekend that whatever I do on the install is permanent. I told my wife that and she started laughing at me. She goes "You're going to leave the rocks how they are and not mess with them?hahahaha". But yeah, I see what you're saying and my plan was if I can't hide a rod, I won't use it.
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love2skiutah
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:16am |
Mark Peterson wrote:
Acrylic rods work nice but I would not use them in most instances. I figure you have done a lot of homework, but just in case, here are the reasons for my opinion.
When using rods it's important to mate the rock together so that the rod is hidden/covered. Mating the rock close together means the rod wasn't needed after all.
Unfortunately, I have seen tanks after a year of maturation where the rod, which at first seemed invisible in the water between two rocks, was now an ugly coralline covered rod, looking entirely unnatural.
I have also seen tanks where the Aquascaping needed to be changed because of one reason or another (pests, algae, water flow, etc). The change was made difficult or even impossible because of acrylic rods.
It's an art, a real skill, to place rock in such a way that it creates a natural looking yet spacious reef structure. An example of one of my best aquascaped tanks is the one I did for MSM at After Hours Urgent Care in Sandy at 7998 S. 1300 E. The suspended reef I did in 2007 is another example.
I would be happy to help you with your aquascaping.
Aloha,
Mark
808-345-1049 call/text anytime
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I do have to say that the suspended rock looks very cool and different... My goal with this build is to stay away from the typical "wall" that everyone does.
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Molli
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:21am |
I do have to say that the suspended rock looks very cool and different... My goal with this build is to stay away from the typical "wall" that everyone does. [/QUOTE]
+1 On moving away from the traditional wall of rock! I've seen a few tanks using rods and you couldn't see the rods. Corals can easily be placed to hide any portion of the rods that show.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:30am |
love2skiutah wrote:
...and I love changing things up from time to time even though I know I'm not supposed to. |
Changing things up is very common and is actually a good thing for several reasons: - We get bored with how things look and a change does us good. - Fish get bored with how things look and a change does them good. - Biology goes stagnant and can even go downhill so a change does it good. - Effective progression usually comes about after things are stirred up a little. Think of the ocean and how fish have acres of space and miles of coastline to travel and explore. Sure, some fish probably stay within less than 100 yards of where they landed as a juvenile, but 100 yards is still a lot of reef terrain. Think of the ocean and how winter storms can really stir things up. Coral breaks, coral heads fall over, sand gets swept away leaving bare rock; stirred/rinsed sand gets re-deposited; all kinds of change happens in the wild. Think of how a good wind makes you feel refreshed because of the change in the atmosphere. This change is good and even necessary for a biological ecosystem. On the other hand, stagnation can and often does lead to trouble. This is my opinion, based on a "few" years of observation and experience. Take it for what it's worth to you.  Aloha, Mark
Edited by Mark Peterson - October 08 2013 at 9:31am
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love2skiutah
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:37am |
Mark Peterson wrote:
love2skiutah wrote:
...and I love changing things up from time to time even though I know I'm not supposed to. |
Changing things up is very common and is actually a good thing for several reasons:
- We get bored with how things look and a change does us good.
- Fish get bored with how things look and a change does them good.
- Biology goes stagnant and can even go downhill so a change does it good.
- Effective progression usually comes about after things are stirred up a little.
Think of the ocean and how fish have acres of space and miles of coastline to travel and explore. Sure, some fish probably stay within less than 100 yards of where they landed as a juvenile, but 100 yards is still a lot of reef terrain.
Think of the ocean and how winter storms can really stir things up. Coral breaks, coral heads fall over, sand gets swept away leaving bare rock; stirred/rinsed sand gets re-deposited; all kinds of change happens in the wild. Think of how a good wind makes you feel refreshed because of the change in the atmosphere. This change is good and even necessary for a biological ecosystem. On the other hand, stagnation can and often does lead to trouble.
This is my opinion, based on a "few" years of observation and experience. Take it for what it's worth to you.
Aloha,
Mark
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Thanks Mark
And what I really meant by "messing with the tank" is that I would literally put my hands in the tank every weekend and completely re-aquascape. I would just get bored and do it. This one, I'm going to try to keep my hands out of it and leave it for longer periods of time. haha
Edited by love2skiutah - October 08 2013 at 9:38am
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Molli
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:39am |
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You are already thinking outside of the box by not wanting to have a rock wall in your tank. If you intend to create several "towers" of rocks in your tank that are not all attached and are away from the back wall, you can also change things up by turning your towers. There is a member of the forum with a cube and rock towers and he is able to spin his rock towers around. That gives the tank an entirely different look and changes the circulation towards different areas of the rock.
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love2skiutah
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:44am |
Molli wrote:
You are already thinking outside of the box by not wanting to have a rock wall in your tank. If you intend to create several "towers" of rocks in your tank that are not all attached and are away from the back wall, you can also change things up by turning your towers. There is a member of the forum with a cube and rock towers and he is able to spin his rock towers around. That gives the tank an entirely different look and changes the circulation towards different areas of the rock. |
That's a really good idea.
I was planning on some type of a wall or mountain look on the left side of the tank that is NOT leaning against the glass. An arch in the middle. An island and a tower or 2 on the far right end of the tank. I've sketched it out on paper how I want it to roughly look. Now getting it to actually look that way will be a different story... ha
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: October 08 2013 at 9:58am |
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This is awesome! I love these kinds of discussions.
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