[bentcountershaft]

Which do you prefer?​

With the center rock	5	31.25%
Without the center rock, but put something there.	9	56.25%
Without the center rock and leave it as it is.	2	12.50%

 

[bentcountershaft]

I'm looking for some input on whether to use my center rock or not. Some may have seen my build thread on this tank here. For those who haven't, here's a bit of background info. It's a 90 gallon tank, in wall viewable from both sides. The rocks are made of pvc, egg crate and waterfall foam. Filtration is a 100 gallon sump in the basement. The stocking list may be affected by my decision on whether to use the rock or not. The trouble is, I have to put the rocks in before I can slide the tank in the wall. Once it's in, there isn't enough clearance to add or remove one of the rocks. Enough talk, here's the pics:

With the rock (dining room side)

Without (dining room side)

With (living room side)

Without (living room side)

The way I see it, there are advantages to both. I like the look of the center rock, but I know it's taking up valuable swimming room for the fish. I think a moderate amount of Demasoni may like it though (20-25). Another advantage to going with it, is that I have made it big enough to put a pump with a prefilter on it in the bottom of the center rock which should help pick up debris and fish poo blown in from the usj in the bottom of the two end pieces. The advantage of going without is obviously the space gained and a cleaner, less cluttered look. I could make a small cave system, that would only be 7 to 8 inches tall to put in the middle, to help break it up some. I don't think any real rocks would look at all right next to these man made formations and I don't want any plants in the tank, real or fake. I'd love to hear some opinions. Thanks for looking.

 

[iceblue]

Without the center rock you have a nice veiw of your yard but I like the idea of fish disapearing from veiw and showing up somewhere else. Keep up the good work. :thumb:

 

[all4game]

It would be cool if you could make an arch between the two side pieces.
Kinda like this:

The problem is how to connect it to the sides, because making just one piece wouldn't be practical.
I suppose you could use acrylic rods and epoxy them or something.

Also I read the build thread and I know you put bricks in the sides but are you sure they're going to sink?

BTW great job so far. :dancing:

 

[bentcountershaft]

all4game: I like the arch idea, but it would require a lot of redoing. I might do something like that on my 29 though, since it has no center brace to get in the way. As far as float, I should be good. There isn't as much foam there as it looks. Maybe a half to a little over an inch on the frames. Also, the bricks are just what is built in. I'm planning on putting more in the "baskets" of each piece once it's in the tank. They should hold 2-4 more bricks a piece. depending on which one. The center rock fits snuggly under the center brace and can't pop up. The center brace in reinforced by the 6" thick wall that covers the first 6" of the living room side of the tank, so it's very secure. The end pieces will also have all plastic clamps keeping them in place. This is more to keep them snug against the glass than to keep them from floating, but I think they will help there too.

iceblue: Thanks for the kind words and continued words of encouragement through this build. Your comment about the yard definitely reinforced my own thoughts. If I wanted a window there, I could have been done ages ago :lol:

After it got dark enough outside, I decided to take some pics with just the actinic and then just the moon lights. The shadows created in these situations has pretty well sold me on using the center rock. Have a look for yourself and see if you agree:

Actinic:

Moonlight:

 

[all4game]

Ooh.
Definately use the center in that case! :lol:

 

[bulldogg7]

Just an idea, maybe don't cut it quite so short. Would still give an actinic effect, and break up the tank a bit.

 

[Toby_H]

I think it looks good with nothing or a half sized something in the middle... it's too nice of a tank to block the whole center view...

I just popped in to say that is a darn nice looking set up...

 

[quiksilver]

i like the pic bulldog7 has done. moonlight looks awesome.

 

[rosemerry]

I also like the pic with the shorter center rock. The other picture just looked like too much rock but take out the big center rock and it didn't seem like enough. The shorter center rock is really good.

 

[dwarfpike]

I would leave the center with just mostly sand and maybe a few really low rocks scattered away from each other instead ... but might be hard to match up color/consistancy to your dyi ones though ...

 

[F8LBITEva]

I like Bulldog's center piece, looks great BTW. Now fill that tank already!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SLIGHTLY STOOPID]

That looks like a very nice built-in.

Don't ruin it with those huge piles of alien dung :thumb:

 

[bentcountershaft]

That looks like a very nice built-in.

Don't ruin it with those huge piles of alien dung :thumb:

That's what the guys at work said it looked like :lol:

Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone, keep them coming.

 

[iceblue]

I like the alien dung look. They should can it.