There really is no best method. It is typically what you find most pleasing. There are a couple of groundrules that I like to follow:

  • 1. Caves, Caves, Caves - I like to have as many good caves as possible. It is great for the fish becasue they will have plenty of hiding places and plenty of holes to swim in and out. It makes the whole reef more dynamic.

    2. Plenty of Current - With any rockwork, you will need to make sure to try to eliminate dead areas. It is good to have several powerheads or jets strategically located throughout the rockwork so that there is plenty of current both inside and outside the reef framework.

    3. Minimize Contact with Walls - Minimize the contact area of the rockwork with the walls. You don't want to introduce any pressure points on your glass/acrylic walls that could stress the walls. Any pressure point could eventually work its way into cracking and you could have a tank explosion all over you display room floor.