adding sand and removing rock from existing system

[mattzang]

Hello, hopefully you guys can help me out a bit here.

I've been trying to remove my sixline wrasse for a few days now and not having much luck. In fact, no fish seems to want to go in the bottle traps I've made. I was going to give it another shot using a mirror, but I've decided I want to remove some rock from my tank and redo the scape a bit while also getting rid of the sixline.

My questions/concerns are: I probably only put 1 20 lb bag of live sand in initially and it has been ok since I have so much rock it covers a lot of area that probably isn't covered in sand. But I did egg crate on the bottom and when I remove rock I will probably be short on sand as well as I want to get a sand burying wrasse once I get rid of the aforementioned sixline. Will it be ok to add some more live sand (also any tips on how to add it in there without having a massive sandstorm)? And also, is taking the rock out and putting it in empty (no water) buckets going to kill off anything that will cause a minicycle or anything? Once I do this, should I add a bottle of biospira or dr tims instant cycle just to be safe or am I being paranoid?

I also have a ton of marinepure balls and seachem matrix in my sump if that matters at all.

 

[sfin52]

I would cover the rock with water. Pour the sand as close to the bottom as possible with a cup or some other container. You will get a bit of cloud but you filters should clear it up quickly .

 

[SoreninKL]

I would be as paranoid as you using bottled bacteria would be my choice and I would get a "seachem ammonia alert and a bottle of ammonia neutralizer, just in case
the 2 links showing a method on how to add sand, perhaps there are other methods out there.



I would place the rocks in water and but perhaps you don't need to take them out, check the above link.

cheers

 

[mattzang]

I would be as paranoid as you using bottled bacteria would be my choice and I would get a "seachem ammonia alert and a bottle of ammonia neutralizer, just in case
the 2 links showing a method on how to add sand, perhaps there are other methods out there.



I would place the rocks in water and but perhaps you don't need to take them out, check the above link.

cheers

Well they have to come out for a bit at least so I can catch that dang wrasse! lol

I have some seachem prime that neutralizes ammonia, I guess I could do that for a bit? Or maybe I'll just get a bottle of the insta cycle stuff to be safe. You can't overdo that stuff can you?

I'd only be removing the rock long enough to remove the fish, a lot less time than it took me to buy some live rock from a LFS and drive it home, if that matters.

Thanks guys!

 

[mattzang]

I would cover the rock with water. Pour the sand as close to the bottom as possible with a cup or some other container. You will get a bit of cloud but you filters should clear it up quickly .

possibly dumb question here, but could I just put them in buckets with RODI water? I've been making my own saltwater lately so I just buy buckets of RODI from the LFS, then mix when I want to do water changes. If I put the rocks in with RODI water, does that kind of ruin the RODI water that I'd use for later water changes/topoff or kill off the good bacteria that has grown on there?

 

[KrisReef]

You don't want to put salt water rocks into fresh water, it will cause osmotic shock to your rock culure.

BTW, sometimes it is easier to catch a fish by draining all the water and picking the fish out of the dry tank bottom. Then pump the water back in. Of course, I'm not certain how large your tank is but if you have empty buckets, or a trash can with a liner you can remove and catch a fish pretty quickly, and with a good pump and hose return the water back to the tank and avoid moving all of the rock work.

Yeah, its a pain, but it is another method that may work for you. GL

 

[mattzang]

You don't want to put salt water rocks into fresh water, it will cause osmotic shock to your rock culure.

BTW, sometimes it is easier to catch a fish by draining all the water and picking the fish out of the dry tank bottom. Then pump the water back in. Of course, I'm not certain how large your tank is but if you have empty buckets, or a trash can with a liner you can remove and catch a fish pretty quickly, and with a good pump and hose return the water back to the tank and avoid moving all of the rock work.

Yeah, its a pain, but it is another method that may work for you. GL

Yeah I figured, but thought I'd ask. Never know what you might learn in this hobby. Some of the stuff I've read that people do scares the hell out of me, but apparently it works .

hmm, I think the rock would actually be out of water longer that way? Plus what do all of the other fish do? lol. I guess I could drain it down to around only a few inches of water and then get him. I'd be under a lot of pressure to quickly redo my scape that way, though. I have a plan of sorts for what I want, but I don't want to be too rushed.

I have a 50 gallon cube with at least 50 lbs of rock.

I think I'm just going to load up on saltwater at the LFS, have them fill my 5 gallon buckets with like 3 gallons of water then dump my rocks in. I have a 10 gallon QT tank (just set it up never used it to medicate or anything) that I was going to put some of the rock in, but that obviously won't hold 50 pounds of rock

 

[SoreninKL]

Well they have to come out for a bit at least so I can catch that dang wrasse! lol

I have some seachem prime that neutralizes ammonia, I guess I could do that for a bit? Or maybe I'll just get a bottle of the insta cycle stuff to be safe. You can't overdo that stuff can you?

I'd only be removing the rock long enough to remove the fish, a lot less time than it took me to buy some live rock from a LFS and drive it home, if that matters.

Thanks guys!

Yes Prime will do
Take your time and consider which way you want to go, I personally removed all rock in a 20 gallon cube to catch a crab and I was not able to put them back as they were ;Facepalm

cheers

 

[sfin52]

A couple if of times had to remove all my rock to get a fish. It was about twenty pounds. The rock was out of the water for about 15 min. It's a pain but sometimes only way to get a fish.

It never goes back the same way it went in. Never. Think of it as a major makeover.

 

[mattzang]

FWIW did the deed today. Ended up leaving about 4 rocks out, my 10 gallon QT tank is now filled to the brim!

My LFS advised me it would be wise to put the rocks in buckets of my own water, so I ended up draining the tank about halfway and storing the rocks in there for about 20-30 min. Frightening amounts of detritus came off of the rocks as I pulled some out (makes me think I should maybe direct more flow at the rocks). Used a bottle of biospira just in case and I think I'll do a capful of prime for a few days.

also, in case anyone is curious, a longspine urchin in a 50 gallon cube is probably not advisable, he was in the way the entire time. And my fish ended up huddling next to him while I was trying to get the sixline, but doesn't look like anyone got shanked by him.

thanks everyone for your assistance with this! If it were just up to me I probably would've just let the rocks sit on the ground for 30 min and had massive dieoff and killed off my other fish..