Changed my aquascape

[TheSheff]

Hello, I recently completely changed my aquascape in one of my tanks. It is a 15-gallon with a 10-gallon sump. I broke the original scape rock into pieces and put it into the sump. My question is how long it will be before I could possibly start to remove some of the rock from the sump? It is taking up a ton of space that I would like to use lol.

 

[KrisReef]

Depends on whats in the tank, how much you feed, what kind of rock you put into the display, how much.

Posting a picture might also help us provide more reasoned answers for your question. Random ballpark guess would be you could get rid of 1/2 of your old rock and be fine, but again fine will depend on what is trying to live in the tank now?

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Agreed with above. Consider Marine Pure blocks. One could take up less room in your sump Encouraging beneficial bacteria and you could potentially get rid of all sump rock.

 

[TheSheff]

Depends on whats in the tank, how much you feed, what kind of rock you put into the display, how much.

Posting a picture might also help us provide more reasoned answers for your question. Random ballpark guess would be you could get rid of 1/2 of your old rock and be fine, but again fine will depend on what is trying to live in the tank now?

uhhh it's probably five pounds of rock. Im slightly overstocked bc my refugiuk works overtime lol. I have two clowns, a chromis, a smiths blenny, and a neon blue goby.

 

[TheSheff]

Agreed with above. Consider Marine Pure blocks. One could take up less room in your sump Encouraging beneficial bacteria and you could potentially get rid of all sump rock.

I've definitely considered it, but I read reviews that it leaches iron? or some chemical that we don't want.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I've definitely considered it, but I read reviews that it leaches iron? or some chemical that we don't want.

My understanding is that they do leach aluminum. Not very much? But a good number of reefers use these for there benefits. Your call.

 

[KrisReef]

uhhh it's probably five pounds of rock. Im slightly overstocked bc my refugiuk works overtime lol. I have two clowns, a chromis, a smiths blenny, and a neon blue goby.

Not even a quarter pound of fish in that system, ( not enough to make a fishwich outta). If you feed light those fish can survive fine in a tank with 1/2 the old rock removed from your sump.
Just be careful not to over feed for the next few weeks.
Why?
If your biological filter is bacterial film on the rock, removing 1/2 the old rock is 1/2 the filtration capacity. Assuming you added new rock into the main tank, that rock has very little bacterial filter capacity because it is new. It has plenty of surface area, and bacterial growth is by division, so the new rock is going to be infected from the old rock inside of one bacterial division episode.

Probably quicker than it took me to write this stupid message your tank is safe.