Changing Aquascape in a stocked tank

[Schteeve]

Hey guys,
I have some rockwork that is yet to have any coral glued to it and I'm considering removing the rocks to restructure them/cement together more pieces.
Obviously whatever is on them will die when I take them out but will it be a problem adding those rocks back in again? or will i need to do some kind of process to make them safe to re-add?

 

[Ron Reefman]

What is on the rocks you will take out? How long have they been in the tank?

If there are live organisms on the rock and you dry them out, they will die. That means they will cause an ammonia-nitrite-nitrate spike when you put them back in the water. How long and how big the spike will be is determined by how much stuff is on the rocks.

If your tank has other livestock in it already, I'd cycle the rock you remove in a different tank or Brute garbage can or some other container in saltwater.

 

[AZMSGT]

Once the old rock dries, it will be near toxic until it’s cured again. Can you keep it wet while you redo parts at a time? If you can keep it wet you should eliminate any problems.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Once the old rock dries, it will be near toxic until it’s cured again. Can you keep it wet while you redo parts at a time? If you can keep it wet you should eliminate any problems.

Good point! You don't have to keep it under water, just keep it moist. Cover the build with a wet towel and maybe spray it every so often to keep it wet while doing the build and letting it cure.

 

[Schteeve]

I could probably keep it wet. I think if i cement (AquaForest Stone Fix) together the structure i want first, then remove the wet rock and cement the two structures together - it can go back into the tank as soon as the cement is dry enough

thanks guys

 

[Ashish Patel]

Why not just put that piece in the sump as biological filtration and add some clean man made stuffed in its place?

 

[Schteeve]

Why not just put that piece in the sump as biological filtration and add some clean man made stuffed in its place?

you sir a smart man

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I could probably keep it wet. I think if i cement (AquaForest Stone Fix) together the structure i want first, then remove the wet rock and cement the two structures together - it can go back into the tank as soon as the cement is dry enough

thanks guys

I have so much more success using a simple mason bit and acrylic rods with super glue gel. Take them out, wet drill hole insert glue then rod connect together and place back in water. Less than 3 minutes per rock and the hold is amazing. You can literally attach large pieces of rock together like magnets with this method.