changing rock work in running tank

[MoshJosh]

I have been a bit disappointed with the scape in my 15 gallon tank. I don't think it's terrible, but I think I could do better and also make some better coral placement spots. Right now there are 2 life rock structures, could I build 2 new dry rock structures and swap them out 1 at a time as to not remove to much bio filtration at once? Again the current rock is life rock, not live rock, and has only been in the tank a few months.

 

[Idoc]

Yes, you could swap them out. Changing only one at a time is a good idea as well to limit the mini-cycle that could occur switching/adding the new rock. You might want to monitor your parameters closely that first week just to be sure you didn't set off a mini-cycle, though. Or, to be safe, just add some bottled bacteria at the same time you add the new rock.

 

[karamreef117]

Do you have sand? whose your filtelation looking in the back?

I would jump right in and switch both out if the above answers are good. If not take one step at a time. either ways your either going to have a mini cycle or a long time throughout the tank or a big cycle at once with the new rock. Either ways a cycle will occur. What I would also recommend is a bacteria bottle cant be sorry and prime for ammonia incase it spikes!

 

[polyppal]

theres little bio filtration happening on that artificial rock anyways - do you have some other type of media in there for bio too? I noticed its a bare bottom, so youre not getting that benefit in the sandbed...

 

[ZombieEngineer]

When you replace the first structure, you might want to consider taking at least some of the existing rock from the first structure and just piling it out of the way. This will minimize any mini cycle you might have.

If it were be personally, I would do like this.

1. Move 25% of rock out of the way in a temporary pile.

2. Remove 25% of rock and add new dry rock structure.

3. Wait at least 2 weeks.

4. Repeat steps 1 and 2

5. Wait at least 2 weeks.

6. Remove the last of the original rocks.

 

[MoshJosh]

Yeah, tank is bare bottom, so no sand bed for bio filtration. I am running matrix in my HOB and have some Dymax Pro-Lite Media Blocks hidden behind the rock.

 

[polyppal]

Yeah, tank is bare bottom, so no sand bed for bio filtration. I am running matrix in my HOB and have some Dymax Pro-Lite Media Blocks hidden behind the rock.

if you got some media bricks they are offering 1000x more surface area than that Caribsea cat turd rock ever did, id just swap them completely when your ready, and give it a week or two before any sensitive additions to the tank

 

[MoshJosh]

I may have gone a little overboard, as the top platform will almost stick out of the water ha ha but here’s the scape: