Crazy? Re-aqua scraping established tank?

[Bernardhny]

I am seriously considering re-aquascaping my 55G cube. I am not happy with the mountain of piled rock in my tank. The only problem is my fear of doing it.

I don't even know where to begin. **** this crazy notion, I can't get it out of my head! Someone slap me a few times!

 

[Bernardhny]

Aquascaping. Darn autocorrect

 

[crystal181]

Do whatever will make you happiest to look at it. Good luck!

 

[hung]

Tear it down and redo it until you are happy, that is until you decide to rescape it again... Lol

 

[Tradewinds]

Why are you fearful? How long has the tank be up?

 

[miyags]

I'm getting ready to re do my 65 cube. Mine has a stacked rock pyramid, look right now.I'm going to take out about 50% of the rock. Then drill and peg a thin bonsai skeleton structure. For more water volume and flow. I'm going to borrow a diatom filter for all the soot I stir up. This tanks been up for about 10 years now. So theres going to be a lot of sludge.

 

[Bradsreeeftank]

I reaqauscaped my 29 gal biocube 4 times. its simple tke out rocks one by one and place them back in how you like.dont worry about fish they scurry away.

 

[Bernardhny]

Tank is a year old. I did the new scape but I am waiting for the water to clear so I can finish. I have 10 buckets of coral and rock ( heated and being circulated). This is going to be an epic failure. I tore a leather coral

 

[gordonj1]

It'll grow back no worries

 

[myownlife]

You will be good I just tore down my whole 34g cube and put the new 60g cube in the same spot. keep coral warm and circulated. take your time. Took me 6 hours and everything is happy still a week later. No signs of a cycle

 

[Bernardhny]

It took me most of the day. 7 Home Depot buckets! I went from a large tall "mountain" of rock to a cove with 1 corner built higher up. I am much more pleased with the layout. I feel it is cleaner and there is entirely more flow throughout the tank. I am pretty sure everything except my monster leather coral survived. It had sent its base structure through two different rocks and fused the rock together like I have never seen before. I picked up the one rock not realizing it was actually two rocks and the weight just ripped it. Horrible feeling knowing it was my fault. I ended up using less rock in the new design as well. Pictures before and after are coming.

 

[trickedout900]

It always sucks to destroy something you have grown for a long time but leathers will grow back. Look at the bright side now you have a half you can trade for more corals, that's what I would do with it.

 

[Dalmatia]

I've re-aquascaped my tank 3 times in one year!!! Make your self satisfied, you want to be happy with your tank!!!! Just make sure to do it properly if you've got corals,,,, there will most likely be losses but what the hey!

 

[Bernardhny]

Update: tank is nearly a week post re-scape. The leather coral that tore has not extended its fingers since the tear. Water chemistry is fine. I have not seen any deterioration of the coral so far making me feel like it is dead. I just hope to see a sign of life soon.

 

[J062682l]

Where's the pics buddy lets see this cove!

 

[Bernardhny]

Not happy with it yet. Almost embarrassed with the way it looks right now. I am going on a dry rock search tonight. My goal is to remove the rock in the front and build up the back wall a bit without overkill.

 

[Bernardhny]

My problem with the tank is that I want a clean uncluttered look. The rock I have (I have about 50 pounds I removed from the tank) is not conducive to my goals. The pic is "before" the attempt.

My problems are numerous. Lack of physical space, corals that are encrusted on rock and my inexperience with moving them and a feeling of rushed panic to get everything back in the tank. I am such a noob.

 

[d00dy]

I wouldn't worry too much about the leather not opening yet. Earlier this month I completely changed my rock out (all new rock). I went from a bulky stack, to a minimalist look. Designed how the rockscape would look first by cutting and cementing to get the formations I wanted. Gave them a chemical bath and let them cook for 2 months, then replaced every rock. I did leave 1 purple rock in the display and a few in the sump though. I did not lose a single fish, or coral. However I have a nice sized tyree green toadstool that was unhappy for the first 2 weeks, and I thought I killed it. As of this past weekend, it has fully opened and is larger and taller than ever before.

 

[eg8r210]

My problem with the tank is that I want a clean uncluttered look. The rock I have (I have about 50 pounds I removed from the tank) is not conducive to my goals. The pic is "before" the attempt.

My problems are numerous. Lack of physical space, corals that are encrusted on rock and my inexperience with moving them and a feeling of rushed panic to get everything back in the tank. I am such a noob.

Have you asked for some help from your local reef club? I have found most fellow reefers are always willing to lend a hand and help out.

 

[GoingPostal]

The corals can sit out in a bucket quite a while, normally I decide I hate my aquascape at least once a year or something happens that I end up tearing stuff apart like needing to remove a fish or losing a frag in the back of the tank. Aquascaping is just a pain. Always takes longer than I think, makes a big mess. I just setup a bunch of buckets, coral in one, rock in another. If you end up with a bunch of extra rock set up another tank with it lol! Or sell it off, or let it turn into dead rock. I've had to really accept there's no winning between enough places to put coral and keeping less live rock in the tank but still looking nice, leaving room to grow. You have to lose something, make concessions. Your leather will probably bounce back, I chopped one off at the base trying to kill it years ago and it just grew back.