Rearranging / Removing live rock.

[Powahfull]

Still feel brand new to this hobby just hit my 1 year anniversary! When I first built my rockscape I thought the fish (2 clowns and 1 red scooter blenny) would really appreciate me building them a volcano type structure with many ways to get in and out of it.

One year later all 3 are still alive but inside this volcano structure has become somewhat of a snail graveyard. I believe the fish are happy they can hide and go in and out in all these different ways but I just cannot get into the middle of the structure to remove the snail shells. You know the I've fallen and I can't get back up ones.

My first concern is of course a complete structural failure if I just remove the the top rocks that's kind of pinning everything else down I built this kind of like you would build a structure with playing cards.

Second concern would be if I do just take everything out and rearrange everything maybe even remove some of the bigger pieces. How much stress and strain is this putting on the fish? After living like this for 1 full year.

The LFS said if I wanted to remove everything and rebuild it just do a 20 gallon water change I run a 32 gal biocube why I built vertical and not horizontal in the first place.

My final concern is I have a LOT of bristle worms my yellow boxer shrimp is so lazy SMH is leaving these empty cleaned out shells a bad thing or just an eye sore?

Thanks for taking the time to read!

 

[Powahfull]

Kind of like this they can go inside hide and have 7 or 8 different ways they can enter and exit the middle area.

 

[HuduVudu]

@Powahfull I think the snail shells aren't problem. If you think they are an eye sore I get it but I wouldn't worry about them other than the asthetic. The "damage" has already happened.

If you are going to rearrange I would start by doing gravel vacs over the course of a couple water changes to get the sand bed in a better place for a move.

I actually like the structure and I think the fish should come first, but that is just me.

A note on the snails. It has been my experience that most tanks don't have enough iron and this is why the snails fall and ultimately die. You might considier dosing iron to help stop this problem.

 

[Powahfull]

Agreed that's why I don't want to mess with it they to be appear happy and still after a year when I feed the frozen food have a ton of energy and go flying around the tank I don't turn the power head off I believe they are also healthy.

Thanks this is the first I have heard of this I will check my iron levels! Appreciate the input and worse comes to worse they don't live forever if the empty shells aren't harming the tank I can always wait it out and once that happens just get the tank ready for my next set of fish.

Like you said I am all about the fish coming first why I won't go lower than 10 gallons per fish. Awesome great to hear I been stressing about this no harm no foul right wonderful have a great day thanks again!