Removing live rock

[mauraii]

For three years now I have had a fluval evo 13.5g running. When I first started I added a few zoanthids and 2 sinularia leather corals. Since then, I have added no new corals and largely left the tank on its own, changing water rarely. Now the sinularia is large, and when fully extended touches the glass on both sides. I would like to remove it from the tank so that I may add frags of various species to create a mixed reef. The coral is attached to the rock firmly, and I fear removing it would damage/kill its soft body. However, if I were to remove it with the rock, I worry that this could unbalance the tank and cause it to crash, since the rock it is attached to is large and constitutes roughly 1/2 the live rock in the tank. Any advice in what to do in this situation?

Thank you,

mauraii

 

[Timfish]

I think the best thing would be to get a nice peice of live rock or two to add, pull everything out and then rescape your system minus the Sinularia colonies. Aonther option is use a pair of scissors and cut off the Sinularia colonies as close to the base as possible, they will regrow but it will take time. Depending on the species you can sell them or give them away or set up another system and frag them and grow them out.

 

[mauraii]

One thing I failed to mention is this is currently my only running system. I need to maintain water quality as I do have a tomato clownfish also living in the tank, so an approach where I ‘start over’ would be avoided if possible.

 

[mauraii]

Would it be possible for me to remove the piece of rock with sinularia and replace it with cured live rock from a different tank?

 

[Dburr1014]

Would it be possible for me to remove the piece of rock with sinularia and replace it with cured live rock from a different tank?

Yes, absolutely

 

[mauraii]

Yes, absolutely

Perfect! And just to confirm, this would not affect the water quality in a way as to damage my zoanthids or clownfish’s health?

 

[Dburr1014]

Perfect! And just to confirm, this would not affect the water quality in a way as to damage my zoanthids or clownfish’s health?

If you get some live rock from a trusted source it may make the water quality better. You will introduce other bacteria strains which in turn will help the overall health of your tank.

 

[mauraii]

If you get some live rock from a trusted source it may make the water quality better. You will introduce other bacteria strains which in turn will help the overall health of your tank.

Thank you! Hopefully I can find someone on the forum who I can source quality LR from.