Time to hit the reset button on my tank

[BanZI29]

I am going to reboot and re-scape my tank. Things have gotten a little too big, and everyone is very unhappy. I can not control my water parameters, (nitrate always test 0-4 max, Phos is 0-.004 max, Calcium is 500+ and not dosing)
Here my current params:

Temp: 77°
Ph: 7.96 (Hanna)
Salinity: 1.024 (refrac)
Ammonia: 0 (API)
Nitrite: 0 (API)
Nitrate: 3 (Hanna)
Phos: .002 (hanna)
Alk: 14 (hanna)
Calc: over 500 (Aquaforrest)
Mag: 1250 (red Sea)

Also, corals are big and running out of room, last, too much rock in there. Basically all 3 walls have rock against them.
The pictures show that everything is covered in hair algae, I have since cleaned all that out. the corals all look the same now thou.
With all that said, here come the questions:

1. Do I clean the sand or replace/mix with new
2. Will breaking the rock into pieces cause any water contamination / mess with parameters?
3. Should I actually take everything out of the tank, and hose it out completely? Would that cause any issues?
4. any corals you see that might take being fragged badly?

Please drop any other guidance / Advise you all think would be good to have.

Thank you all

 

[BanZI29]

Also thinking about make a small sump also to hold macro algae and just extra water volume, but I have an AOI so not sure how to do that.

 

[JNalley]

Also thinking about make a small sump also to hold macro algae and just extra water volume, but I have an AOI so not sure how to do that.

You can get a HOB Refugium, but attempting to turn your AIO into a system with a sump, while it can be done, would typically involve removing the AIO chambers altogether, drilling the tank, adding a proper overflow and return system, etc. So that's going to depend more on how far down the rabbit hole you're willing to go...

I don't think you need a complete reset personally...

 

[BanZI29]

I just don't like the way it looks. it's too cluttered and the corals are starting to reach out and sting others. especially my bubble tree. I lost 2 hammers to that one. and the shrooms are just taking over.

 

[Dburr1014]

I am going to reboot and re-scape my tank. Things have gotten a little too big, and everyone is very unhappy. I can not control my water parameters, (nitrate always test 0-4 max, Phos is 0-.004 max, Calcium is 500+ and not dosing)
Here my current params:

Temp: 77°
Ph: 7.96 (Hanna)
Salinity: 1.024 (refrac)
Ammonia: 0 (API)
Nitrite: 0 (API)
Nitrate: 3 (Hanna)
Phos: .002 (hanna)
Alk: 14 (hanna)
Calc: over 500 (Aquaforrest)
Mag: 1250 (red Sea)

Also, corals are big and running out of room, last, too much rock in there. Basically all 3 walls have rock against them.
The pictures show that everything is covered in hair algae, I have since cleaned all that out. the corals all look the same now thou.
With all that said, here come the questions:

1. Do I clean the sand or replace/mix with new
2. Will breaking the rock into pieces cause any water contamination / mess with parameters?
3. Should I actually take everything out of the tank, and hose it out completely? Would that cause any issues?
4. any corals you see that might take being fragged badly?

Please drop any other guidance / Advise you all think would be good to have.

Thank you all

1) can't you just clean the sand in place with a siphon hose?

2) breaking the rock will not cause any problems. Take it out, break it, put it back in. I'm not sure why you want I break it, is there a reason?

3) completely moving everything out of the water and putting it back and will cause detritis to be stirred up and may cause problems. That's a major disruption.

4) LPS will need cutting with a saw of some type. I use a dremel with diamond rotary blades. Do not use bone cutters or you will get cracking of the skeleton.

EDIT: that bubble is beautiful but long sweepers. Best at the end of the tank. You just cut the sweepers ability in half.