New rock/aquascaping an existing reef

Kpd535 · 09/15/2013, 03:59 AM

Ok, I've been searching the forums and could not find any info on this. sorry if i am re hashing an old question. This is also my first post here, I generally just follow along and get my information by reading, however since I couldn't find an answer, here goes.

So my 90 gal tank has been running for a while now. I've always known I needed more rock in my tank, but I've been putting it off due to the cost. I currently have about 65 lbs of live rock in the tank. Everything, corals fish and inverts are doing well. My corals are growing and look healthy. The other day I got home from work and noticed a rockslide had occurred, knocking everything over and my coral frags were in the sand bed. I couldn't put the rock back the way it was, so I just stacked it together so it's secure and placed the corals in their spots. Now that I re arranged the rock, I am very disappointed with the new look and I definitely noticed more rock is needed! so, I got the approval from the boss and ordered rock today from reef cleaners. My question to you all is this:

When I get my rock, which is dry and already cleaned of debris and guaranteed not to have die off or start a cycle, should I take my coral out of the tank and place them into a container with tank water, a ph and a heater? Or, will it be alright to lay them in the sb and work around them? Obviously I know to rinse the dry rock with RO water before placing in the tank, however I'm concerned that when I start moving things around, sand and other debris will get kicked up and harm stuff.

Same question for my fish. I currently have 2 clowns and a lawn mower Benny and inverts. Should they be placed in a bucket of tank water?

Anyone have any good/bad luck with reef cleaners dry rock?

Thanks for your help.

Drew707 · 09/15/2013, 04:49 AM

Placing them in the sand is fine but puting them in a bucket give you more room..as for fish, tell them to move out the way

turboreef318 · 09/15/2013, 07:24 AM

I have done a similar re-aquascaping a couple of times. My method of choice is to move all of the corals that are attached to plugs or small rocks into the sump to free up some space (removing some of the live rock and chaeto from the sump and setting the corals on the refugium's sandbed). I then use a Rubbermaid container filled with tank water to house the remaining coral that were too large to fit in the sump. I like to remove all of the live rock and put it into buckets before rebuilding the rock work, but rearranging it in the tanks/adding rock onto the existing rock work should work just fine. I never bother removing the fish. I would think they would be more stressed by being netted, removed, dumped into a bucket, renetted, and dumped back into the tank than they would being just left in the tank.

Kpd535 · 09/15/2013, 11:58 PM

Thanks for the help!

09/15/2013, 03:59 AM	#1
Kpd535 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 8	New rock/aquascaping an existing reef Ok, I've been searching the forums and could not find any info on this. sorry if i am re hashing an old question. This is also my first post here, I generally just follow along and get my information by reading, however since I couldn't find an answer, here goes. So my 90 gal tank has been running for a while now. I've always known I needed more rock in my tank, but I've been putting it off due to the cost. I currently have about 65 lbs of live rock in the tank. Everything, corals fish and inverts are doing well. My corals are growing and look healthy. The other day I got home from work and noticed a rockslide had occurred, knocking everything over and my coral frags were in the sand bed. I couldn't put the rock back the way it was, so I just stacked it together so it's secure and placed the corals in their spots. Now that I re arranged the rock, I am very disappointed with the new look and I definitely noticed more rock is needed! so, I got the approval from the boss and ordered rock today from reef cleaners. My question to you all is this: When I get my rock, which is dry and already cleaned of debris and guaranteed not to have die off or start a cycle, should I take my coral out of the tank and place them into a container with tank water, a ph and a heater? Or, will it be alright to lay them in the sb and work around them? Obviously I know to rinse the dry rock with RO water before placing in the tank, however I'm concerned that when I start moving things around, sand and other debris will get kicked up and harm stuff. Same question for my fish. I currently have 2 clowns and a lawn mower Benny and inverts. Should they be placed in a bucket of tank water? Anyone have any good/bad luck with reef cleaners dry rock? Thanks for your help.

09/15/2013, 04:49 AM	#2
Drew707 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: fairfield ca Posts: 285	Placing them in the sand is fine but puting them in a bucket give you more room..as for fish, tell them to move out the way __________________ Hold the lemon.. ill take salt with my water thanx Current Tank Info: 55 breeder mixed reef

09/15/2013, 07:24 AM	#3
turboreef318 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 65	I have done a similar re-aquascaping a couple of times. My method of choice is to move all of the corals that are attached to plugs or small rocks into the sump to free up some space (removing some of the live rock and chaeto from the sump and setting the corals on the refugium's sandbed). I then use a Rubbermaid container filled with tank water to house the remaining coral that were too large to fit in the sump. I like to remove all of the live rock and put it into buckets before rebuilding the rock work, but rearranging it in the tanks/adding rock onto the existing rock work should work just fine. I never bother removing the fish. I would think they would be more stressed by being netted, removed, dumped into a bucket, renetted, and dumped back into the tank than they would being just left in the tank.

09/15/2013, 11:58 PM	#4
Kpd535 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 8	Thanks for the help!