Reeftanks6
Active member
Is redoing your aqascape a bad thing or can i do it? Would it strees out the whole tank? Any help is great thanks!
Good or Bad Idea?
- Thread starter Reeftanks6
- Start date
Alaskan Reefer
New member
I've done it too many times to count. I reckon it stresses the fish some, but I've never had a loss due to it. Skim wet / use a filter sock to help catch all the floaties you'll create...
reefscape15
New member
I'm with Alaskan, i used to move my rock almost once a week and it never did anything bad, but when i left it alone stuff started growing like crazy!
Reeftanks6
Active member
Thanks guys! Well i am going to do something in paint just to get an idea of how i want it. ill be sure to post it on here! But right know i have two islands and i have two tangs i just wanted to make more holes and stuff for them!
Reeftanks6
Active member
Reeftanks6
Active member
Does that sound good or no?
Reeftanks6
Active member
Ok sounds good i dont know if i am going to do this for real though. I mean its a thought but i am not sure yet! I really dont want to mess there sleeping places up but once again i want to look at something a little different and the fish are starting to get a little bigger so they need bigger holes and etc. Plus i have two tangs and a medium sized foxface
Reeftanks6
Active member
Ok it sounds like changing your aquascape if you want is a good thing. This is getting me more to re doing it!
Reeftanks6
Active member
Ok yea i think i am going to do this tomorrow. This is what i am planning but i am not sure! I will be sure to post pictures for you guys. Keep giving advice!
dwd5813
New member
I always enjoy reading this old thread:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249112&perpage=25&pagenumber=1 and pretty much any discussion where Borneman gets into it.
from it(questions asked by members surrounded by >><<, Borneman responses in between):
>Anyway, what did you mean by "intermediate tank disturbance"? How would that help to prevent "old tank syndrome"?<<
Well, we see how ecoogical principles are pretty much happening in our tanks...and over time, systems tend towards fewer species as competition, resource limitation, habitat utilization, mortality without recruitment, etc. take hold. If we disturb populations, we free up these opportunites for "repressed" species to again have a chance. Better yet if we can periodiclly introduce new species at this time. Live rock, new sand, corals with base material, etc.
I think something like a big rock rearrangement and a big water change and some refugium work, and some coral trades and some new material added would probably qualify.
>>I would think that an intermediate disturbance would be more on the line of strong waves and thunderstorms. A typhoon would be an extreme disturbance (depending on the depth we're talking about) more along the lines of a forest fire. So possibly a wavemaker takes care of some of the minor disturbances, but how do we 'replicate' stronger disturbances?
I guess we could mimic the 'hand of God' by running our hands blindly through the tank every year or two <<
Seriously, that might be closer than you think.
>>I would also think possibly this major disturbance would be like using a powerhead and tubing to blow everything around and possibly even hand-shifting some rocks too? [except corals which would be hurt by it]
Interesting to think of this as an important part of keeping a tank long-term. Does make sense now that I'm thinking about it ... just not sure `how much' is enough?<<
I'm not sure either, but I do know everytime I've had a "disaster" - and I mean every single time, the tank is absolutely ripping about two to three months later.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=249112&perpage=25&pagenumber=1 and pretty much any discussion where Borneman gets into it.
from it(questions asked by members surrounded by >><<, Borneman responses in between):
>Anyway, what did you mean by "intermediate tank disturbance"? How would that help to prevent "old tank syndrome"?<<
Well, we see how ecoogical principles are pretty much happening in our tanks...and over time, systems tend towards fewer species as competition, resource limitation, habitat utilization, mortality without recruitment, etc. take hold. If we disturb populations, we free up these opportunites for "repressed" species to again have a chance. Better yet if we can periodiclly introduce new species at this time. Live rock, new sand, corals with base material, etc.
I think something like a big rock rearrangement and a big water change and some refugium work, and some coral trades and some new material added would probably qualify.
>>I would think that an intermediate disturbance would be more on the line of strong waves and thunderstorms. A typhoon would be an extreme disturbance (depending on the depth we're talking about) more along the lines of a forest fire. So possibly a wavemaker takes care of some of the minor disturbances, but how do we 'replicate' stronger disturbances?
I guess we could mimic the 'hand of God' by running our hands blindly through the tank every year or two <<
Seriously, that might be closer than you think.
>>I would also think possibly this major disturbance would be like using a powerhead and tubing to blow everything around and possibly even hand-shifting some rocks too? [except corals which would be hurt by it]
Interesting to think of this as an important part of keeping a tank long-term. Does make sense now that I'm thinking about it ... just not sure `how much' is enough?<<
I'm not sure either, but I do know everytime I've had a "disaster" - and I mean every single time, the tank is absolutely ripping about two to three months later.
Reeftanks6
Active member
yea!!
Reeftanks6
Active member
Well almost after and hour of working it is finally done. I will get pictures tomorrow when the water is clearer or tonight if it clears up good. It was a VERY VERY VERY streesful thing for me. I could not get the rocks to stay were i wanted them. I never new how big my rocks were since i got them!
Paul B
Premium Member
I totally agree and have ben telling people this for years.
I do create a typhoon in my tank a few times a year.
I don't use a DSB so I can stir up the entire tank, every grain of gravel gets disturbed. I powerwash everything with a diatom filter with a restriction added to the output hose.
Ihave dove in the Caribbean a week after a typhoon, (or hurricaine as they call them in the northern hemisphere)
I saw brain corals as large as Oldsmobiles, up side down, sea fans 80' up a mountain, still alive. We with our little pumps can not totally replicate the power of a hurricaine but it is a natural occurance that has been happening since before there were animals in the sea.
I believe it has allowed my tank to last so long and I can't believe the crud that I remove from the rocks when I do that.
I don't know how many people maintain tanks for a long time without doing this.
It is also my big problem against DSBs, you can't maintain them like this.
I do also add bacteria and fauna from the sea, of course I live near the sea so it is easy for me but the stuff can be mailed to anywhere.
