Re Aquascaping Questions (Need Advice)

[nauticac4]

I have been thinking about rescaping my 120 gallon tank. The rock wall thing that was great when I was a noob isn't cutting it anymore. I want to do something to add more open space to the tank but still have room for corals so I have a few questions.

1. Will removing the rock and placing it in tubs of salt h2o disrupt the balance in the aquarium?
2. Should I remove the livestock while I rescape?
3. I have a SSB will it be okay if disturbed?
4. Should I do it all at once or half at a time?

I have about 20 or so acros and some LPSs mixed in. I am worried about killing something by moveing everything around. Advice needed

 

[woodycb]

Removing the rock will not disrupt the water quality
The live stock will be ok during the rescaping process
The sandbed will be fine, you may create a dust storm which is fine
Do it all at once and get it over with, less stress on the fish in long run.
Just dont drop anything on the corals and they will be fine.

I just did my 125 last weekend and everything was fine.

 

[nauticac4]

I miay give it a go tomorrow then

 

[o.c.d.]

Make sure you have a large water change ready the claims made by woodycb I don't really agree with a few factors come into play. detritus acccumulated in and under the rock and sand could cause some problems depending on how much is brought into the water column. Also acros are sensitive personally Id set up quarantine but really it's a judgement call once you start assess the situation if it gets bad stop waterchange and set up quarantine. Some rock shouldn't be a prob but all the rock I think is pushing it.

 

[mrme]

If you keep your tank clean.. you should not have such a cloud.
If you have a lot of corals, then you must take them all out, maybe the fish to.

What i like to do when i do this, is take it all out.. have a few newspaper lined card board boxes, and just take all that rock out and sit down for a minute and think about things.

I wouldn't jump online and start looking at pictures, because its best to get that live rock back into water as soon as you can.

It is quite easy to stack rocks in a cave position, two large rocks as a base, and one even larger one for the top.
Its not to tricky to build pvc framework either. Use eggcrate as shelves for your live rock. The white pvc gets covered in coraline or corals, in no time.

Right now i have a large mountain in the middle of my 60 gallon cube, Its nice because it gives them all the room to swim around the rocks. Fish like to swim around and through things as apposed to in front of big pile.

I always like to go through all my live rock with a screwdriver, and punch out holes where the rock is thin, and kind of shape the rocks to my needs.
depending how many corals you have already growing on your rocks, this may not be feasible.

Goodluck. hope i helped.

 

[mrme]

ps. pick up a package of Saltwater "bio-spira", this will eliminate any ammonia/nitrite spikes, So you can do this all in one day.
Its a little pricey, but of course worth the money.

Its less stress on the fish and everything if its done in one day.

 

[nauticac4]

I might not do ALL of the rock but I am getting tired of the way it looks. Maybe I will try to move the top pieces around that way I don't disturb the sand to much.