Wanting to replace my rock

[WickedBlue28]

I need help.

I have a 28 gallon JBJ nano cube. Here's pictures of my tank and coral with growth shots.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2226545

As you can see Zoanthid's have taken over a 1/3 of my tank. I also have the dreaded Green Star Polyps. The other problem I am having is a huge number of what looks like Vermetid Snails growing everywhere.

My sand bed has been neglected as I posted here with pictures of the sand and tank
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2217240

Can I without causing to much damage to my water quality and SPS corals replace my rock? Should I use live rock or would I be okay going with dry rock to prevent hitch hikers? Should I replace my sand bed at the same time? Or should I start my suctioning my sand bed first get that in better shape and then replace the rock if possible.

I would like to have an SPS dominate reef tanking and thinking if I'm not happy with the Zoa's, Vermetid's and GSP's maybe now is better than later when it's more grown in. My main concerns are the SPS corals I have now and I don't want to affect them in a way or have them die.

 

[WickedBlue28]

Can you guys with some know how throw a newbie a bone please

 

[aandfsoccr04]

my tank is a lot bigger than yours but I wanted to replace my rocks because of vermetid snails too. I took a piece or two out and put them in the sump to be replaced with dry rock. Then over the course of the next few weeks, I'd take a rock out and replace it.

 

[Ciscokid]

If you are selling, I am interested in the branch pieces.

 

[WickedBlue28]

The tonga? I'm gonna try and save that. I've listed the zoa's and GSP on my local club site and have had someone asking me for them already.

I've read several threads on here about how to cure dry rock and I'm fine with doing that over several weeks just not sure if I can do that or it will upset my tank too much

 

[Ciscokid]

I understand..

I love my tonga too. I use it to make a shelf over my plenum for my live rock to sit on.

Good Luck.

 

[divewsharks]

You can replace rock, you just have to go slowly. and don't do sand and rock at the same time.
As for dry rock v. live rock. you can do the dry but i would soak it first to make sure there is no die off that needs to occur first. with the reduced bacteria count, the tank may not be able to handle the new bio-load.

I've replaced rock in my tanks for the same reason, i introduced some paly's that looked cool at first.... until they took over and drowned/suffocated out the zoas/palys that i really wanted.

 

[WickedBlue28]

So I got the pukani rock from BRS and gave it an acid bath for 2 hours. I got all my corals off the rocks in my tank and put them on plugs and in my frag racks.

I don't really want to put a rock in one at a time because I'm afraid it will get vermetid snails on them again or GSP.

Am I pushing it if I let the new rocks sit in my water change water with a pump and heater for a few weeks and then swap out all the rocks at once?

 

[divewsharks]

If you do that you essentially cycling the rocks. Keep an eye on he parameters (good chance you'll see a spike) and you should be good to go.