How bad is it to do a complete rescape?

AnnetteG

AnnetteG

getting back to basics
Sep 24, 2007
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I'm just wondering how bad it is on the system as a whole, to take everything out and redo it? I'm kind of wanting to do this because I have a rock in the back that I'd like to bring out more - it's got a patch of really pretty cup or tube corals growing on it that I only noticed recently. Plus, I'm thinking of getting rid of my yellowhead sleeper pair because I'm tired of them constantly sprinkling sand all over everything and I can't place any corals in "their" area because it just gets inundated with sand all day long. The only way I can see of catching them quickly would be to just take everything out.

If I do this, I have my 135 which has been running for probably about 6 weeks now with some live rock and sand in it. I've mostly just been using it to mix saltwater right now, for water changes. So I can move everything in there, arrange it so my corals are all in one place and then catch the fish, then I'll pull out about half the water and then start placing the rocks back in, then fill it with more water from the 135 and then start putting the corals back. Is this very detrimental to the overall health of the system? Is it going to hurt any of my hitchhikers or pod population?

I just haven't been happy with how the whole thing looks anyway and I may leave some of my rocks in the 135 and have less of a "wall". I'd like more "beach" area too, so if the sleepers are gone, I can put some of the mushrooms on the bottom.

If you all think I should just leave it alone and let it grow, I will though.

Thanks!
 
You'd probably see some symptoms of stress but doubt it would be as big a deal to your tank inhabitants as it will for you. Go for it!
 
actually, I think I've gone back to moving everything over to the 135 and selling this tank. I'd love to have 2 large reefs, but it's really not financially responsible of me. I'd be always trying to decide which tank to spend money on. Not to mention the light bill.

At least the 135 has been running for a while now with rocks and sand in it. Not many, but a few. It's already got a few pods in there crawling around. I'll move over some of my water too. And we're getting a bigger sump/refugium! Plus I'm going to find a way to attach the little 10 gallon RR we have and have an extra refugium on the side. :headbang2:

So I get to rescape, get rid of my annoying sand sifting fish, and I get more space to decorate in! Wheeeee!
 
Since you aren't happy with the layout now then I would rescape now. There is about a 99% chance you would end rescaping in the future. I know that personal experience xD.

The only thing you really have to worry about is stressing the fish and watching out for them while you are placing rocks around. I think your coral beauty would be the most likely candidate to come down with ich so you might want to get a QT ready just in case. I am sure the rest of your fish could handle it. lol Good thing you don't have a tang at the moment.
 
LOL Never buying a tang! I do want a small school of anthias in the big tank though, eventually. I think I will give away my damsels when I get everything taken down. I'm going to set up a QT anyway, when I start pulling stuff out, so I can put my corals in there while I'm putting in sand and rocks from the 105 into the 135. I'll also have to put my 2 sleeper gobies there since I plan to sell them or take them to the LFS for credit. Putting the Angel in QT is a good idea anyway, because I really want to try putting a Flame Angel in the large tank and I figure if I keep them both in QT (separately of course) for a while and not move them into the big tank for a few weeks, then I will be introducing them both at the same time and hopefully they'll be fine. I think I'm gonna need like 3 QT tanks going. I think I will have to keep the hawkfish in QT for a while too, so I can add in a midas blenny and a few others before putting the hawkfish back. Hmmmmm May have to take the hawk into the LFS too. Wonder if he'd house my fish temporarily while everything settles and I decide on what other peaceful fish I want before I put him back in? He's supposed to be the last introduced.

Ugh, we have gone over this a dozen times and kept changing our minds because we really love this 105, but it really just comes down to money. I mean, do I want to have two tanks that are never quite done or just one really nice tank to concentrate on?

So! Here I go again! LOL
 
2 large tanks is alot of work and money, cheddar , the cheese, mulah, benjamins(ya get the drift haha)....a large tank and a small tank not so bad..you could always sell the 105 and start a really nice nano reef! thats what i did lol..ahhh sacrifice is a bummer
 
yeah, it really is. Now that I know I'm going to do it, it's not as exciting as when I was just thinking about it. I totally want a nano one of these days. But let me get the 135 to a point where I'm happy first! And that's a LONG way off. We're going to use the light and skimmer we have now, but we'll need new ones sometime in the future, whenever we can. anyone wanna come help me with this monumental task? :help::)
 
I dread the old "make overs" as it never takes me less than ten or twelve hours to complete. Most of that time is trying to make everything look as if it grew there and not being put there. Even days later I'm still futzing around with it. As it is now, it is staying put, well, as least for another year....lol

Chuck
 
Charlesr1958 said:
I dread the old "make overs" as it never takes me less than ten or twelve hours to complete. Most of that time is trying to make everything look as if it grew there and not being put there. Even days later I'm still futzing around with it. As it is now, it is staying put, well, as least for another year....lol

Chuck
Click to expand...

Me too, I will never again think I can "just adjust these two rocks real quick" before I leave for work. Its a long process and one that you need prepare for if you want to do it correctly.

I also learned to keep an eye on things. I had a panic attach when I ended up missing two shrimp and an emerald crab for a day after my "rescape". I remember seeing the crab in a rock hole and thought I might have closed it up by accident. And I had nightmares about squishing my shrimp.
They all reappeared later, but I still learned a lesson.
 
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