Re-aquascaping

[hiimsean]

What's the best way to redo your rock work and more rock. I've only got about 50lbs in my 90g and thinking of adding another 30-40lbs. I've only got stuff drilled and fitted with fiberglass rods so taking it apart would be easy. Only a few of the rocks have corals encrusting. What do you recommend to not stir up too much junk or cause many problems?

 

[ringo®]

Don't think there's an easy way around stirring stuff up on a re-scape. When it does happen, just juice the flow up so it won't settle and try to vacuum the junk out of your overflow or sump.

 

[redstang]

And do a large water change. In a round about way it might actually be beneficial.

 

[ghbrewer]

HiImSean;997827 wrote: What do you recommend to not stir up too much junk or cause many problems?

Don't rearrange your rock work...lol

No, but seriously, every time I used to mess around with my rock work I was amazed at all of the nastiness that comes spewing out from under and inside the rock. Even with good flow in the tank, stuff still accumulates. I got tired of having such a mess on my hands, so the last time I did it I grabbed a maxi jet 1200, about 6 foot of vinyl tubing, and my gravel vacuum. Before I moved the rock, I took the maxi jet, hooked up the tubing, and threw it in the return portion of the sump. Then I "strategically" blasted the rock with the flow from the maxi jet and tried to vacuum up the nasties as they got blown out.

This really minimized the impact that moving the rock around had on the tank. Plus, it forced me to change the water, as it was part of the process. Much, much easier on the tank, and not nearly as nasty of a mess when finished. Just be sure to keep an eye on your vac bucket, as it fills up pretty quickly when you are concentrating on the task at hand...lol

good luck

 

[ghbrewer]

P.s. you have to move the pump around as your sump is emptied.

 

[brick fish house]

I would say: take your time while you do this.

I prefer to re-aquascape in conjunction with a water change. I remove all the rock, keep it wet, and put rocks with coral in some of the aquarium's water, and I siphon the living detritus out of the substrate. I mean get it good.

Then I start rebuilding the aquascape, adding water as needed.

The water will cloud. The better you siphon, the less it clouds. But it will, and the clouding will usually settle by the next day.

We want to see pics!

 

[project1004]

Maybe something like this (netbag) attacted to the end of the Maxijet (as it sucks up dirty stuff from amin tank) and let it drain to the sump.

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[maelstrom79]

That net bag is a pretty good idea