Doing a tank reset: How do you renew your tank?

[Peace River]

Doing a tank reset: How do you renew your tank?

After a few years many reef keepers choose to reset their tanks. There are many reasons from a tank crash to wanting to redo the aquascape as well as many other reasons. This may include draining the tank and completely starting over, a massive water change, removing sand, replacing or refreshing the aquascape, and more. Whether you are freshening up or doing a complete reset on your tank, what do you do to renew your aquarium? Please let us know if you have tips to share or would like to tell us about your experience with a tank reset!

Photo by @W.vreeswijk


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[Dburr1014]

I have in the post reset the aquascape but never a full reset.
I would just do a water change if redoing the scape again. You would most likely pull a bunch of nasties moving old rock around.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I don't let nuisance things like algae, dinos, or cyano discourage me from owning a reef tank. I address the problems one at a time, while understanding it may take months to turn things around. I understand the frustration and desire by others for a quick fix, but that is not my approach. However, I have gotten bored with a tank, and removed and added different livestock over the years to help keep things interesting to me.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I usually try to address the problem as they happen that way I’m not scrambling trying to fix a much more compounded issue

 

[k2-]

WOW !

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

I redo usually because im bored with scape in past. Previous was due to move, followed by not liking scape and crowded followed by things going on I wasnt to care properly for. Usually just a complete scrub of everything and reset.

 

[DHill6]

Rip clean to take out crazy algae’s. Remove all including water directly into brute. Peroxide clean and scrape the entire tank, it s BB to begin with. Rinse well with paper towels and water. Put it all back in, corals looked amazing, fish were happy, snails were fine, starfish good. I added 3 bottles of tisbe within two days. Worked for me.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Rip clean to take out crazy algae’s. Remove all including water directly into brute. Peroxide clean and scrape the entire tank, it s BB to begin with. Rinse well with paper towels and water. Put it all back in, corals looked amazing, fish were happy, snails were fine, starfish good. I added 3 bottles of tisbe within two days. Worked for me.

Sounds like my weekly water changes when I go bare bottom minus the Peroxide lol.

 

[DHill6]

You have a pico, I can see the similarity.

 

[Joe.D]

I did a reset about a year into my tank due to a huge bubble algae infestation. Pulled all of the rock and cleaned with peroxide. At that point, redid the aquascape as I never really liked what I had originally - brought my LFS in for the redesign. Much happier now.

 

[BigAsh]

I have a 187 peninsula that was rimless. I rebooted because of a bad Majano infestation and to install a new sump with roller mat (Trigger Platinum 39). I did a complete tear down, sold some of the livestock to my LFS and kept the remainder in a 55 I previously used for QT. With the 187 empty and clean, I added eurobracing to the long sides and installed ABS armoring to all the silicone joints. I used all new dry Marco rock and did a semi-NSA with bare bottom. Also ran plumbing from the garage where the mixing station is for auto water changes, AFR and ATO (with ATO for the ATO). I'm now going through a new ugly phase and starting to slowing transfer livestock from the 55. My maintenance is much reduced and I'm glad I went this route.