RE-Aquascaping: Have you ever changed it up and why?

[revhtree]

I'm not crazy.....or am I?

Re-Aquascaping an be GOOD but it can also be BAD!

So yea I'm thinking about re-aquascaping my 8ft x 3ft reef tank and not because I'm crazy but because I need to get as much hair algae off these rocks as possible! Which in and of itself is crazy to consider but alas options are running out fast! I've really made a dent and beat back the hair algae over the past couple of months but I think I could connect with the final blow that would knock it out if I would take out some rock and scrub it! But I need to get some major pieces of rock out first to do that and that will lead to a unintended re-aquascape! Boo.

Anyway this got me thinking about our QOTD today and I thought it might make for a nice discussion. There are some good reasons and some not so good reasons I think.

So here are my questions.

1. What are some GOOD reasons to re-aquascape and already established reef tank?

2. Have you ever re-aquascaped an established reef tank and were you happy with the results?

PLEASE SHARE ANY RE-AQUASCAPED TANK PHOTOS YOU MIGHT HAVE!

 

[SPR1968]

I have never done it to my tank but my LFS has a customer who they re aquascape his reef tank ever 2 years because he likes to change it. And I’m talking complete restart.

A good reason is maybe because you want to, and you want a change in the tank, it’s a hobby after all

Get some Rhowaphos in there in a reactor and starve the GHA out, but if you fancy a change go for it, it’s your tank so you should enjoy it.

 

[Radman73]

Yes, because I added a Marble Wrasse that was on a mission to kill any other wrasse in my tank. Ended up taking out nearly every piece of rock, so it went back in differently lol!

 

[Naso180]

I'm not crazy.....or am I?

Re-Aquascaping an be GOOD but it can also be BAD!

So yea I'm thinking about re-aquascaping my 8ft x 3ft reef tank and not because I'm crazy but because I need to get as much hair algae off these rocks as possible! Which in and of itself is crazy to consider but alas options are running out fast! I've really made a dent and beat back the hair algae over the past couple of months but I think I could connect with the final blow that would knock it out if I would take out some rock and scrub it! But I need to get some major pieces of rock out first to do that and that will lead to a unintended re-aquascape! Boo.

Anyway this got me thinking about our QOTD today and I thought it might make for a nice discussion. There are some good reasons and some not so good reasons I think.

So here are my questions.

1. What are some GOOD reasons to re-aquascape and already established reef tank?

2. Have you ever re-aquascaped an established reef tank and were you happy with the results?

PLEASE SHARE ANY RE-AQUASCAPED TANK PHOTOS YOU MIGHT HAVE!

I have re-auquascaped several times over the years and while they each caused a bit of a short term set-back in growth and appearance, in the long run each served its purpose. My last one was the best. I wanted more room for my fish to swim around and more room for coral growth. I used to have the "wall of rock" that sloped up and back and designed my flow to go across the front and reverse direction every few minutes. I changed it to be four columns of various heights and diameters which allows for flow in all directions and more water volume (fish space). It's been a year now and I'm very happy with it. My fish corals seem to be too.

 

[Shaummy]

I have done what I would consider "minor" rescaping on my 90gal mostly because of a new coral that I needed to place somewhere and didn't have a good attachment point. That said, I've stuck to my two piles concept overall, although each of them look a little different than when I started. The other thing is, I dry stack my LR, so moving them around is much easier than those folks that have glued it all together. It gets tougher once the corals have encrusted...not as many options to move things around.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I only have a couple of rocks. it would take a tank upgrade for me to rescape!

 

[krbnsol]

New corals or corals outgrowing the area. Most likely it was due to me trying to nuke some aiptasia that I couldn't reach otherwise!

 

[WVNed]

I just stack rocks. Over time I move them for various reasons.

 

[Mark Waltermire]

I have moved my Lagoon 25 twice over the last year and took the opportunity to clean the sand, rocks, and re-aquascape. You would not believe how much stuff gets trapped in the sandbed of your tank until you move it and clean it, and then 2.5 months later do the same thing all over again.

 

[vanisher187]

I just rescaped my tank. Did it to move some corals that were large around. Making room for more corals. I am happy opened up my scape. Ive done several scapes when the tank was running. Its been up since 2006 with changes when running or crashed. This last one was scary. My clowns turned very white couldnt see their colors at all. Stress induced as they turned normal color over 2 days. All in all i wouldn't do it again or atl
Least wont be until i get a larger tank.

 

[kritquilt]

A clean tooth brush will get rid of that algae..have a small net to collect as it scrubs off.

 

[ewauk]

I've had to track down the mean guy, find the one I haven't seen for a few days, and redesign for flow reasons. I've rearranged before because I was adding a new fish and wanted to try to curb the territorial aggression before it started.
Changing the scenery helps keep it fresh feeling for me too.

 

[Dragon52]

I think that if my tank was as built up with corals like some of the ones here on R2R I would leave it alone but you can see more rocks than anything else & I had some sponge that was fixing to cover one of my corals so had to fix that.
AFTER

BEFORE

 

[siggy]

Yes a few times, bubble algae or to make room for corals and when dinos and low nutrients struck I removed half of my rock

 

[Multra]

I just did this past weekend to scrub some GHA and bubble algae with some peroxide, and catch a dwarf angel fish. Everything seems happy now.

 

[Javamahn]

My old 90 gallon I did this to QT all fish from Ich. I know QT all fish before they go into the DT and hope to never have to re-aquascape again.

 

[CoralVue_Marketing]

I've had my current tank running for 5+ years and I haven't messed with the aquascape at all.

In my first reef aquarium, I would readjust the aquascape pretty often. Mostly it was just to accommodate different corals, but I also think it was because it was on my desk at work ... so I was constantly staring at it and just couldn't resist tweaking things.

1. I think for the reason you stated. If you've got a problem that's plaguing your tank and you've already tried a variety of alternative solutions—and you don't want to completely start over—sometimes you have to take drastic measures.
2. Yes. In my first saltwater aquarium, I would move things around so I could offer my corals the best possible placement for lighting and flow, which generally faired well for me.

 

[ScottB]

I have been procrastinating for months on a rescape.

Why should I do it?
a) I built it wrong in the first place. Too tall and too much rock.
b) My corals are growing out of the water (without much success)
c) It is acro warfare in there.
d) Stylo growth such that I cannot clean the front glass in a few places.
e) Despite having 2Xmp40s and 2X gyres, no flow in the middle.

I will be selling monti, stylo, and no-name acro by the pound.

 

[C5thomas]

Had to rearrange because I needed to get rocks out of tank to treat for aiptasia. Trying to get it out was a pain and as a last resort. There was no way to ever put it back The same. Worked out fine. Also, had a buddy that bought a established 150 gallon tank, that we broke down and set back up in the same day. No issues on that tank either.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I rescaped my tank a little as in just removing some dead corals or from when I have to go in and frag due to over growing corals and a slight tweak to get a little more area for corals to be placed. But I don't move the main base rocks that are touching the sand as I dont want to risk killing my shrimp and goby pair. I dont have rocks touching any sides in my current tanks.