Resetting your reef: Have you ever had to unstack and restack the aquascape?

[Peace River]

Resetting your reef: Have you ever had to unstack and restack the aquascape?

Sometimes you just have to tear it down…or at least take some of the aquascape apart. Whether you are trying to catch a fish or invertebrate, are re-aquascaping, pulling a rock to spot treat algae outside of the tank, or for other reasons, there are many reasons to disassemble the aquascape. Sometimes the aquascape can be put back the way it was and other times, either intentionally or unintentionally, it doesn’t look the same after the re-aquascaping is complete. Have you ever had to unstack and restack the aquascape? If so, please tell us about your experience and share any tips that you have in the related discussion thread.

Photo by @Mike&Terry


This QOTD is sponsored by Nutramar: https://www.qualitymarine.com/nutramar/

“Nutramar’s 100% natural food products are used by public aquaria and breeders around the world. They offer superior nutrition to your most finicky and delicate fish and invertebrates.

 

[jsker]

I am in the process in rebuild my system after a move. I gave away my old scape. I am planning on doing an Island that is support by very little base. I was think of a floating island, but with my new tank size the island might be two heavy.

Now that I think about it, I might be able to do the floating island

New tank , it is going to be awhile before the new tank will be set up.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I did this in my 36 gallon bowfront. Sometimes to chisel off some coral, and one time to get some coral eating shrimp out of the tank. I am definitely a rock stacker, as I find it more convenient to correct and modify it within the tank.

 

[tzabor10]

I am grateful for BRS for their videos suggesting several manageable rock structures rather than one big one. Being able to remove rock structures makes it easy to set up and easy to remove.

 

[steveschuerger]

I’ve done a couple times, albeit involuntarily at least once when an urchin cause a mini avalanche . And tank upgrades are golden opportunities to change the design type.

 

[shakacuz]

i occasionally move some rocks around to reinforce, or support them so they don't get knocked over. none of my rockwork is glued because i had/have the plan to upgrade.

 

[CWalters]

Just got done moving almost all of my scape... When I started out I got it drilled into my head that I need places for fish to hide etc. So My whole scape was based around fish and not enough flat surfaces for corals. Switch it up to gradually slope upwards towards the back now.

 

[JayM]

Day one:

Hated it by the way. Absolutely hated it.

Couple of months later:

Much better. Then came the dreaded ich, removing survivors and fallow.

Now:

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Day one:

Hated it by the way. Absolutely hated it.

Couple of months later:

Much better. Then came the dreaded ich, removing survivors and fallow.

Now:

Your redone aquascape looks great!

 

[JayM]

Your redone aquascape looks great!

Thanks. I’m upgrading soon, and not at all looking forward to yet another overhaul, but hopefully it’ll be the last.

 

[Dburr1014]

From the beginning, 10 years ago.


To now

My tank should be here in less than 2 weeks so it going to completly change again.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Most recently I’ve taken apart the entire tank to remove the deep sand bad, due to hydrogen sulfide spikes. Tried to get the scape looking the same, but obviously there are subtle differences.
Before:

After:

 

[Dburr1014]

Most recently I’ve taken apart the entire tank to remove the deep sand bad, due to hydrogen sulfide spikes. Tried to get the scape looking the same, but obviously there are subtle differences.
Before:

After:

It never does go back the same, does it? LOL

 

[Sharkbait19]

It never does go back the same, does it? LOL

I do like the new one, it has a nice wall look as opposed to individual islands (which doesn’t really show up in the pictures)
It’s just always annoying when everything is designed to look a certain way and I can’t replicate it.

 

[i cant think]

Resetting your reef: Have you ever had to unstack and restack the aquascape?

Sometimes you just have to tear it down…or at least take some of the aquascape apart. Whether you are trying to catch a fish or invertebrate, are re-aquascaping, pulling a rock to spot treat algae outside of the tank, or for other reasons, there are many reasons to disassemble the aquascape. Sometimes the aquascape can be put back the way it was and other times, either intentionally or unintentionally, it doesn’t look the same after the re-aquascaping is complete. Have you ever had to unstack and restack the aquascape? If so, please tell us about your experience and share any tips that you have in the related discussion thread.

Photo by @Mike&Terry


This QOTD is sponsored by Nutramar: https://www.qualitymarine.com/nutramar/

“Nutramar’s 100% natural food products are used by public aquaria and breeders around the world. They offer superior nutrition to your most finicky and delicate fish and invertebrates.

Way too many times! Ive done it atleast 3 times with the full scape and then parts of it at least 10 times.

 

[Kathy Floyd]

I just asked something similar the other day. I had a mishap and had to re-scape, and it never comes out the same. I guess I now have to learn to love the new look.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Beginning of February I removed the entire contents of my Red Sea 750xxl, washed every bit of the sand, scrubbed all of the rocks and sprayed with H2O2, and set everything back up. One year of new parent neglect, and one year of fighting it, I decided to soft reset and almost start over minus any ammonia cycle.

 

[vlangel]

My tank was set up as a bare bottom seahorse tank. When my ponies lived out their lives and I was ready for an easier tank to care for I added, rearraged rock and added sand. All of that was a process from Oct 2016 (when I set the tank up) until Mar 2020 when the aquascape was done being tweaked. Since then I have mostly just added coral except for a sandstone seahorse figurine that I puttied into the scape as a tribute to the origins of this reef.

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Mine is definitely a work in progress. With a terrible back injury and trying to get everything buttoned up, the rock has just been plopped in. Little by slow it'll come together, hoping for a a cool floating structure of the Australian branch rock. This was thrown in 1 month prior as the heaters were no longer able to maintain temps in the garage 300 gallon tub during the cold New England winter.

I'd like to go for something along these lines.

 

[bureau13]

My rockwork has reaquascaped itself a few times. Fortunately this last little "seismic adjustment" didn't land on any corals.