Tank Strip and New Setup?

FrootStick

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hi guys
So I've had a lot of issues with my tank over the past year. I've got a lot of unwanted and I catchable hitchikers, a couple of fish that are causing major headaches.
I had a massive problem with a dosing pump overdosing calcium in my tank for a week.
So all in all a lot of headaches, unhealthy or dead corals because of them.
I'm thinking of a full tear down and rebuild.
I'm not sure on the steps I could take, or what to do really.
I don't have a quarantine tank. So was hoping there might be a way to start fresh, and keep a few of my corals and fish in my DT.
I need to strip all my live rock out, as I think there are 2 mantis shrimp, but never seen them.
I have 2 hitchhiker crabs that seem to be doing a number on my snails and hermits, and a moon wrasse that's just. Plain pain in the you know what.

Can I empty my water out and get rid of all my live rock, catch the unwanted things clean out my gravel as I was thinking of going sand less.
Fill it back up and maybe add some base rock?
I'm not sure how this will go as it will probably cause a cycle?

Some info would be great guys as I e never done this before.

Thanks
 

nex64

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If you'd like to save some money, just take your rock out, rinse it well, let it sit dry for a week or two. Then you'll have hitchhiker free rock again if that's your primary goal.

Going bare bottom is nice; however you'll have to make sure you compensate by introducing healthy beneficial bacteria and places to promote their growth due to lack of sand.

Don't be discouraged and give up, once your reef is kicking it's kicking and worth every drop of sweat.



Also - with the move of everything you will definitely stir up some sort of cycle so make sure you monitor levels as if you were completing another cycle.
 

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