Altering the Live Rock positions in an established tank.

[Sammydog]

I've had my tank now for about 8 months (since we relocated it from its previous owner who had it running for a few years). After the move the live rock was placed back into the tank in a way that we though looked good, and we then had a running battle with hair algae (that fingers crossed seems to be receding pretty quickly at the moment) that was put down to stirring up the tank in transit.

Anyway, now we have had the tank for a while, we are not convinced we have landscaped the tank as well as it could/should have been. We want to add some new corals and the layout at the moment just doesn't seem to allow them to be dropped in. The mushrooms don't help, once the lights have been on a few minutes they rapidly expand blocking light to the lower areas of the tank. We thought a rearrange may also help this.

Is there any reason why you shouldn't rearrange your live rock once the tank is settled?

Picture of the tank today, sorry for the poor quality shot, its the worst time of the day to get a photo without any reflections in the tank.

 

[Jmck]

There is no reason that you shouldnt rearrange. I have done it many times. Just make sure you dont stir the sand up too much. And if you dont like the mushrooms, take out a rock and just pull it off. If you get all of the stem, it shouldnt grow back.

 

[PRC]

Why do those mushrooms look like a bad photoshop job?

 

[Jmck]

Because your photoshop job would look more real than real life? lol :D

 

[PRC]

Jmck don't they look photoshopped? The shadows don't seem to be in the right places...It could be that damn upside down sun you guys have in australia.....I think you Aussies are up to shananigans.


However, I could be partially drunk.

 

[PRC]

I don't actually have any fish, I just got to the LFS and take pics and photoshop them into an empty tank!....It's so much cheaper...And it doesn't matter how nasty the water is.

DCan taught me.:D

 

[Jmck]

Jmck don't they look photoshopped? The shadows don't seem to be in the right places...It could be that damn upside down sun you guys have in australia.....I think you Aussies are up to shananigans.


However, I could be partially drunk.

Dam aussies, we love playing with other peoples minds ;)

nah, alcohol has nothing to do with it! if anything, it makes your judgement better :D

they do actually look a bit photoshopped haha something you want to tell us sammy? :question::mrgreen:

 

[PRC]

Ok. If I give you the benefit of the doubt on the mushrooms (those things are giant) I would try to move them onto one rock. So you've got a nice trail of mushrooms running down a rock from top to bottom.

I don't specifically know how to do it, maybe chip off a small piece of each rock that they're on and then epoxy it to the new rock?

I don't know if there's an easy way to simply remove mushrooms from a rock once they're attached.

Or take some back to the LFS for store credit....A mushroom the size of a football has gotta be worth a gazillion $AUD.

 

[Sammydog]

No photoshop, just a combination of tank lights from the top, camera flash from the front and natural sunlight coming in from the side. I wish I knew how to use photoshop though. The wife uses it, I've just never bothered to sit down and learn.

Dirty front of the tank probably didn't help. The mushrooms are actually quiet small in that photo, once the lights have been on for a bit, they swell up to a much bigger size.

 

[Sammydog]

Ok. If I give you the benefit of the doubt on the mushrooms (those things are giant) I would try to move them onto one rock. So you've got a nice trail of mushrooms running down a rock from top to bottom.

They are actually small in that photo, they grow substantially as the lights are on, and shrink to that size when they are off.

I don't specifically know how to do it, maybe chip off a small piece of each rock that they're on and then epoxy it to the new rock?

I don't know if there's an easy way to simply remove mushrooms from a rock once they're attached.

Best way I have found to get them off is to direct the water flow at them, they float away pretty quickly. What I haven't been able to do is re-attach them.

Or take some back to the LFS for store credit....A mushroom the size of a football has gotta be worth a gazillion $AUD.

You know, I went to four separate shops about the mushrooms, and the most I got offered was $3 a piece (they were selling for $20 for a small one). Ended up giving a few to a friend which leaves me with whats in the photo.

 

[Jmck]

yea, the LFS does make a big markup here. So not really worth it in some cases.

you can glue them down onto the new rock with some epoxy, so maybe try that if you want to make a trail.

 

[Bifferwine]

After laughing my way through this thread (thanks to the inebriated entertainment), I am going to say there's no reason why you can't move your rocks, but beware that you can kick off a mini-cycle by releasing detritus and crap into the water.

Just in case, have a bunch of water ready to go, to do a substantial water change after you move the rocks. And be sure to test for ammonia and nitrites in the days following.

 

[Sammydog]

That's what I thought would be the case. I'll wait a few days till the next water change and play with the rocks then.

I'll post some photos once I've had a chance to Photoshop the mushrooms into their new locations.

 

[Bifferwine]

You should take this opportunity to also photoshop in a cat scuba diving...Just for me.

 

[Sammydog]

You should take this opportunity to also photoshop in a cat scuba diving...Just for me.

If I can find space on the deck of the titanic (that's really there, the real one, and not photoshopped) then consider it done.

 

[Toolman]

You should take this opportunity to also photoshop in a cat scuba diving...Just for me.

Looks like claws cousteau

 

[sen5241b]

After laughing my way through this thread (thanks to the inebriated entertainment), I am going to say there's no reason why you can't move your rocks, but beware that you can kick off a mini-cycle by releasing detritus and crap into the water.

Just in case, have a bunch of water ready to go, to do a substantial water change after you move the rocks. And be sure to test for ammonia and nitrites in the days following.

1+ We just had another person at Living reefs stir up their sand and start a fish killing cycle. Be careful not to stir the sand up too much!

 

[dcantucson]

I don't actually have any fish, I just got to the LFS and take pics and photoshop them into an empty tank!....It's so much cheaper...And it doesn't matter how nasty the water is.

DCan taught me.:D

:grumble: Hey now! :grumble:

 

[Sammydog]

Actually thinking about making the rock a little higher in some spots to make a bit of a wall.

Is there issues if the rock is touching the glass, or is it better to avoid that type of situation?

 

[PRC]

If you have enough depth front to back I would try to keep the rock off the glass. Makes for better flow, easier cleaning, and gives a bit more swimming area. But you have tyo make sure the rock is very secure so that you dont have a rockslide,.

On the other hand, I think alot of people have the rock up against the glass and everything is fine.

Note: rocks can scratch the glass.