Aquascaping

[SSalty]

How aften do you re-arrange your rockwork? I always find my self with my hands in the tank moving shit around:frustrat:

Is it best to do a water change right after you move the rock around? I heard that you can start a mini-cyle but stirring stuff up.

 

[fishbait]

I moved mine around 4 or 5 times until i got it where I wanted. I allways changed water afterwards.

 

[MikMcgyver]

i hope it doesnt start a mini cycle, I just changed my rock around for the 3rd time in 2 weeks...

 

[yote]

I usually end up changing mine around whenever I get a new coral.
As long as your careful not to stir up no more crap than you have to,you should be alright.

 

[Rcpilot]

I can't walk past my tank without putting my hands in there. :oops:

I can, but I usually end up with my hands in there about once a day. My snails have grown really fast, and they are always knocking a zoa colony or a polyp off it's perch and it usually ends up on the bottom somewhere.

I need to get some of that epoxy.
Or trade my snails out for smaller ones. :lol:

I don't think you'll start a cycle by moving rocks on the mid and upper layers. Those rocks are constantly flooded with flow from powerheads and return lines in the tank. So, to me, moving them from Point A over 12" or under a different rock shouldn't cause any harm.

I DO try to avoid moving the rocks that are embedded in my sand bed. Those rocks are under the sand, where the bottom parts don't get any oxygen. I suspect they would be covered with anaerobic bacteria. Bringing those rocks up out of the sand bed and introducing them to an oxygen rich environment could cause a die-off of anaerobic bacteria. That could, in theory, cause an ammonia spike because now you got a bunch of dead bacteria in the water column.

I dunno. Just thinking out loud. :shock:

I don't want to hijack, so I'm asking SSalty if it's okay that I post a question about my aquascaping too.

 

[Doc]

as hard as it is, keep your hands out of your tank as much as possible. WHen I first started, I had them in once a day at least. Remember, you are sluffing off dead skin, oils, lotions (if you are a metrosexual), soaps, etc into your water. The goal is to keep it as clean as possible. I make sure I scrub down my hands a bit in water w/o soap before working in my tank. That is just me. your corals will be fine for a day or two knocked down. Try to find the best place possible for them so they don't fall.

I only re-work my rocks every couple months, when I get a whole new batch of corals or I get bored of the rockwork. IMHO.

-Dr Marco :sfish:

 

[Bifferwine]

Or buy these! They are AWESOME!

Coralife Aqua Gloves (One Pair Shoulder Length Protective Gloves) (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > Maintenance > Protective Gloves )

 

[Doc]

BTW Biff, have fun in Vegas!!!

-Dr Marco :sfish:

 

[Bifferwine]

You know I will, Doc!!! Thanks!

 

[Piggy]

I bought them gloves. To bad they don't make them in different sizes. They are way big for my hands.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, they are big for mine too. But much better than nothing! And they are tough, I've had the same pair for a year and a half now.

 

[SSalty]

I actually just got a pair of those Biff.

Look out Vegas, here comes Biff.

 

[yote]

I just heard on the news that they were about to completely shut Vegas down,Guess they heard Biff was coming back.:mrgreen:

 

[Doc]

I personally hope she has a great time and posts lots of pics of her wild times. I had to push back my trip to Vegas since I am buying this house. I will have to live vicariously through Biff.

-Dr Marco :sfish:

 

[breebauer]

As far as the mini-cycle; I can personally attest that moving crap around completely screws up my water. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on, since I thiought my tank had finished cycling, but then I realized that each time I put my hands in there to 'redecorate' I was stirring all of the gunk off the bottom. I have a live sand bed, so that's the real problem, I think. :pooh: (All I have in the tank are 2 hermit crabs right now, live sand and live rock.)
For example: yesterday, all levels were 0, I went to move 1 rock, of course they all fell, and I finally put them back. This morning, my levels are all back up again, not too high, but high enough to make me not do it again unless I absolutely have too...
I'm ready to pay the kid from the LFS to come and set the rock up for me, and call it a day...:frustrat:
Also considering loosing the sand bed, not sure yet...

 

[breebauer]

Oh, and have fun in Vegas, I'm jealous!

 

[fishbait]

you don't really want to lose the sand bed. it's as important as live rock in my opinion. some people run bare bottom tanks. but, that is a highly debatable subject on other forums.