My 120cube teardown & rescape saga

[SPStoner]

Decided yesterday since I'm on vacation for the week to completely remove everything from one of my show tanks, the 120 cube to do some long over due cleaning and rescaping. Also wanted to cut back some of the larger colonies and redesign my flow scheme. There were a few unexpected surprises along the way

Found this guy once all the coral and rocks were out I had removed his big brother a few months back and didn't realize there was another. Just another reminder to inspect everything more carefully before it goes into a display. I believe this is the one that ate my Lineatus Wrasse..an expensive lesson.

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Here's all the corals and rock in tubs. Pretty unsettling having all this torn down.........

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And, here is a great illustration of how much detritus can settle in amongst the rocks. Keep in mind this is a BB tank with over 50X turnover, and I am fairly meticulous with my maintenance!! Needless to say I was siphoning this out for a while. Also dipped and redipped all my rock to get as much of it out as possible.

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[King-Kong]

Wow -- that's lot of detritus; when you put everything back in, try your best to re-create the aquascape with as little rock as necessary.

[Jeremy Blaze]

Do you have a before pic?

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by King-Kong
Wow -- that's lot of detritus; when you put everything back in, try your best to re-create the aquascape with as little rock as necessary.

Yeah, that's what I did. The way it was set up before was the typical rock wall along the back and extending almost all the way to the front. I have removed about 50 lbs of rock and some very large coral colonies, trimmed down some others. Now, I have more of an island in the center with open space all the way around and under. Still more rock than I would like, but until my larger tank gets here, I don't have anywhere to put some of this stuff.
I'll post some after pictures later when the lights come on.

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by Jeremy Blaze
Do you have a before pic?

I don't have any good FTS but these give you a general idea of how packed it was.

This one was just taken this week. The two large encrusting Montis growing up the overflow are now gone

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This was taken a year or so ago, but you can see the scape goes side to side and almost all the way from back to front. You can see the growth on the two encrusting montis from this pic to the one above. BTW, the large Green slimer is gone now too!

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Another older shot just for reference. The corals had grown a TON since this pic. (BTW, One of those gorilla crabs also dined on the Red Sea regal in the picture.



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[t5Nitro]

Wow, I really like the color on those corals. Maybe I will have to try XM 20ks next How long has the tank been set up for? Did you grow those all from frags?

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by t5Nitro
Wow, I really like the color on those corals. Maybe I will have to try XM 20ks next How long has the tank been set up for? Did you grow those all from frags?

Thanks! Everything in the tank was either grown from a frag, or from ocean cultured, except for one Montipora and one Echino. The tank has been set up for 4 years.

BTW, I need to update my prfile. I am no longer using the XM20K's on this tank. I switched back to 2 Phoenix 14K and am trying a 12K Reeflux in the center.

[SPStoner]

Here are some "after" shots. Still not 100% happy with it, but it is better than before. Man, I need a bigger tank!


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[reefsahoy]

you do a nice aquascape! and yes you do need a bigger tank or you can just send me some corals and i'll take the space problems off your hands!

[Big E]

Lookin good Tony,

That's really thined out since the last time I saw your tank.

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by Big E
Lookin good Tony,

That's really thined out since the last time I saw your tank.

Thanks, Ed. Yes, I had to do it. It got to the point that I couldn't even clean the front glass without breaking branches off some corals, and the sides were unviewable. I really need to get a new tank though, glass for sure this time as this acrylic is REALLY scratched to high hello!

[GSMguy]

looks great the new scape is nice and i like the open space.

[PITSTOP]

Is the return through a seaswirl or wavysea?

Nice work, I just did my 120 as well - finished yesterday!

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by PITSTOP
Is the return through a seaswirl or wavysea?

Nice work, I just did my 120 as well - finished yesterday!

Thanks, Pitstop and GSMguy.


Return is through two stationary returns with Locline, and 1- 3/4"SeaSwirl.


GSMguy- It looked much more open until I put the corals back in. They really filled it up quickly. I am seriously tempted to get rid of everything and start again from frags.......

[trueblackpercula]

very well done................why did you remove the emerald crab?

[Jeremy Blaze]

Originally posted by trueblackpercula
very well done................why did you remove the emerald crab?

If you are talking about the crab in the first pic, it is not an emerald crab, and was killing fish, from what he said in the post.

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by trueblackpercula
very well done................why did you remove the emerald crab?

Jeremy is correct. That is a giant hairy gorilla crab with a taste for expensive reef fish and knocking over corals. It doesn't look quite as nasty out of water in that picture as it did in the tank.

[trueblackpercula]

Got ya thanks,
Michael

[AussieLord]

Was there any sign of that gorilla crabs prescense while the tank was setup?

That really scares me, because I always fear that I might get a hitchiker similar to that, next time I buy rock.

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by AussieLord
Was there any sign of that gorilla crabs prescense while the tank was setup?

That really scares me, because I always fear that I might get a hitchiker similar to that, next time I buy rock.

I noticed things knocked over, and of course, the fish that went missing, but both could also be explained by other things as well. I had caught a larger one a few months ago and didn't even think that there could be a second one in there.

[GSMguy]

Originally posted by SPStoner
I noticed things knocked over, and of course, the fish that went missing, but both could also be explained by other things as well. I had caught a larger one a few months ago and didn't even think that there could be a second one in there.

I lost a really nice sunburst anthias to one that had been in my tank for over a year. i got out its partner a year ealier and thought it was the only one.

We should all use interceptor when we put in new rock in to kill mantis shrimp and gorilla crabs

[Mikigo]

I got one when he was less than 1/2". Was not fast enough to catch him. 2 years later he was over 4". Around his den there were scatter of SPS trunks. He was cutting the branches at night and taking them to his cave. Lost several colonies before realizing it was the crab. Had to break down the tank to get him.

[SPStoner]

Originally posted by GSMguy
I lost a really nice sunburst anthias to one that had been in my tank for over a year. i got out its partner a year ealier and thought it was the only one.

We should all use interceptor when we put in new rock in to kill mantis shrimp and gorilla crabs

I have actually treated this tank a few times over the years preventatively with interceptor and this thing lived. I used the recommended dosages.

[GSMguy]

Originally posted by SPStoner
I have actually treated this tank a few times over the years preventatively with interceptor and this thing lived. I used the recommended dosages.

Im on dosage #2 of interceptor i am using a double dosage and my gold coral banded shrimp is still kicking.

[tanya72806]

Cant wait to see the new pics