That's it! I'm ripping my reef down!

[Myka]

How many of you have felt this way?

This year has brought a lot of reefing grief for me. I haven't been around my tank much this year due to working out of province. Montipora Eating Nudibranchs, Red Bugs, Acropora Eating Flatworms. Not to mention overdosing Zeovit and ending up with a cyano plague, and out of control Cauplerpa and Halimeda. These are things that would have been easier to deal with had I been around to catch them early, and keep on them before they really became an issue.

Today I'm checking out a cool new frag, and I notice that this stupid green Digitata that's been growing on my frag rack for a year (and now big enough that my frag rack is overweight and falling off the magnet) has Monti Eating Nudibranchs. I fought MEN (lol) almost a year ago when they came in on a new Monti I bought, but now? Where did the little bastards come from?

And this stupid black cyano that showed up when I ditched Zeo and started running GFO again? Wtf is up with that? Why isn't it gone yet? Oh, and how the heck did my tank get so dirty anyway? Where was I? Oh ya...working.

Dang thing is so crowded...I need to get rid of some corals, but all these stupid bugs...I can't sell any corals with a clear conscience to anyone who has SPS. So...there they sit....taking up space...restricting flow...creating more issues.

I have Acros spread from end to end on the sand from when I had to pry them off the rocks and dip them. My Emerald crabs, urchin, and snails knock them all over. They sting eachother. Grr!

Oh, and don't forget the Eunicid worm I saw last week that I haven't dug out of the tank yet.

So...I'm rolling up my sleeves and gutting the tank. F 'em all I say!!!!



















Ok, ok...truth be told - I'm going to rip it down, but I'm going to redesign it. I'm going to grab a garbage bag, bite the bullet, and toss a bunch of corals. I hate to do it, but my stress level will go down!

Anyway...I had to vent! And scare you guys into thinking I was tossing in the towel!

[lastlight]

Toss the unwanted corals out in the sun if they're infested. Reactor media for later!

[paddyob]

Do you have to toss them?

Can't you find someone willing to deal with and "treat" the corals for the bugs? Maybe a local LFS has a hospital tank or something???

If you are already killing them... why not give them away to others with the knowledge of the issue?

[Myka]

Hey Brett! I don't have a calcium reactor, so I don't have much use for the dead corals. Only 3 or 4 of them might have "bugs" on them, the rest are just corals I'm no longer interested in. I just can't sell them because of the "possibility" that something bad might tag along.

Paddy...SPS are SPS are SPS. The ones I'm tossing are cultured corals that have little value. People could buy them pretty much anywhere. Treating them is not worth it. The ones that DO have value I am keeping.

Here are some pre-renovation shots of the tank in all its dirty, disgusting glory:

[StirCrazy]

hey, if you don't mine the look, try a bare bottom tank, or use a travitine tile type bottom. i think you would be surprised by the results.

Steve

[Wingin It]

I personally don't think the tank is that bad. Nothing a little work can't fix...syphon out the substrate, suck out some of the unwanted algae...could look tip top soon? Though i'm still a newbie at all this, but I don't know that starting all over again would solve anything if your work schedule is going to be the same? Anywho, just my two cents.

[lorenz0]

I totally know how you feel. couple weeks ago i found flat worms in my old tank while i was caring for it at my parents. wasnt to happy to say the least and its been a tough year as well. but in my case they are happy with it (gosh who wouldnt be after getting a free tank that has eaten me alive) and i am just going to deal with the issues since they are happy with it.

how do you plan on going on with the reno?

[Myka]

Well, I am now mid-reno. Taking a break right now to look at the rock 'scape with fresh eyes. The corals are mostly all out of the tank in a holding tank. I finally got the chance to move the Blue Assessor into my 20 gallon which I have been wanting to do since spring, but I couldn't catch him. I also moved the large male Banggai into a spare tank I have with other random fish (lol). I got the 7 1/2" Eunicid worm out (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!!!). I took out most of the rock. I'm going to go for a less is more approach this time, but that will mean space for a lot less corals. So I have to find a happy medium.

Steve, I would LOVE a bare bottom tank, but I have 2 Jawfish in there. I did already remove the majority of the sand, just leaving some deep sections for the Jawfish. I might move the Jawfish out and remove the rest of the sand in the future.

Wingin It...well, I've already done that. A few months back I did a renovation in there, removed a bunch of sand, added a couple powerheads. The tank really needs a renovation to make it easier to keep clean...it's been needing it for many months.

Lorenzo...keep posted! Pics to come. My fingers are wrinkly from being in the water so long! Oh, and ugh on the flatworms.

[reefwars]

im doing the same keeping the best of what i got and gone are the rest starting new, keeps it exciting its been a long time coming and now with rock going i can finally catch half of the fish i couldnt catch in forever like my goby's lol good luck myka!!

[rstar]

Good luck Mindy! I am looking forward to seeing the end result!!!