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Rescape help....

Behold

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2008
Messages
218
Location
Basingstoke. Hants
How do you do yours???? do you empty out the fish to stop from scaring them??????

I had the idea of doing alot in 2 halves by blocking the middle out and working on oneside then the other letting the fish through between sides..... Only problem with what to segregate the tank with.........
 
If you're going for a full on re-scape, playing with hardscape etc, I'd re-home the fish to a temporary tank/large container with your filter running on it. It'll mean less stress for the fish, and also that you can strip your tank down completely if required. You can take your time too (though, with limits of course).
 
Good reply, Steve.

Love to here what other people think too. I'd like to rescape my tank, but perhaps leave half the plants in. I suppose what you said goes for that too. Oh, well, can't be that hard to find a 60l container (for me!) - I'm just putting it off and off because it's so daunting, and because all the plants look OK now, and half of them are crypts - dreading moving them!

Mark
 
I guess 2 would be needed for a 500l tank??? then use that 160l loss as my bi weekly water change.
 
SteveUK said:
Something like this mate?

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-6892.aspx

Doesn't need to be fancy, just water tight :lol:

That would be perfect - it's more that I can't face:

- Having another heated, filtered container in my room for several weeks;
- Pulling all the existing plants out of the Aquasoil they're growing in;
- Adding more Aquasoil (the back should be a bit higher);
- Waiting for any Ammonia surge from the new AS to subside;
- Waiting for the crypts to settle down and look good again;

I'm just feeling a bit wimpy about it at the moment, so I'll carry on for now with the tank how it is - at least the plants/fish/shrimps are happy now, even if they're not all where I want them. Maybe in deepest winter the dark nights will drive me stir crazy and I'll make a start on it.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Mark
 
I made the mistake of putting mine in a bucket overnight when swapping tanks. It would have been fine but I also added my filter which was too powerful, I lost all my penguin tetras as the flow was too much. :arghh:

Next time I'll use a bigger bucket, remove the spray bar and have it as a trickle in type filter.

If I'm just moving a few plants about I leave the fauna in the tank as some of them are a nightmare to catch!
 
Unless I'm changing substrate, I leave in the inhabitants.

I'm not sure if the whole process of catching the fish etc. is any less traumatic than having your hands in the tank etc. so for me, at least, it makes sense to take the easier option and leave them in.

I recently totally re-scaped my 60cm opti-white with brand new plants and hardscape re-arrangement. The fish looked better than ever right after the final water change.

Common sense must be applied, of course, when moving around heavy bits of wood and rock, being careful not to crush your animals.
 
George Farmer said:
Unless I'm changing substrate, I leave in the inhabitants.

I'm not sure if the whole process of catching the fish etc. is any less traumatic than having your hands in the tank etc. so for me, at least, it makes sense to take the easier option and leave them in.

I recently totally re-scaped my 60cm opti-white with brand new plants and hardscape re-arrangement. The fish looked better than ever right after the final water change.

Nice one. Was the tank set up with ADA Aquasoil?

Mark
 
This is my thought is the moving of the fish more stressful as im going to have to chase them around my tank!!!! Im thinking of ising a Bin liner (Can anyone tell me if these are safe to use) and putting in a few wieghts and place it in the tank at one end and move it over slowly till half the tank is clear then work on one side then do the other.

My biggest bit of work will be the Vallis as im going to put a barrier in the sand to minimise spread and replant it all. Once done build up the wood infront of it with a few hidding places then add my plants around it to make them more secluded. This should leave most of the entire front run for my barbs as there active. and some plain areas for my pictus during feed. I have a large echindorus that will stick out in the middle as a centre plant that my gouramis love to hide and play in.
 
Behold said:
Im thinking of ising a Bin liner (Can anyone tell me if these are safe to use) and putting in a few wieghts and place it in the tank at one end and move it over slowly till half the tank is clear then work on one side then do the other.
I don't think this would work well, the fish will just push it out the way and swim past. I generally find my fish move out the way when I put my hands in my tank. My Guppies didn't, they always used to see if I was doing anything interesting, they were constantly in the way!
My biggest bit of work will be the Vallis as im going to put a barrier in the sand to minimise spread and replant it all. Once done build up the wood infront of it with a few hidding places then add my plants around it to make them more secluded. This should leave most of the entire front run for my barbs as there active. and some plain areas for my pictus during feed.
Ok, it sounds like you're not changing the substrate so I suggest just letting the fish get on with their thing.
I have a large echindorus that will stick out in the middle as a centre plant that my gouramis love to hide and play in.
Possibly worth asking some of the better aquascapers on here but I think you should avoid having it dead centre. Using 'the rule of thirds' it'd probably be better on a thirds line instead.
 
Im aware of the thirds rule from photography but its other than the vallis and echindorus the left and right will be very different. Different wood and plants. hopefully removing the look of central feature.
 
I always leave my fish in. I think you can tell when they are starting to get stressed by their colour and behaviour. I have my hand in the tank and am moving things about so often they are quite accustomed to it. I only try to catch them once in a blue moon and am rather inept at it, unsurprisingly this makes them very stressed!

I think Georges point about the substrate is crucial. In additon to the fish stress I have found that if I disturb the substrate and it is really dirty it can cause a minor algae bloom. This algae bloom can appear up to 2 weeks later. I always try to make sure my tank is in good condition before doing major rescaping, so the bloom is then nothing to worry about, just some extra food for my ottos and shrimp.

I'm rarely in a rush, so rescape in stages. Maybe disturbing a foot square at a time and ensuring a large water change after each disturbance.

As an example, my last rescape was done over 4 separate days in my 160l 3footer. I replanted every single plant, repositioned all the hardscape, removed a third or so of the substrate, and repositoned the rest. I left about a third of the tank untouched each session, so the fish and shrimp could hide in this section while I was working elsewhere. Some of the time they did and some of the time they just got in my way rooting around the area I was working in looking for food!
 
a1Matt said:
I always leave my fish in. I think you can tell when they are starting to get stressed by their colour and behaviour. I have my hand in the tank and am moving things about so often they are quite accustomed to it. I only try to catch them once in a blue moon and am rather inept at it, unsurprisingly this makes them very stressed!

I think Georges point about the substrate is crucial. In additon to the fish stress I have found that if I disturb the substrate and it is really dirty it can cause a minor algae bloom. This algae bloom can appear up to 2 weeks later. I always try to make sure my tank is in good condition before doing major rescaping, so the bloom is then nothing to worry about, just some extra food for my ottos and shrimp.

I'm rarely in a rush, so rescape in stages. Maybe disturbing a foot square at a time and ensuring a large water change after each disturbance.

As an example, my last rescape was done over 4 separate days in my 160l 3footer. I replanted every single plant, repositioned all the hardscape, removed a third or so of the substrate, and repositoned the rest. I left about a third of the tank untouched each session, so the fish and shrimp could hide in this section while I was working elsewhere. Some of the time they did and some of the time they just got in my way rooting around the area I was working in looking for food!

Well im going to rescape with them in there I will move out a few bits of wood to give me some room to move in to then start. the only fish i need to worry about is my harliquins and gouramis as the rest cower when my arm enters......

Now to obtain some bits i need and hopefully do it by next month... i will post pics once done.
 
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