Tearing down a reef system as maintenance???

[Aquadam]

I wondered if anyone could help shed some light on this topic for me...It was suggested to me that as a regular maintenance a reef should be taken apart ever 2-3 years in order to clean out detritus and other decomposing material that may be behind the reef.

It seems to me that the purpose of a reef tank is to recreate one of the most stable environments on earth. Spending years getting this right, and then tearing it apart would seem to negate all the hard work you put into the system.

I would think that if the system is done right, which would include good water movement, that this wouldn't be needed. If anyone has any input on this topic, let me know.

[seapug]

With good water quality, flow, husbandry you shouldn't need to do this. Apart from the "huge hassle" factor you'll probably screw up your water params and microfauna populations with the disruption. Plus, reef tanks are like tubes of toothpaste. Once you take everything out it will never fit back in right.

[ernestlives]

who told you this?? I wouldn't take anymore reef advice from that person...

[AquaReeferMan]

Yeah, what they said.

[R.L.Young]

That theory came out in the days of dolimte and extends into crushed coral substate where you needed to do a deep vacume to get all the crap that settled into out that the system did not handle.

[R.L.Young]

That theory came out in the days of dolimte and extends into crushed coral substate where you needed to do a deep vacume to get all the crap that settled in, out that the system did not handle.

[R.L.Young]

Sorry for the double post

[pledosophy]

Back in the days you were supposed to take out all of your liverock and bleach it every few months.

We've moved past that. You don't need to tear apart your system.

[Aquadam]

You know, I kind of figured that these would be the type of responses I would get. It just didn't make sense to me to disrupt an established system like that.

[DrBegalke]

There is some thought that a DSB can go bad after several years and cause a crash, but I personally haven't had it happen.

The only thing I would take apart to clean regularly would be the sump, pumps, etc.

The main tank I would leave alone.

[sm51498]

There is an idea about mild disruptions being healthy in captive reefs, one of the members here with the oldest tank I know of has followed this idea by stirring everything up in his tank and running it through a diatom filter and he has had long term success. Personally I believe there may be something to this theory, in nature nothing is static and by simulating sudden mild changes you may more closely replicate nature.