Recreating tank???

willowtree_1987 · 08/05/2006, 10:53 PM

I also put this on Reef Discussion but I meant to place it on here...I dont know how to delete it from Reef Discssion but I hope no one gets upset with me!!!!!

My mother had a 39 gal tank set up on Austust of last year. We've had hard times in the tank with the past. About April of this year, my grandfather was bedridden. About that same time the tank was going through major spikes, fish were disappearing, snails dieing, and the machines that were cleaning the tank of waist became broke.

Anyways, my mother was unable to care for her tank. Finally, went the heating unit broke, she just shut the whole tank down. She couldn't care for it, I was in school and watching my sisters, and she was caring for my grandfather until he died.

I think she is wanting to start the tank back up again. She has been talking about it for the past few days, and tonight I found her hunting for the fish net to take out some of the dead snails that are at the bottom of the tank.

The tank needs torn down and re-started all over again from basically scratch. We had gone with gravel, a layer of sand, about thirty pounds of live rock, and some different corals in the beginning. We tried many times to have clown fish (our all time goal) and they died within days of getting them. We went to the aquatics store the day the died (about three or four days after we had gotten them) and the batch our dead ones came in were swimming around the tank healthy and happy, so it wasn't the stores fault.

My mom would like to just go with sand at the bottom of the tank now. She was also wanting to have one clam in the tank. We would like to have a cleaner shrimp (our favorite we've had in the tank before) and our two clownfish and some other corals.

How would I go about cleaning the tank out....We think it'll be a three day project. Cleaning the snails out of the bottom is where we plan to start. Then draining out some water. How would we store the live rock to keep it wet? Would we even wet it when we store it? How would we clean the tank out, such as the scum that has built up on the sides, and should we soak it in something special? How long to we let it sit before placing in the life rock? How much live rock should we add at a time? How much should we have to have various corals, a clam, and some clowns and maybe a few other fish (about two or three different species)?

Is there anything anyone would like to recommend that could help us clean the tank easier? Is there something I am leaving out? Please help me!!! I would like to go get a few things for her for her tank for her birthday that has already passed. I think this would make her happy if we could get the tank running again without much flaws like we had had before.

Hopefully someone out there could help me?

willowtree_1987 · 08/05/2006, 11:10 PM

Oh, I was also wondering if we even need that much live rock. Everytime we loose a fish we basically tear the whole tank apart, then we have to hurry and put the rock back because for all the coral on it...also, is there a place that we could go to show us how some ppl display their live rock...I know we have to fool with it but some examples are also nice to see...

bertoni · 08/05/2006, 11:16 PM

I would remove the gravel and keep maybe an inch of sand at the bottom. I keep live rock in plastic bags filled with tank water when doing moves. Some styrofoam containers or even boxes should help. Also, have some new saltwater on hand. Then just rinse the rocks a bit and reassemble.

I'd reuse the old tank water at first, and then start some daily water changes, maybe 5 gallons at a time, to clean that up.

I don't know how much live rock is in the tank, so I can't help you much there.

I wouldn't take live rock out of the water to get to a dead fish. Maybe ditching some of the live rock would solve that problem.

meco65 · 08/06/2006, 12:31 AM

The way I would do it is to make up some new water and put the live rock into it with a power head to circulate the water. Than take out all the sand and gravel, scrape and clean the tank, than replace the old sand and gravel with new sand only, and clean the live rock as needed than place back in the tank. Replace the old skimmer and heater. And get a good test kit if you do not have one and let the tank recycle. When all the perimeters are ok you can add fish slowly, and you may want to think of a QT tank so you do not introduce any ich or the like to the now new tank.

08/05/2006, 10:53 PM	#1
willowtree_1987 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 174	Recreating tank??? I also put this on Reef Discussion but I meant to place it on here...I dont know how to delete it from Reef Discssion but I hope no one gets upset with me!!!!! My mother had a 39 gal tank set up on Austust of last year. We've had hard times in the tank with the past. About April of this year, my grandfather was bedridden. About that same time the tank was going through major spikes, fish were disappearing, snails dieing, and the machines that were cleaning the tank of waist became broke. Anyways, my mother was unable to care for her tank. Finally, went the heating unit broke, she just shut the whole tank down. She couldn't care for it, I was in school and watching my sisters, and she was caring for my grandfather until he died. I think she is wanting to start the tank back up again. She has been talking about it for the past few days, and tonight I found her hunting for the fish net to take out some of the dead snails that are at the bottom of the tank. The tank needs torn down and re-started all over again from basically scratch. We had gone with gravel, a layer of sand, about thirty pounds of live rock, and some different corals in the beginning. We tried many times to have clown fish (our all time goal) and they died within days of getting them. We went to the aquatics store the day the died (about three or four days after we had gotten them) and the batch our dead ones came in were swimming around the tank healthy and happy, so it wasn't the stores fault. My mom would like to just go with sand at the bottom of the tank now. She was also wanting to have one clam in the tank. We would like to have a cleaner shrimp (our favorite we've had in the tank before) and our two clownfish and some other corals. How would I go about cleaning the tank out....We think it'll be a three day project. Cleaning the snails out of the bottom is where we plan to start. Then draining out some water. How would we store the live rock to keep it wet? Would we even wet it when we store it? How would we clean the tank out, such as the scum that has built up on the sides, and should we soak it in something special? How long to we let it sit before placing in the life rock? How much live rock should we add at a time? How much should we have to have various corals, a clam, and some clowns and maybe a few other fish (about two or three different species)? Is there anything anyone would like to recommend that could help us clean the tank easier? Is there something I am leaving out? Please help me!!! I would like to go get a few things for her for her tank for her birthday that has already passed. I think this would make her happy if we could get the tank running again without much flaws like we had had before. Hopefully someone out there could help me? __________________ Mom's empty tank (Wanting to start it over soon somehow) 10g with a blue demsal (thinking of cleaning it out, giving the demsal away, and using it as a hospital tank)

08/05/2006, 11:10 PM	#2
willowtree_1987 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 174	Oh, I was also wondering if we even need that much live rock. Everytime we loose a fish we basically tear the whole tank apart, then we have to hurry and put the rock back because for all the coral on it...also, is there a place that we could go to show us how some ppl display their live rock...I know we have to fool with it but some examples are also nice to see... __________________ Mom's empty tank (Wanting to start it over soon somehow) 10g with a blue demsal (thinking of cleaning it out, giving the demsal away, and using it as a hospital tank)

08/05/2006, 11:16 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I would remove the gravel and keep maybe an inch of sand at the bottom. I keep live rock in plastic bags filled with tank water when doing moves. Some styrofoam containers or even boxes should help. Also, have some new saltwater on hand. Then just rinse the rocks a bit and reassemble. I'd reuse the old tank water at first, and then start some daily water changes, maybe 5 gallons at a time, to clean that up. I don't know how much live rock is in the tank, so I can't help you much there. I wouldn't take live rock out of the water to get to a dead fish. Maybe ditching some of the live rock would solve that problem. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/06/2006, 12:31 AM	#4
meco65 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1,603	The way I would do it is to make up some new water and put the live rock into it with a power head to circulate the water. Than take out all the sand and gravel, scrape and clean the tank, than replace the old sand and gravel with new sand only, and clean the live rock as needed than place back in the tank. Replace the old skimmer and heater. And get a good test kit if you do not have one and let the tank recycle. When all the perimeters are ok you can add fish slowly, and you may want to think of a QT tank so you do not introduce any ich or the like to the now new tank.