Tank in storage for 7 years

rockytop47 · 05/04/2012, 08:19 PM

This past week I was offered a 110 gallon tank with all the trimmings for 150 bucks. It was wiped out during hurricane Katrina (due to power outage) and has been in storage for close to 7 years. My question is...what can I realistically hope to re-use? It has 400 pounds of rock, sand, lights (metal halide/vho) skimmer, sump, 3 pumps, timers, wavemaker, etc, everything you'd expect on a state of the art reef system, its all still there and the guy just got disgusted(don't blame him a bit) and put it away. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated! Thanks!

fishchef · 05/04/2012, 08:24 PM

So, its been dry for seven years and I was wondering if its glass or acrylic?

Joel_155 · 05/04/2012, 08:26 PM

The rock and sand you should be able to use. My main question would be the tank. If its glass you would probably want to redo all the silicone ( which I don't know how to do, but you would basically have to rebuild the whole tank ) or if its acrylic. For $150 it could be a good buy depending on the tank.

KafudaFish · 05/04/2012, 08:31 PM

The rock is worth that alone. You could probably sell half of the rock for $1/pound and buy another tank.

Nothing is wrong with MH and VHO lighting. Some of the best most colorful tanks have used this set up.

fishchef · 05/04/2012, 08:50 PM

That's a lot of rock for a 110. Twice as much IMO. You could use 50/75 lb for base and buy 75 lb live rock. Old sand can be a problem. New won't cost that much if you sell the remaining rock.

shroutk3 · 05/04/2012, 10:17 PM

Not really sure that there would be anything automatically wrong with the tank.

Check the silicone for cracks. There are a lot of tanks that have been up for more than 7 years. And I'd imagine salt water is more harsh than air. Just my thought...

rockytop47 · 05/05/2012, 05:26 AM

Yea its glass. Thanks for the heads up on the silicone. Summers down here are brutal for stuff in storage anyway. I already have the tank and stand sold to a co-worker for a Cichlid tank, so I'm wanting to be sure the MAIN components are still viable. Fishchef. what problems could be in the sand?

cordell · 05/05/2012, 08:16 AM

I wouldn't reuse the sand. That sand could have held onto a lot of nasty stuff back when it was running, and well, even though it's dried out now, that nasty stuff is dried out under there too just waiting to cause problems.

I had my rock sit up for a few years. The entire tank just dried out so the rock was covered in salt and everything else that was on it as the tank dried out. Before reusing the rock, I just soaked it in Rubbermaid tubs for a day, spraying it off with the water hose a few times to get the nasties off. That rock has looked good every since...

I would go through cleaning and testing all of the equipment. If it works, it's good! All of the pumps, powerheads, anything that gets wet, I would soak in a vinegar solution to help free up the parts. If the lights will kick on, then the ballasts are good and probably just need new bulbs.

Wow, 400lb huh? That's a ton for a 110!! Lots of money in that rock, wet or dry...

StevenSinger · 05/05/2012, 08:37 AM

Buy it, part it out because its a great buy, have someone from a LFS come and reseal the endges and you will have a great tank, what brand skimmer etc is it all?

rockytop47 · 05/05/2012, 08:53 AM

I know right? The guy said it was close to 400 lbs, but I'm thinking closer to 2-250 pounds. Thanks for the 411 on the sand, and vinegar soak on the equipment. This will all go into my 65 reef build which is coming along nicely. I'm a little skeptical of the skimmer as it's about 10 years old, ie. seals and things like that. but if it IS 400 lbs as he claims, then I'm getting rock at 28 cents a pound, which my LFS said they would buy all remaining rock @ 2.55 a pound which is half of what they sell it for and they are in short supply now. I planned on using Arag Alive anyway for my sand as I'll have a DSB in my refugium anyway.

rockytop47 · 05/05/2012, 09:31 AM

Not sure of the brand name of the skimmer and equipment, but its at least 10 years old, so, going by that, what do you think? I'm not sure how long the name brand skimmers have been out, ie. Reef Octopus, etc. but I'll post it ALL next Saturday when I go pick it up, probably post pictures of what I can't identify as far as brand names. He emphatically assures me everything was state of the art back in the day. It was a well established 3 year old tank that had tangs, clowns and a couple of lobster.

05/04/2012, 08:19 PM	#1
rockytop47 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mobile Al. Posts: 65	Tank in storage for 7 years This past week I was offered a 110 gallon tank with all the trimmings for 150 bucks. It was wiped out during hurricane Katrina (due to power outage) and has been in storage for close to 7 years. My question is...what can I realistically hope to re-use? It has 400 pounds of rock, sand, lights (metal halide/vho) skimmer, sump, 3 pumps, timers, wavemaker, etc, everything you'd expect on a state of the art reef system, its all still there and the guy just got disgusted(don't blame him a bit) and put it away. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated! Thanks!

05/05/2012, 08:16 AM	#8
cordell Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 655	I wouldn't reuse the sand. That sand could have held onto a lot of nasty stuff back when it was running, and well, even though it's dried out now, that nasty stuff is dried out under there too just waiting to cause problems. I had my rock sit up for a few years. The entire tank just dried out so the rock was covered in salt and everything else that was on it as the tank dried out. Before reusing the rock, I just soaked it in Rubbermaid tubs for a day, spraying it off with the water hose a few times to get the nasties off. That rock has looked good every since... I would go through cleaning and testing all of the equipment. If it works, it's good! All of the pumps, powerheads, anything that gets wet, I would soak in a vinegar solution to help free up the parts. If the lights will kick on, then the ballasts are good and probably just need new bulbs. Wow, 400lb huh? That's a ton for a 110!! Lots of money in that rock, wet or dry... __________________ 75gal, ~120lb LR, started January 15, 2012. Probably mixed tank, only softies and couple LPS now. (2) 250w MH, 10g sump, 10g fuge, 10g QT Current inhabitants: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, few nassarius, cerith, and nerites; QT: Tricolor Wrasse and Firefish (both added 4/11)

05/04/2012, 08:24 PM	#2
fishchef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,222	So, its been dry for seven years and I was wondering if its glass or acrylic?

05/04/2012, 08:26 PM	#3
Joel_155 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,402	The rock and sand you should be able to use. My main question would be the tank. If its glass you would probably want to redo all the silicone ( which I don't know how to do, but you would basically have to rebuild the whole tank ) or if its acrylic. For $150 it could be a good buy depending on the tank.

05/04/2012, 08:31 PM	#4
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	The rock is worth that alone. You could probably sell half of the rock for $1/pound and buy another tank. Nothing is wrong with MH and VHO lighting. Some of the best most colorful tanks have used this set up.

05/04/2012, 08:50 PM	#5
fishchef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,222	That's a lot of rock for a 110. Twice as much IMO. You could use 50/75 lb for base and buy 75 lb live rock. Old sand can be a problem. New won't cost that much if you sell the remaining rock.

05/04/2012, 10:17 PM	#6
shroutk3 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ripley, Ny Posts: 315	Not really sure that there would be anything automatically wrong with the tank. Check the silicone for cracks. There are a lot of tanks that have been up for more than 7 years. And I'd imagine salt water is more harsh than air. Just my thought...

05/05/2012, 05:26 AM	#7
rockytop47 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mobile Al. Posts: 65	Yea its glass. Thanks for the heads up on the silicone. Summers down here are brutal for stuff in storage anyway. I already have the tank and stand sold to a co-worker for a Cichlid tank, so I'm wanting to be sure the MAIN components are still viable. Fishchef. what problems could be in the sand?

05/05/2012, 08:37 AM	#9
StevenSinger Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: South Jersey Posts: 60	Buy it, part it out because its a great buy, have someone from a LFS come and reseal the endges and you will have a great tank, what brand skimmer etc is it all?

05/05/2012, 08:53 AM	#10
rockytop47 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mobile Al. Posts: 65	I know right? The guy said it was close to 400 lbs, but I'm thinking closer to 2-250 pounds. Thanks for the 411 on the sand, and vinegar soak on the equipment. This will all go into my 65 reef build which is coming along nicely. I'm a little skeptical of the skimmer as it's about 10 years old, ie. seals and things like that. but if it IS 400 lbs as he claims, then I'm getting rock at 28 cents a pound, which my LFS said they would buy all remaining rock @ 2.55 a pound which is half of what they sell it for and they are in short supply now. I planned on using Arag Alive anyway for my sand as I'll have a DSB in my refugium anyway.

05/05/2012, 09:31 AM	#11
rockytop47 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Mobile Al. Posts: 65	Not sure of the brand name of the skimmer and equipment, but its at least 10 years old, so, going by that, what do you think? I'm not sure how long the name brand skimmers have been out, ie. Reef Octopus, etc. but I'll post it ALL next Saturday when I go pick it up, probably post pictures of what I can't identify as far as brand names. He emphatically assures me everything was state of the art back in the day. It was a well established 3 year old tank that had tangs, clowns and a couple of lobster.