Biological filter question?? Need advice!

[c-lover]

Hi everyone,
After recently battling ick in a reef tank and losing, we decided to just purchase a new tank and start a small reef (30 gallon) and use our 75 for a agressive, fish only. So here we are a month or so into the set up and we have decided that since we saw the disappearing white spots on our Blue Angel this morning, that we are going to remove the LS and LR so that we can easily treat the tank with copper if an out break happens. We want to put in some large pieces of dead coral and use crushed coral for the substrate instead.
So my question is... due to the fact that I have LS and LR in the tank for most of our biological, and have few bio-balls left (due to the high nitrates we started taking some out) how slow do I have to remove the rock and sand ? We plan on syphoning (sp?) all the sand out tonight and if possibile put the LR in our reef after a few weeks in a bucket to make sure there is no ick in it.
Anyone have any experience with changing the biological media from LR & LS back to bio-balls? Should I add back the old bio-balls today too ?
BTW I do have a hospital tank already but I believe that using a hospital tank only treats the fish, not the problem. (ick in the water & rock)
I appreciate any feedback since this is a mission for this evening.....
Thanks !!

 

[beth]

In the absense of a FISH host, all ick in a tank, on rocks, on the substrate will be gone within 3 wks. Thus, if you just remove the fish, and leave the tank with the LR and sand wo fish for, say a mo, there will not be anymore ick in the tank.

 

[c-lover]

Thanks for the post Beth.
We're aware of fish being the host, but have decided that we would rather take the LR & LS out, to more easily treat disease. We have five fish in this tank (2 Damsels, Blue Spotted Puffer, Picasso Trigger and a Blue Angel) and to cramp them all into our 10 gallon HT for a month is not something we plan to do.
Like I had originally posted, we are more interested in the effect of the biological filter changes in the absense of the LR and sand.

 

[@knight]

i might suggest a small wally world chiepie 10 gal HT on the kitchen table for a few weeks, as opposed to tearing down a complete setup. that would be a waste of time and money. what will you do with the LR and LS? thats expensive stuff. at least wait to make sure you have Ick. Might do a tapwater dip on your angel to be safe. I just hate to see you destroy something like that.
[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: @knight ]

 

[c-lover]

I know it does seem a little much to change it all. The spots were there in the morning and then gone in the afternoon, so I suspect Ick for sure. We are just so confused right now!!! We are actually going to maybe try a product called Greenex and hold off on the break down. Hopefully this works out!