filtration advise

[hiccup]

Good afternoon fokes, I just recently bought a bunch of equipment used and wanna know if this avenue I am heading is right.
first of all I have a 55 gallon tank, someday in the future I want to set up for reef, it’s a year old but nasty with algae. I only started out with a protein skimmer and under gravel. I am taking out the under gravel and instead of crushed coral, I wanna put in sand.
I thought of putting my yellow tang, and 2 damsels into another tank with the same water as I clean my live rock off the algae and remove the under gravel filter plus put in the sand.
Question: if I did this how long should I keep the three fish in the other littler tank?
Now for the new equipment I was given (of corse no instructions or guidelines)
eheim ecco - My question with this I have a white filter to go over the three plastic chamber inside of the filter should I use it. And what goes in the plastic chambers?
Sealife model 60 sump: should I put the bio balls in it? What are your thoughts about this model?
2 rio 1700- now what do I use these for, I thought put them inside my tank for water movement?
Protein skimmer: sea clone 100. I had in my tank, could I put that in my sealife sump and is there a special place It must be placed?
Another 20 gallon tank that seemed to be set up as a sump, I thought the sealife model would be easier since im clueless. Tiny bit of sand, black rock and white in a mesh bag.
Thanks

 

[lion_crazz]

Ah, you totally changed your post. Oh well, here goes.
Your idea of taking out the UGF and putting in sand is excellent. Once you take all the crushed coral out of the water, put it into a filter bag or stocking so that you can seed your new sand, or else you will lose a lot of your biological filtration.
I am not quite sure what you mean about taking out the fish and putting them into another tank with the same water. How big is the "other" tank? It might just be worth it to keep them in the 55 that you are changing over to sand. Like I said, if you put all the CC into a bag and put that back into the tank, you will not lose the good bacteria.
The eheim is not a bad cannister filter. This can be used to house activated carbon ifyou wish to use it. I would recommend it, as it helps remove organics and make your water clear.
The sump is fine. I would put the bioballs in for now since it does not sound like you have live rock. What I suggest is to start buying live rock and taking it home to cure to go in your main tank. Once you hit 60-70 lbs. of live rock, you may start taking some of the bioballs out very slowly. Take a handful out every week with your water change.
The rios are iffy as far as powerheads go. I myself would spend the extra $20-$30 and get the top of the line powerheads such as MaxiJets or AquaClears. They are more reliable.
The seaclone may go into your sump as long as it is a sump model and not a hang-on. There is no special place it must go.
I am not sure what you were talking about with the black and white rock. Eventually you will want to take this out with your bioballs if it was in your 55.

 

[hiccup]

I do have about 45 -50 lbs of live rock, i just have to clean the red bacteria off it. The proein skimmer is seaclone 100 hang off the side model, I just bought it 6 months ago should i just keep it on my tank then?
About my fishys, well my tank is a mess its covered with red slime, i just want them to survive this all.
thanks

 

[hiccup]

OH i forgot to ask about eheim filter, i got no instructions the three plastic pieces inside the filter should there be anything inside them? I did get a white filter, I am thining hte cansters go inside it?
thanks

 

[dskidmore]

Here is a good thread on the cynobacteria problem:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=73002
Those powerheads should help your red slime problem. So what if they are unreliable? You have them now, might as well use them until they die.
What do you have for a cleanup crew?
I wouldn't remove the fish unless you are seeing signs of stress. There are plenty of gentle methods to combat the red slime, that shouldn't hurt your fish at all.

 

[hiccup]

so put the rios anywhere in the tank?
Ive tired it all about red slime. I found out its my under gravel filter. I am removing it and removing cc to put the sand into it and see what happens, along adding that filter and sub to it. Okay so keep fish in tank. Thats another problem embarssing enough I dont have a clean up crew really. What would you suggest in 55 gal?
anyone know what goes in the three canisters in the eheim ?
thanks

 

[dskidmore]

I don't know specifically about the ehim, but usually canister filters will take all kinds of bulk media: floss, bioballs, carbon, etc..
A good starter janitor crew is around 1 per gallon. I'd do about half snails and half hermit crabs, with a bunch of spare shells thrown in to keep the hermits from killing all the snails as they outgrow thier current shells.
The "20-55 Gallon Reef Package" offered here might be good for you. They also sell, in the inverts section, spare hermit crab shells.