Free 55g reef tank!

watertight

Member
Yep, you read right, my father has spat the dummy with his tank and "Handed it down" to me! There are a few problems, however.....
He bought the whole tank as a going concern about 18 months ago from his LFS, it was full of liverock, some corals, a breeding pair of Clowns, a yellow angel (apparently related to the flame angel), a sand sifter of some sort (Goby, I think), and a very small blue tang. for filtration it had the following - a jebo cannister, a U/G filter, with 2 electric powerheads, under C/C, and an air driven skimmer (basic type). For lighting it had only fluros, blue and white, but he added 2 metal halides as well.
After a trip away, leaving a friend to look after the tank, he came home to a tank full of brown slime, dead coral and a very sad looking anemone. He's slowly been cleaning it up and getting it manageable, but by this stage He had lost interest, and gave it to me to try and reserrect it.
I cycled a 29 gal tank and slowly added bits of L/R, fish, etc., till we could pull his tank apart for the move. The first thing we did was ditch the U/G filters, I was planning on replacing the C/C with sand, and utilising the 2 powerheads for circulation. I was also going to stick with the cannister filter, seeing it should be full of bacteria, it should help for a speedy cycle? Does this sound like a good idea? I was originally going to stick with the C/C, but have read too many ppl's posts about it on this site, and I've been turned off it!
Any suggestions for improving it while it's apart? Now's the time!
 

ryanhayes9

Active Member
well i would also get a protein skimmer and ditch the jebo filter. jebo is junk. get like a cascade 700. i have that on my 55 reef
 
O

oreo12

Guest
Originally Posted by ryanhayes9
well i would also get a protein skimmer and ditch the jebo filter. jebo is junk. get like a cascade 700. i have that on my 55 reef
Now why would you tell him to junk the jebo? I would keep it untill it died. Then toss it. If you have enough live rock you don't want it anyway. I would get a good skimmer though. The only filter I have is a hang on the back running carbon.
 

ryanhayes9

Active Member
well i mean get a new filter... dont ditch it. but i have heard of people having jebo filters and they switched cuz it wasint cutting it. IMO and in many others here jebo is junk. its made in china and brain surgery is easier than contacting someone over there
 

watertight

Member
There is a skimmer with the tank, just a very basic one - 2 tubes, one with a wooden "Airstone" for micro bubbles, and the other just seems to blow air into the water. What would be the best type of skimmer to use?
There is a heap of liverock with the tank (In my 30 gal tank ATM), would I be best to just turn off the Jebo once the tank is cycled, and use just the 2 powerheads and the skimmer? Not sure how much liverock there is, but it won't all fit in my 30 gal tank, so there is a bit.
Do i have to add livesand? Will using cleaned beach sand be ok, using l/r to "make it live"? I have used beachsand before with no probs, in a nano tank...
Oh, BTW, There is also a Mantis in there somewhere - been trying to trap him, to no avail, once I get the new tank up and running I'll hunt him down!
 

watertight

Member
I decided to stick with the CC. I spent hours last night, reading up on archive threads, and I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but I decided that I'll stick with what I've got, seeing as the tank will be basically FOWLR. I have tons of L/R, so I'll be using that, plus the Jebo and the powerheads, and I'll be buying the best skimmer I can afford in the next few weeks. After the tank is cycled I will try removing the Jebo.
Part of my decision is based on what I've read on these msg boards, I have no doubt that a lot of you swear by L/S and a DSB, but Live sand is unheard of where I am, I doubt I could order it internationally (Customs problems), and I can't even source good white playsand! So I'll stick with what I've got.
Cheers
 

piscesblue

Member
Originally Posted by maeistero
keep that cc, you can sell it to make lr.
Really? I'm in KC and getting ready to make the switch to sand. Do you know anyone who would want 60lbs os CC?
 

maeistero

Active Member
Originally Posted by PiscesBlue
Really? I'm in KC and getting ready to make the switch to sand. Do you know anyone who would want 60lbs os CC?
i know i need a bunch, but i don't want to pay much for it as it comes up free quite often. if there's anything you need i may have a trade? post it up on fishheads dot org and see what people in the area will pay.
 

chipmaker

Active Member
I probably have 200# + pounds of CC substrate......lot of wasted money IMHO laying there unused. One day though I will turn it into homebrew rock formations (possibly this winter once it gets cooler and rainy outside and it will give me something to do) so then I have something to form fit how I want it in the 210 gal tank. As for bottom substrate.nope nada not a chance in a million of it ever being used for that purpose ever again.
 

piscesblue

Member
I'll certainly trade it for softie frags. I'll be ready to trade in a week after making the switch. I have a total of 90lbs of which 60lbs is in the tank and 30 is clean in a bag.
 
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