help bringing back a neglected tank

[stew_magoo]

Hello! HELP! I've had this tank set up for about three years, and prolly for the last two I've seriously neglected it. Doing little to no maintenance to it short of topping it off when the water got low enough the power head made noise. I decided it was time to put some time money and effort in and get it back into respectable shape and looking good. i need to know where to start. unfortunately, I already started. I decided Sunday to get this ball rolling and without thinking ordered a clean up crew from here. There were a hand full of snails, hermit crabs and two large bristle starfish in there; the coral banded shrimp i've had since day one recently died. I ordered four new bulbs for my light fixture (t5 ho, 24wx4, two 10k, and two anctinic.) It's a 40 gallon tank, I did a 15 gallon water change Monday night. Added the CUC tuesday afternoon. I know I need to do a lot of water changes, but how much? Ten gallons a week? Twenty gallons a week? Ten every three days? I need a new water test kit, my GF made mine disappear. Can I take some test water with me to work, and then take it to be tested after work? I Need some help as to where to go next. Thanks in advance! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's some pics of what I'm working with...

 

[wild man]

The first thing is to get that water tested, it will be the first thing to let you know how bad it really is.

 

[snakeblitz33]

10% water change per week on a 40g tank is a good start. ... about 5g a week. This is, if you do your water changes the correct way. You will need to take a turkey baster and blow off all of your rocks and siphon the gunk that comes out of them. The next week you should use a slow flow gravel vac to lightly vac the sandbed gunk out. At each water change you need to do something to remove the left over solid waste out of the system. Your tank can only get better from there.
Once every three months, do a 50% water change. This hobby is trending towards less work - so you may find that an investment in a good protein skimmer and a GFO Reactor may be something that might interest you.

 

[travelerjp98]

Definitely do the water changes as Seth suggested.
Also, FIRST, get a water test kit... but you can start with the water changes already.
Have fun getting it back on track!

 

[lol]

you might also want to change your bulbs if they are overdue.