How to clean aggresive tank

[deuse]

Can anyone tell me what the best way is to clean an aggresive tank? I am new to salt water and I posted the same question in the "New Hobbyists" section and all I got was, I was the clean up crew. How do I go about doing it? :help: Do I use a vaccum, or sift it around or what? Please be specific. I have a 55 gallon and will be putting in ls and lr. I have a wet/dry filter (skimmer built in) on its way.
I have also read that it's not good to use tap water. Could I boil the water to purify it instead of buying distilled water? It's the same thing isn't?
Any advise would be great.

 

[ophiura]

Well, first of be warned that a 55g is pretty small for an aggressive tank...what fish do you want to keep?
A clean up crew may not be suitable, depending on the fish you choose. You may need to just siphon out waste. A water change, a minimum of 30% a month, IMO, is generally required.
You should use RO or distilled water. Not boiled...boiled boils off the clean water and leaves concentrated bad stuff behind (which is why you get hard water stains and stuff in pots). You want to start with pure water...sometimes tap water is OK, but often times it is not the best to use.

 

[tthemadd1]

Just to add.... Distilled water is water that sits for a few days and then the cleaner water is syphoned off the top. The idea is that the heavier particles will sink to the bottom. I would try using a clean garbage can and then syphon off the top half. You can get a test kit for your house water from HD/Lowes for about $10.

 

[fishntx]

you need to siphon out the waste and depending on what you plan on stocking the aquarium with, it is still possible to have a clean up crew.i have two eels in with three stars and several hermits and have no problems

 

[deuse]

I'm thinking about a lion fish, but not sure which one yet, I really like the Clown trigger, but that one will probably wait for a bigger tank, Picaso (sp), and some Damsels. There are some others, that are semi-aggresive, but I cant think of them off the top of my head right now, but that is kind of an idea for right now. I still have a lot of reading to do.
What does the testing kit from HD/Lowes test for? What do I need to look for?
If I siphone the sand will it have to be replaced after a while?

 

[lion_crazz]

Try to get your tap water tested with a TDS meter. This will tell you how many dissolved solids are in your tap water. You also want to test it for nitrates and phosphates. If either of these are high, you will have problems.
If you are using aragonite sand, I would recommend doing a water change (siphoning it) at least once every two weeks (preferably, every week). You will not need to replace it.
As far as your fish, you will need a much larger tank for a clown trigger, and the lions you can have are limited due to tank size. I would only recommend dwarfs in that size tank.

 

[d0ch0liday]

Hey email me ill show you some pics of i tank and give you some "sound" advice
Simieonrice97@yahoo.com

 

[ophiura]

DOcHoliday - Just wondering, what actually is wrong with the advice here? What isn't "sound" about it???
Anyway, distilled water is not water left to sit, it is water that is boiled off BUT it is the water collected from the steam given off, not the water that is left behind. This makes it extremely pure water.

 

[55gsw]

I use tap water in my tanks, but then my local water is pretty good. You can check your local water here.....
www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html
In a 55g how about a dwarf lion, a toby (small puffer species), and 2 - 3 damsels too. Nice active tank and it won't overload your system. Some of the tobies are really nice looking fish like the saddleback and the blue spot....

 

[tnt]

We have a 55gallon. We have a volitan's lion, three striped damsel, yellowtail blue damsel, and a picasso trigger. I know we will have to either upgrade to a bigger tank or trade the fish in when they get bigger. We also have some hermits and snails. Everyone gets along fine. The picasso grunts when he's excited. Very cool! I guess my point is you can have these fish in a 55, but just keep in mind in a year or two you'll be upgrading or getting rid of fish. I siphon the substrate and do water changes. I also run carbon. I don't have a protein skimmer yet, but so far I don't have any problems with water quality. Knock on wood!

 

[d0ch0liday]

hmmmm.... wow ........ i did not know i was talking to you or about you but if you feel a need to chastize me go ahead ......
Any way email me if you get a chance brosif

 

[tnt]

I agree with ophiura, that was pretty rude of you to say that. If you don't think there's good info here, why are you a member?

 

[moraymike]

Originally Posted by D0cH0liday
hmmmm.... wow ........ i did not know i was talking to you or about you but if you feel a need to chastize me go ahead ......
Any way email me if you get a chance brosif

Hi, Doc. I know Ophiura well enough to know that she wasn't trying to call you out or anything. She just didn't understand. Make sense? The way that you said "sound" advice certainly implied that someone had given some poor advice, right?

 

[deuse]

Thanks everyone! I will go out this weekend and get a test kit and see what the water is like. I tried going on the website that was given, but they don't list anything for where I live. I will try to dig some more and find out. Is there such thing as a semi-agressive tank?

 

[moto757]

If you going aggressive don't waste money on clean up just run a uv and a refuge it made the biggest difference when I did that.

 

[ophiura]

I've got no problem with people saying "hey email me" or whatever. Its done all the time.
But there was an implication that someone gave some bad advice...or that people on this board do not give good advice...and so everyone would benefit from knowing it. Feel free to share with everyone! When you participate on a thread in this board, and say something it is basically public domain. You are taking part in a discussion, and if you imply that the advice given is not good, then other people in the thread may indeed get annoyed. We're here to help everyone who may read this. But if you have advice that is better it would benefit everyone, yes? Exchange is what makes these boards work!

 

[deuse]

What's a uv and refuge??

 

[d0ch0liday]

there was no implication , but hey i appalagize i did not realize evry one would over analyze a simple statement..... hey guys come on really "sound" sounded stupid just saying it so i put it in quotes this is stupid word game, if someones feeling were hurt, i am sorry but come on, how was i implicating one person that i have never talked to or not even know if any of there expertise is valid????simple answer i would not. oh well im wrong your right what ever makes you sleep.... i got things to do so take it easy

 

[moto757]

A uv sterlizer is a uv light that has water go around it in a tube and kills bacteria and parasites. Arefuguim is a slow moving water area great for growing good algaes and plants that feed off of nitrates and keeps them down in your main tank do a searchon either there is some great info on both.

 

[kdfrosty]

Triggers in a 55...risky.
I used to clean a tank with a Clown Trigger in it...expect to be nipped at fairly often. Even after the first nip it is still startling as heck.
I like the idea of the dwarf lion and possibly a Valentini Puffer, though.....I love those lil guys.