new tank need help

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enigma1388

Guest
OK so i've recently come across a 55 gal tank. It has sand plenty of LR and all the fixin's. the guy before me just let all the water evaporate and there's a tiny bit left in the bottom. there's crap all on the sides of the tank.
How should i clean this stuff off the sides?
also do i just fill it up with water or do i have to replace all the sand and LR?
any help would be great! thanks in advance!
 
cracker4418

cracker4418

Member
Use white vingar to clean the sides and any other equipment. The sand and rock should be rinse with saltwater and can be used again.
 
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enigma1388

Guest
another quick question. i'm pretty sure he had a few snails and such that died in there because he stopped caring about the tank. should i try to find and remove those or could those help kick start my cycle?
 
cracker4418

cracker4418

Member
Remove them. The amount of toxins they will release when they bread down is way more then you want your tank exsposed to. Clean and setup your tank as if it were band new. Take the rock and sand completely out of the tank and rinse the rock and sand lightly with saltwater. By doing this you will loose some of benifcial mico. . But this way there will be no suprises later on.
 
cracker4418

cracker4418

Member
When you recive and aquarium that was just left to died, it loses all of the microbs you want. You pretty much have to start from the beginning.
 
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enigma1388

Guest
ok and when cleaning all the pumps and filters soak them in white vinegar and then scrub them or just scrub them with the vinegar?
sorry about all the questions i just want to clean everything today and do it right.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by enigma1388
http:///forum/post/2573653
ok and when cleaning all the pumps and filters soak them in white vinegar and then scrub them or just scrub them with the vinegar?
sorry about all the questions i just want to clean everything today and do it right.
Soak them in a vinegar/water mix then scrub them. I would personally throw away the sand and buy new. The rock will be fine though. Scrub off any dead material in a bucket of salt water.
 
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enigma1388

Guest
thanks guys! after lots of scrubbing and rinsing i now have a clean tank

now i'm off to the store to get some sand and water!
Thanks again!
 
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enigma1388

Guest
also should i run my filters while the water is settling down or should i just let it settle and then start them up?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by enigma1388
http:///forum/post/2574026
also should i run my filters while the water is settling down or should i just let it settle and then start them up?
Let the sand settle then start the filters. You can have the power heads running but don't point them at the sand yet. Add your rock before the sand goes in. Start the filter the next day to remove the sediment.
 
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enigma1388

Guest
why would i want to point my powerheads at the sand? wouldn't that make it all murky with all that stuff flying around?
 
atrialfib22

atrialfib22

Member
Well...later on it is helpful to have a good flow towards the general direction of the sand so that all the debris and detritus can remain suspended in the water column and get picked up by your filter/skimmer. We are still waiting on some pictures man!
 
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enigma1388

Guest
haha i'm working on the pictures.
Another question though. I bought some small pieces of LR from my LFS yesterday and threw them in with the LR i had that was basically left for dead. would this kick start my cycle or should i throw in a shrimp anyway? also would this 2 lb of tiny rubble be enough to get some good coraline growth back on the original LR?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by enigma1388
http:///forum/post/2575118
haha i'm working on the pictures.
Another question though. I bought some small pieces of LR from my LFS yesterday and threw them in with the LR i had that was basically left for dead. would this kick start my cycle or should i throw in a shrimp anyway? also would this 2 lb of tiny rubble be enough to get some good coraline growth back on the original LR?
Don't add a shrimp at first. Put all of the rock in and wait to see if you get an ammonia spike. The coraline on the small rock will spread to the other rock. If it is a small amount then it will take some time. The quality of your light will make a difference in how fast it spreads.
 
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enigma1388

Guest
right now i have the crap lights that came with the tank but i plan on buying a 48" strip that has higher quality lights and lunar led lights as well.
 
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