new to the saltwater hobby and have a million questions

[JC mcintosh]

I just recently got a 75 gallon tank from a friend who is moving and cant conitnue to keep the tank. The tank is 75 gallons, it has I believe about 80-90 pounds of live rock and live sand. It has a hang on the back filter system and a hang on the back skimmer with a wet/dry unit underneath. (forgive me if Im wrong with my terminology). the tank also has two power heads. I got all of this for a very very good deal (or I wouldnt have been able to buy it). I was told the tank has been up and running for about 3 years and we kept the sand in the tank and most of the water in the tank was moved in buckets. As I am very new to this hobby I have a million questions. First the tank has green algea all over the glass on all sides, front and sides. Second on the live rock there are alot of what look to be zoanthids (not sure at all if I am correct about this) growing all over the live rock. They seem to be more of a pest than anything else. There is hair algea in some spots of the tank. My first question is can I clean the tank of all the green algea? and what would be the best method for that? Second can i get rid of all the things growing on the live rock? They appear to be brown and circular things with long bases/ stalks. Ive heard lemon juice kills them and you can use suction to get them off the rock. Again I have no clue what these things are and Im pretty sure they are not "good things". There are no fish in the tank at all. The person I got it from said all the fish died, and I have no idea what killed them or why they died. There are however alot of Kenya trees growing in one section of the tank on the live rock. I dont have a protein skimmer or anything else other than hang on the back. Basically I want to clean the glass and the rock and get the tank clean and free of anything that may hurt fish I want to put in at a later date. What and where would be the best place for me to start? Oh and to answer the question why did all the fish die, I definately did ask that question and the person I got the tank from had no clue. I was told the person woke up to two dead fish and the other two looked to be breathing heavy and then eventually died. Again I am completely new to this hobby and have no clue where to start or what to do first. I do plan on cleaning the power heads in a vinegar bath but as to how to clean the rest i have no idea. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also is there more equipment I will need? I want to do this the right way and I want to be able to have healthy fish and maybe eventually some coral (not totally sure about that at this point). My next question is can I remove some of the live rock and that be ok? To me the rock looks like it takes up way too much space in the tank to begin with. Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestions all are greatly appreciated.

 

[flower]

Hi,

Welcome to the site.

You need a good beginners book, that will answer some questions, and stimulate you to ask the right ones as you go along. Also, for the sake of those of us trying to help you... separating the paragraphs make your post easier to read.

Now for what you posted. The pests on the rocks are called aptasia, the green hair algae is another clue of how bad things are. The glass is cleaned with a mag-float..it looks like an eraser, one part goes into the tank and the other is attached to a magnet that you grasp, to "erase" the algae off the glass.

To zap aptasia, I haven't found lemon juice to be very helpful... Joe's juice or aptasia X works great. However there is a big problem, once disturbed aptasia releases spores into the water, which causes the aptasia to reproduce like wild fire...you won't be able to zap them enough to kill them. Everything you do to the rocks, moving them, or messing with the aptasia at all, makes it spread like fire. Okay, don't panic there is a cure... peppermint shrimp...add them to the tank, don't feed them, if you feed them they won't be hungry enough to hunt down the aptasia, they will eat it. Zap the ones you can with Joe's juice or Aptasia X, and let the shrimp keep it under control for you, they feed on the little ones that crop up, but not so much the big granddaddy ones...zap those with the above mentioned stuff.

You can indeed remove some rock, I don't understand why people think they need so much rock the poor fish have no place to even swim. Personally I use a mix of live rock and fake décor (one of my tanks have branch rock and Roman columns, the other has a ships wheel, and anchor along with live rock) make the tank look good for you, rocks allow tiny critters to live in it, which helps the tank to be a natural filter, but those critters will settle in to live in anything in the tank, even fake décor.

Algae can't grow without phosphates and nitrates, so you need to do lots of water changes to get your water pristine (Use RO reverse osmosis water for your mix, and top offs) never use tap water. if you have a wet/dry you have a sump system, the original owner most likely used a HOB filter to catch the big stuff (I do that too), so it's a combo filter method. HOB's are great for swapping out media such as carbon.

You need a refractometer (best choice, more accurate) or hydrometer, to be able to make sure the SG in the tank matches your change water, top off is when you add only freshwater to bring the water level back to the original water line. Water evaporates, salt does not, so replace the evaporated water with fresh RO water. You can mark your water line with a piece of tape.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Flower did a good job of explaining a lot of it. Here's a guide that can help you more with a lot more information on some of your questions.

https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/index.php?threads/guides-for-new-hobbyists.388776/

I suggest going ahead and buying a refractometer, a reverse osmosis deionization unit and a digital thermometer. Also, a good, cheap timer for your lights. Add a GFCI unit to your power outlet or replalce the whole outlet with a new GFCI. This make ssure you don't get electrocuted while working on your tank.

Pictures would help a lot in identifying exactly what organisms are in your tank. Since your a new hobbyist, misidentification is pretty common.

 

[pegasus]

Wow... welcome to the saltwater hobby! Looks like you're cutting your teeth on a good challenge. It can, however, be done. If the tank was neglected (sounds like it was), it can be fixed. Those "zoanthid" type creatures are most likely Aiptasia, as these tend to thrive in less than pristine conditions. They will do good in a pristine tank as well, but the nastier the water, the faster they'll spread. Aiptasia can be identified by their long, brown tentacles, and their ability to retract into the holes in the rocks they attach to. You have a couple of options... try to deal with them by using an Aiptasia killer and peppermint shrimp, or removing the rocks and letting them dry out. Drying the rocks will kill the Aiptasia and hair algae, but will also kill the beneficial bacteria any other organisms and coralline algae that lives in/on the rock(s). You will basically be starting from scratch, which in severe cases, may be the best option. If you choose this option, the rocks will have to be thoroughly dried, scrubbed, and then cured. Your sand should be okay as long as it's not extremely filthy. Just keep some water covering it with a heater and powerhead for flow to keep the beneficial bacteria alive. When your rocks have cycled and are put back in the tank, the bacteria in the sand will migrate into the rocks and they will become live again. It's a slow process, but again, it may be your best option. It all depends on the severity of the situation.

If it's not too severe, another option is to fill the tank with fresh saltwater and leave it blacked out for a week to kill all of the nuisance algae, and then deal with the Aiptasia problem manually. Aiptasia X glues the anemone's mouth shut, so it's not able to release it's gametes into the water column, and it eventually implodes on itself. It can take a while to find all of these critters, but it's very doable if you have access to all sides of the rock(s).

If you have a small tank (or even a plastic container), you can place the Kenya trees and any other critters in it for holding until the tank is ready. While not ideal, a 23W (daylight, spiral) fluorescent bulb and reflector lamp (available at most hardware stores) will keep them alive for the time it takes to get the tank up and running. The key to being successful in this hobby is patience. You never want to rush anything, unless it's an emergency situation. I encountered a similar situation when I got into this hobby. The tank was semi-neglected, and had all kinds of issues that I had to resolve before I could start to enjoy it. Fortunately, I had a small tropical fish tank that I filled with saltwater and was able to keep the fish and corals in until the big tank was ready. It took over a month to get there, but it was well worth the wait. Do it right, and you'll be rewarded with many years of enjoyment. I won't sugar coat it... there will be some disappointments along the way, but the if done right, the good far exceeds the bad. There is no other hobby like this, and we want to see you succeed. Never hesitate to ask for help, and remember, there are no such things as stupid questions... there are only stupid answers. We'll do our best to make sure they aren't... lol!

 

[JC mcintosh]

First thanks so much for the advice, and sorry about the run on paragraphs I'm totally new to the forum discussion. I have taken some pictures of the tank and equipment. I hope I will post them with no problem. After looking this morning I believe it would be the best just to start over. The tank and equipment have been so neglected that I have to clean it all anyway. Here are some pics. Please tell me if you guys would start over or if I can go from what I have. Ok after many attempts to post pics from my phone, my files are appearantly too large to post. Sorry about that.
Ok for a basic description of the tank it has green algea all over every part of the glass. The sand has purple, red, and brown places in it with what look to be some things growing out of it that look like sand but they are growing straight up out of the sand.
The rock has hair algea all over it and aptasia all over the rock as well.
The tank stinks. Smells like old fish water to be honest.
Without pictures I know it would be hard to accurately tell what is going on and I will do my best to try and figure out how to post some. At this point I believe my best option would be to just start over. Clean the tank and equipment and rock and everything. After doing research last night this tank looks like it has been neglected to a terminal level.
Again thanks for all the help so far and I will definately need lots of help starting this tank over.

 

[lmforbis]

Try emailing yourself the pics. That should resize them, then post them.

 

[JC mcintosh]

Thanks Imforbis! the most obvious things always slip by me

 

[JC mcintosh]

ok i think i have finally got them to where i can post them. as you will be able to tell the neglect of the tank and equipment is pretty severe. I take full responsibility for it. I am very new to this whole hobby and like i stated earlier I want to do this the right way and it looks as if i have started off in a very severe way.

 

[JC mcintosh]

I believe starting over is honestly my best option but I am open to any and all suggestions and/ or advice. Thanks ladies and gentlemen for being patient with a noob that has no clue about this hobby.

 

[pegasus]

I believe starting over is honestly my best option but I am open to any and all suggestions and/ or advice. Thanks ladies and gentlemen for being patient with a noob that has no clue about this hobby.

As much as I hate to say it, I think a reset is in order. It's worse than I thought, so yeah... if were me, I'd definitely start over with that one. I believe it's past the point of no return. And I only thought my tank was in bad shape when I got it! If comparing my tank to yours is anything like a title bout, you'd win with a TKO!!!

Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. Patience is something that everyone here has. It's a vital part of the saltwater hobby. Nothing good happens in a hurry when it comes to saltwater, but bad things can, and do... so never rush anything. Unless it's an emergency, bad things tend to happen when someone gets in too big a hurry. Too much livestock too fast is the worst one...

If you plan to be in this hobby long-term, you want to do it right. Clean that mess up, salvage what you can, and proceed slowly. You can scrub those rocks to remove as much algae as possible, then store them in a darkened container with a heater and powerhead. This will kill the algae and keep the rock "live". It's going to take some elbow grease to clean the tank, but persistence will pay off. If you're careful not to scratch it (glass?), you can use a heavy duty algae scraper to remove it fairly quickly. A single-edge razor blade in a scraper with a screwed clamp can be pretty handy. If you plan on using the HOB filter, a couple of days of soaking in vinegar will make cleaning it a lot easier. Hydor makes a cleaner called Magi-Klean that works better than vinegar.

If the sand is usable, you can rinse it in fresh saltwater by filling the bucket 2/3 full of sand, and adding enough water to fill the bucket. Staining it through a large mesh screen can help remove some of the clumps, although some (if not all) may be worm tubes that are beneficial to keeping the sand clean. Judging by the pics, you have a lot of them. You'll want to keep some of those.

 

[JC mcintosh]

Pegasus, thanks for the advice. I also got the joke and yes I laughed. No offense taken here at all, so you don't need to apologize for that.
I am planning on starting from scratch. I am going to have to buy a big tub to put the rock in.
How do I know if the sand is reusable?
What is better in all of your opinions as to staying with the HOB filter or going to a sump underneath? And why? My tank is glass and not drilled or anything like that. Remember you are talking to basically a child when it comes to this hobby.
If you don't mind could you walk me through the steps or point me in the direction of an article I can read that walks me through the process from cleaning and restoring the tank to starting it up all over again.
I really do appreciate all the help! I will need plenty more during this process. I really do want to do this the right way. I guess by cleaning and restoring this tank I will be able to learn by doing that as well. Also I've already learned on my third day with the tank, not to neglect it! Haha
Thanks again and I appreciate all the help and advice!

 

[mauler]

What about hydrogen peroxide or bleach? You could dump some of either in and it will kill the algae and possibly the apsatia.

 

[Dflo]

Welcome JC. You have come a great place to learn. These ladies and gentlemen on here have been a great help to me. I could not agree more with everyone else and say patience is huge with this hobby. I have learned that the hard way some. It can be very hard but it is very important. Good luck with the clean up and look forward to seeing your progress

 

[pegasus]

What about hydrogen peroxide or bleach? You could dump some of either in and it will kill the algae and possibly the apsatia.

If you want to kill everything, yes, this will kill it... then you have to deal with residual contamination. I highly suggest against using harsh chemicals to clean the rocks and sand.

Sorry, I can't find any links to articles that will walk you through the process. The main thing to be concerned with at the moment is getting it clean. The rocks can be cleared of algae and aiptasia simply by drying it out and giving it a good blasting with a nozzle on a water hose to remove the heavy debris. It will have to be re-cured. There are threads on this site (and thousands more) that can walk you through the rock curing process, as well as cycling the tank after it's set up. If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to ask.

After giving it much thought, if it were my tank, I would start fresh and replace all of the sand, just to be safe. The glass can be cleaned by scraping the algae off with a scraper (trust me, I know). Evaluate your equipment to see if it will suit your needs (present and future), toss what won't be used, and clean the kept stuff. Plan your course for the aquarium, and gather a list of everything that will need to be purchased. It's better to have it early, rather than scrambling to come up with it after the tank is up and running. Personally, I prefer to have a sump under my tank, as this offers a higher total water volume. This allows for more gradual changes in the system, giving you more time to evaluate and correct any issues that may arise. It also provides space for a larger skimmer, and also a refugium for growing pods and for nutrient export using macro algae if you prefer... not to mention that it keeps all of your equipment tucked away and out of sight.

 

[mauler]

I wouldn't consider them harsh chemicals hydrogen peroxide will completely remove itself in 48 hours and bleach can be removed very easily with a dechlorinator and if he's gonna restart the tank I think this might be an easier way

 

[flower]

I would start over too. The equipment, filters, power heads and such are all very corroded. Get a couple of gallons of vinegar and soak everything after you clean it manually as much as possible. Place stuff in buckets and pure fresh water over it, and dump the vinegar in, everything will look brand new in a few days.

That isn't a sump, it doesn't look like any wet/dry I have ever seen (I am no expert on wet/dry filters)... But it looks almost like some kind of canister filter to me...

 

[pegasus]

I would start over too. The equipment, filters, power heads and such are all very corroded. Get a couple of gallons of vinegar and soak everything after you clean it manually as much as possible. Place stuff in buckets and pure fresh water over it, and dump the vinegar in, everything will look brand new in a few days.

That isn't a sump, it doesn't look like any wet/dry I have ever seen (I am no expert on wet/dry filters)... But it looks almost like some kind of canister filter to me...

Agreed. I thought it looked like some type of canister filter, which is why I suggested a sump or refugium. Canister filters are a PITA to maintain, not to mention the cost of operation (filters, floss, cleanup, etc.).

I wouldn't consider them harsh chemicals hydrogen peroxide will completely remove itself in 48 hours and bleach can be removed very easily with a dechlorinator and if he's gonna restart the tank I think this might be an easier way

Hydrogen peroxide isn't as harsh as chlorine bleach... this is true. The problem with bleach is that it will absorb deep into the rocks, and it will be almost impossible to neutralize all. It'll wind up leeching into the new system, and nothing will grow on those rocks for a long, long time. The cons outweigh the pros by a long shot. I would use nothing on the rocks... other than water. Another option for the rocks, rather than drying them, would be total blackout for about a week or two. Without light, the algae will eventually die. It'll still need to be scrubbed and rinsed to remove the death and decay. This method will do nothing for aiptasia. If it were my tank, I'd dry, rinse, dry rinse, and then re-cure the rocks. Adding a bacteria booster to the curing vat will seed and speed up the process. Just my 2c...

 

[flower]

I think all you have to do to kill everything living in the rock is soak the rock in freshwater (RO: reverse osmosis) The tub will actually turn to saltwater because of what is in the rocks, so you may need to soak it for a day, and then dump the water and refill the tub and let it soak some more. Then set it out to dry. I wouldn't add any chemicals at all. Soaking stuff in vinegar will clean the equipment after you scrub off what you can, till it looks brand spanking new after just a few days. That IMO is the safest way to do it.

If your tank is not glass, don't try and scrap it with a razor scraper...if it's glass, it's an easy clean up, it will scrape right off with very little effort. Sorry but I don't know what to do with acrylic to clean it up, I always had glass tanks.

 

[pegasus]

I think all you have to do to kill everything living in the rock is soak the rock in freshwater (RO: reverse osmosis) The tub will actually turn to saltwater because of what is in the rocks, so you may need to soak it for a day, and then dump the water and refill the tub and let it soak some more. Then set it out to dry. I wouldn't add any chemicals at all. Soaking stuff in vinegar will clean the equipment after you scrub off what you can, till it looks brand spanking new after just a few days. That IMO is the safest way to do it.

If your tank is not glass, don't try and scrap it with a razor scraper...if it's glass, it's an easy clean up, it will scrape right off with very little effort. Sorry but I don't know what to do with acrylic to clean it up, I always had glass tanks.

+1.

 

[john suh]

Dang that looked to have been a great setup at one point. Unfortunate he let it go down the tubes but life happens sometimes. Good luck in your clean up!