mandarin w
Member
About two weeks ago, I resued a 29 gal tank. It was in probly to worse condition a tank could be in. First of all the people who had set this tank up were using only a air pump with that little box (the one we all used as kids, box, carbon and cotton) air line runs to air pump. That was the filtration on a salt water set up. On top of that the person who set up the tank believe that the very thick green slime sludge junk was her natural bio system that was keeping her tank healthy the guy at the LFS told her so. She hadn't cleaned it in over a year. She was wondering why It stunk so bad, why her fish were dying, (Which she left the dead fish and inverts in the tank. It provided a natural bio system. (No one swims around the ocean picking up dead bodies and getting rid of them)! Unbelievable. Any way I took the tank down, Saved a tomatoe clown, cleaner shrimp and a sexy shrimp. Took them home and put them in my quarintine tank. Been two weeks all three are doing fine. (Except the clown doesn't come out from the rocks except the eat, hopfully she come out of her shell soon.) The rock on the other hand was a terible mess. But I did want to save it, if I could. It is Hayti shelf very nice pieces. Then were totally covered with bristle worms and big one too. As big and my finger, (That was the put just sticking out of the rock.) There must have been 20 that I could see. So I did a search and found info on the net not real sure how good but I tried. I put all the rock in a rubermaid tub, boiled pots of water, and poured it over the rock. I did this until both tubs where full of water, and let them soak over night. The next day I pulled the rock out and for the most part the sludge was gone, but the deep pours still had the green alge deep inside. So I asked the guy at my LFS what I could use. I was told I could scrub the rock with with a mild bleach water, or better yet just soak it over night with about a cup of bleach in each tub. Then change out the water with fresh clean water several times a day and add some Prime or Stress Coat the remove the clorine. When I no longer smell bleach then I can put it back in salt water and start cycleing the rock again. I no time it will be live rock again. Better than it was before, Now only good stuff will growing in it. Well It did this and after two weeks of changing water and adding the Prime yesterday I started the 29 gal up with the salt water. and the bacteria stuff they told me to use. I know this sounds bad, They assured me that they do this all the time. So yesterday when I stopped by to ask them how to go about doing the cycleing thing He acted like he didn't know what I was talking about. He says he would never tell anyone to clean anything on their tank with bleach. So now I'm asking you all. What should I or could I do now. Should just let it run and see if it works and I get live rock. How will I know if it worked. I figure I will try for about two months . Do I work it as if I am starting a new tank. Cycle it will I have the normal spikes and so on??? :help:
