Tank Makeover Steps (Help)

[cmc3502]

I have a tank that started off 9 months ago as a FOWLR Aggressive tank.. about 3 months into it I had ich and used copper knowing that my live sand and rock would have die off and be base rock. That worked out fine and that where I'm at today, a happy FO Aggressive tank.
I now have given in to the temptation of making this tank a Reef tank, so this is the plan I have... (obviously the copper is out and tested for). STOP USING TAB WATER...
1. Slowly bleach the rocks that I have a group at a time because they're dark brown from using tap water (i know better but was lazy with a FO tank)
2. Then buy some more LR and LS to seed the tank...
3. I have 2 x 110W VHO lighting. DO you think I should upgrade to 3 or 4 bulbs to give me either 330W or 440W ?? (what corals, etc.)
4. Now heres the sad part. I will have to give up my valetine puffer (although i've heard some will be reef safe) and for sure my HUMA HUMA trigger.
5. Then add coral frags from my other tank...
Sound about right???

 

[mr_x]

first of all, i believe that copper is still in that tank. they say it will slowly leach out of the live rock for a long time to come.
secondly, once you get all of the excess nutrients out of that tank with new R.O.D.I. water, the brown algae will slowly disappear. i don't think "bleaching" the rock is necessary.
the tank is already established.you don't need to "seed" the tank with anything.
how deep is your tank and how old are the vho lamps? what corals are you planning to keep in this reef?

 

[spiderwoman]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2594883
first of all, i believe that copper is still in that tank. they say it will slowly leach out of the live rock for a long time to come.
That LR is gone. Like MrX said, the copper will still keep leaching out of the LR no matter how much you've prepared it. It's in the pores of the LR. That is why you're instructed to remove LR from the tank when you plan on using copper or even hypo.

 

[cmc3502]

that said... will I now have trouble with a reef being that there will still be copper 'leaking' out of the rocks? And how is it that I dont need to seed the tank? I would have though that all the living beneficial things would have died with the copper? the tank is 12" deep I think and the bulbs are 3-4 months old. I plan on keep mostly softies and LPS, but can I keep SPS under VHOs? How much VHO watts?
So Bleaching is not needed? Right now the brown is so dark and hard to remove that I can even get it all off when I scrub them with a toothbrush...

 

[mr_x]

the depth of the tank is more important than the total watts.
i think you have plenty of light for whatever you want.
the brown algae will disappear once it's food source is gone.
you have a 12" deep aggressive tank? with a trigger in it?

 

[cmc3502]

so I guess I'll wait on that bleaching rock thing... I will test for phosphates when I get home.. although I know that if there is algae then phosphates must be present and I can treat for that. I will also be doing a 10 gallon water change tonight as I will continue to try and get all the 'tap' water out of my system. The rocks seem almost stained brown, but I'll cross my fingers that the stuff comes off.
Are we talking about tank height? My tank is actually 13" deep and 21" tall. So what can I keep with 220W VHO? SPS? Clams?

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by cmc3502
http:///forum/post/2594965
that said... will I now have trouble with a reef being that there will still be copper 'leaking' out of the rocks? And how is it that I dont need to seed the tank? I would have though that all the living beneficial things would have died with the copper? the tank is 12" deep I think and the bulbs are 3-4 months old. I plan on keep mostly softies and LPS, but can I keep SPS under VHOs? How much VHO watts?
So Bleaching is not needed? Right now the brown is so dark and hard to remove that I can even get it all off when I scrub them with a toothbrush...
No point in bleaching your rock, as others have said you need to get rid of the old rock (trade or sell to someone who is running FO and using copper). The copper leaching into your system will kill all invertebrates (snails, hermits, pods, corals, etc.). Don't know how true it is, but I have also heard that the silicon in your tank can store copper as well. There is a copper test you can purchase and use to determine if any copper is left in your system once you remove the LR.

 

[cmc3502]

well I have a few copper test that i have used.(the ones I used while treating to monitor levels), but I have heard that just grabbing water from the tank and testing is not so accurate as it might not be in the 'free flowing' water but in the sandbed, etc. I hate to rid of all the rock. If the rock does have copper on it, does bleaching clean that away? (maybe I should reconsider that option). I think as a first step, I can get a few snails or inverts that my huma will leave alone, if there is such a thing, or maybe get one of those fry boxes and have the invert live in there with some sand or hang out in my sump with some sand from the tank.
What do you think?

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by cmc3502
http:///forum/post/2595902
well I have a few copper test that i have used.(the ones I used while treating to monitor levels), but I have heard that just grabbing water from the tank and testing is not so accurate as it might not be in the 'free flowing' water but in the sandbed, etc. I hate to rid of all the rock. If the rock does have copper on it, does bleaching clean that away? (maybe I should reconsider that option). I think as a first step, I can get a few snails or inverts that my huma will leave alone, if there is such a thing, or maybe get one of those fry boxes and have the invert live in there with some sand or hang out in my sump with some sand from the tank.
What do you think?
To my knowledge bleaching does not remove copper

. I personally wouldn't try adding any inverts to you eliminate all the copper ~ otherwise, you're just sentencing them to death; if not eaten, then poisoned by the copper.

 

[cmc3502]

yea..looks like some on the board say that the copper in the LR, LS, silicon thing is a wifes tale. I tested a while back after treatment and charcoal use and had a very low reading of copper, but I will also test it now and see if it is below the .04ppm or whatever it is that is safe. I know that many people have had a reef with some copper reading in there, just very low. I used coppersafe btw. I guess no bleaching will be done then.