What do you think?

becky2312

becky2312

New Member
I've decided I want to try to get a saltwater tank up and going and have been trying to research everything. Want to get about a 55 gallon, and had planned on probably using live sand and live rock to start out and get everything cycled. I ran across an ad for a 55 gallon tank with stand already set up (for 4 or 5 years), for $250.00. Talked to the guy last night. He said he had crushed coral for the base. Is that okay to use? Could you add some sand on top of it? He has some live rock (not sure how much, but he said he spent $200 or $300.00 on the rock). He said he has two fish - a "nemo" fish and I can't remember what else - some kind of damsel maybe - No coral or mushrooms - Maybe a blue crab, but he hasn't seen it in a while - Some kind of Coralife lights that he said he paid $299 for - and then some kind of carbon filter. He didn't mention any powerheads or protein skimmers, so I don't know about that (had to cut the phone call short). I told him I might try to come and look at it this weekend. Do you think it might be worth buying, or should I just start from scratch? And the big question - how the heck do you move 55 gallons of saltwater (and all the stuff that goes with it)?!?!?!?!?
 
andrew1113

andrew1113

Member
if i were you i would not take the crushed coral
everyone complains about it and its really hard to take out later if you decide you dont like it
so i would just go and buy live sand from your lfs
 
U

usirchchris

Guest
Originally Posted by becky2312
http:///forum/post/2690671
I've decided I want to try to get a saltwater tank up and going and have been trying to research everything. Want to get about a 55 gallon, and had planned on probably using live sand and live rock to start out and get everything cycled. I ran across an ad for a 55 gallon tank with stand already set up (for 4 or 5 years), for $250.00. Talked to the guy last night. He said he had crushed coral for the base. Is that okay to use? Could you add some sand on top of it? He has some live rock (not sure how much, but he said he spent $200 or $300.00 on the rock). He said he has two fish - a "nemo" fish and I can't remember what else - some kind of damsel maybe - No coral or mushrooms - Maybe a blue crab, but he hasn't seen it in a while - Some kind of Coralife lights that he said he paid $299 for - and then some kind of carbon filter. He didn't mention any powerheads or protein skimmers, so I don't know about that (had to cut the phone call short). I told him I might try to come and look at it this weekend. Do you think it might be worth buying, or should I just start from scratch? And the big question - how the heck do you move 55 gallons of saltwater (and all the stuff that goes with it)?!?!?!?!?

To answer quickly...the price does not seem bad. Crushed coral is generally considered not good, and becomes a problem causing high nitrates. I have no personal experience with this, just what others have said. You can always take that out though and add sand no problem. Specifics on equipment are important to really tell you if the deal is good or not. To move 55 gallons of water...no problem. Get the fish into a container, and buy a couple big rubber maid tubs, buckets, anything to distribute the weight out to smaller amounts. I did a 125 and kept about half the water (moved in 5 tubs) then filled the other half with new water.
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
no. the crushed coral will always surface. i would get rid of the cc.
moving a 5 year old cc bed will turn out to be a mess. you'll have alot of crap in the water unless this guy was meticulous about his tank, and if he was, he probably wouldn't be getting rid of it.
i would put the live rock in buckets or rubbermaid totes(walmart/HD) with the tank water and move it that way. live rock can go anywhere from 3 dollars a pound up to about 10 dollars...if he's got a good amount in there...that's probably a 100-150 dollar value right there.
buy new sand and rinse it then add to the tank, then put the saltwater and rock back in. you might have a small cycle, so don't add any livestock for a little while.
 
becky2312

becky2312

New Member
Thanks! I was thinking I had read that crushed coral was not a good idea. I may try to go look at the tank and see what he has as far as equipment and live rocks. If there is quite a bit of live rock in there, and the tank, etc. is in good shape, the tank, stand and rock alone should be worth what he's asking for it I would think. I like the idea of just getting rid of the coral, putting the rocks and water back in, and adding new sand instead of the coral. Will I be able to get the water and rocks out though without disturbing all the crushed coral and having a mess - is what's left of the coral (particles in the water, etc.) going to cause problems later?
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
if you siphon most of the water into bins first, then pull the rocks...you won't get any crap from the cc.
 
pnkflydlvr

pnkflydlvr

Member
not only does crushed coral make your nitrates go up, but it also doesn't look as nice as sand, imo. unless you can figure out how to switch the coral with live sand, i would start from scratch.
 
onyx

onyx

Member
Originally Posted by becky2312
http:///forum/post/2690701
Will I be able to get the water and rocks out though without disturbing all the crushed coral and having a mess - is what's left of the coral (particles in the water, etc.) going to cause problems later?
To move it, I suggest you remove and save as much of the original water as possible. Also, it is always a good idea to remove the living creatures before doing anything else IMO unless they are hiding within the rock work.
Move the rock out only after the water level falls below that specific rock since moving a rock underwater can release stored up ammonia and detritus into the water you want to preserve. As long as the rocks stay damp, a short period of exposure to the air won't damage anything. If possible, gently wash the rock in a separate bucket of saltwater to remove any loose materials (detritus, ect.).
Finally, toss out the cc after all the rock is out and only a little water remains in the aquarium (you can throw out that water with the cc as it will most likely be mucky and cloudy). Definitely wash the sand before you put it in. As long as the rocks are live, the sand bed should eventually repopulate. To speed up this process, perhaps go to your LFS and ask if you can have a cup of live sand from one of their display tanks (The matured bed will be crawling with beneficial organisms).
The price seems fair but be careful when purchasing the aquarium. The equipment seems minimal at best so don't be surprised if the whole thing is disgusting from lack of maintenance or has a major problem. Not saying that will happen for sure, but its something to watch out for. Hope this helps,
Mike.
 
becky2312

becky2312

New Member
Thanks everyone! I think I may go try to look at it this weekend and just see what the tank looks like. If it's in good shape and has quite a bit of live rock, it may be worth it . . . if not, I'll keep looking for another setup or just start from scratch!
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2690683
no. the crushed coral will always surface. i would get rid of the cc.
moving a 5 year old cc bed will turn out to be a mess. you'll have alot of crap in the water unless this guy was meticulous about his tank, and if he was, he probably wouldn't be getting rid of it.
i would put the live rock in buckets or rubbermaid totes(walmart/HD) with the tank water and move it that way. live rock can go anywhere from 3 dollars a pound up to about 10 dollars...if he's got a good amount in there...that's probably a 100-150 dollar value right there.
buy new sand and rinse it then add to the tank, then put the saltwater and rock back in. you might have a small cycle, so don't add any livestock for a little while.
Mr. X,
Why wash the new LS?
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
well, i meant dry aragonite(sugar sized) based sand. i don't believe in buying storebought "live sand".
all that's in it is bacteria anyway...she's already got live rock. she doesn't need the added expense. seed it with a handful of live if you want. but either way, it will become live eventually.
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
well, what they say about it is probably true, but my experience is, the dry sand you can buy at the lfs will become as "alive" as the sand above in time.
 
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