How to tear a tank down??

[TCKTME]

After the Ich wiped out our tank, all we have left is the CUC and 2 cleaner shrimp. My wife is very disapointed and wants nothing to do with it. Between the LFS that sold us the useless filters(Skilter), told us not to go with LR, a CC substrate and the other LFS that let my wife buy fish every week, I'm not real happy either. I would rather keep it and start all over from scratch. We have some big bucks wraped up in it. I'd hate to see it be money wasted (although we already have wasted quite a bit).

This is where I need some help. I plan of throwing away the crushed coral substrate and usuing sand from Lowes or HD and some LS for a 2-3" SB. What to do with the 120lbs LR? Just leave it in and do a HUGE water change?

What do I do with the CUC and cleaner shrimp? Do I need to get a 10 or 20gl "QT" setup with some small pieces of LR?

We also purchesed a Remora HOB skimmer. I still want to use that.

I came across a Aqua Clear 125 wet/dry filter setup for $125. Should I pass on that? Can it be used as a refuge also?

My goal as of right now is to get rid of the HOB filters, use the Remora HOB skimmer, have a sand bed and not have any more issues with the tank setup. I want to do it right this time.

Jason

75gl


http://www.buckeyestangs.com/cmine/albums/userpics/10134/tank.jpg

[sir_dudeguy]

so wait...you already have the 120 lbs of live rock.. corect? KEEP IT! you will need it, do not get rid of it as that is expensive....

also, you are breaking the tank down do to ick? if so, do you know what the water parameters are? bad water could be the cause of ich...the skilters are garbage, specially on a 75. I just got a remora c skimmer on my 55 this last week. So far i love it..pulling out a ton of crap...you do however have to adjust the cup height to get it to skim at the correct speed/dryness that you want...

judging by that pic, the only thing i would do is get the crushed coral out (you can empty most of the water into a rubbermaid..or just enough so that all your rock will fit in it and be under water...then once you get all the rock out, just dump the cc out).

then, you can add your sand..the live rock will be fine in the rubbermaid for a few days..just throw in a powerhead or something to make flow...

for sand tho...i've heard that HD does have a sand that can be used for saltwater, but i've heard a lot of people not like the stuff, but i dont know why..you cant get just any sand either i dont think...i'm thinkin the name is southdown or something...
or better yet you could just get aragonite...40 bucks for 40 lbs...not enough for a 75 so i'd get at least 60 which will prolly run you around 60 or something dollars.

then once you get the sand in, fill it up, (w/saltwater of course lol) and put your rock back in. you can either use the water thats still in the rubbermaid or just use completley new water...i'd prolly use new water because if the water actually had something bad w/it, then it will still be there..

then get ur skimmer on there, and make sure you got enough flow..which from the pic i can see 2 powerheads, look like maxijets..could prolly use 1 more at least, but w/no corals you're fine how it is.

and were u using RO water? I dont, but thats the next big thing on my list..it takes out all the bad stuff in the water so you know its not your water thats gonna cause anything.

im sure i didnt cover it all, but i gotta go
hope this helps

[hansonfam]

HI.

As long as you didn't treat the tank with copper your live rock will be fine.Ich only infects fish not the rock. I would leave the tank empty with no fish for 4 weeks as when the ich have no fish to adhere to they will die.

Lisa

[TCKTME]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7670508#post7670508 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hansonfam
HI.

As long as you didn't treat the tank with copper your live rock will be fine.Ich only infects fish not the rock. I would leave the tank empty with no fish for 4 weeks as when the ich have no fish to adhere to they will die.

Lisa

I was told by a LFS owner I can't use copper due to the CUC. My snails and tiny starfish would die.

My water param's have been fine for 3 weeks. RO water only.

sir_dudeguy- Thanks for the tips. I thought the LR would be OK for a couple days in the Brute. Will I need to setup the light for it?
The tank needs a new substrate. This is why I want to "tear" it down.

What about the AC wet/dry setup? It has bio balls. I "hear" that the BB's aren't that great.

Jason

[wav3form]

Get rid of the bio balls and just use the wet/dry as a sump. Put some live rock in the sump if you can.

[sir_dudeguy]

ya i hear you on getting a new substrate. and imo no you dont need a light on the rock...you possibly could lose some coraline if there is any, but it will be fine just keep a powerhead in there.

and dont use the bioballs...lost of people use them sure..but if you dont clean them every time you're sposed to, you can end up w/a huge nitrate problem..even w/just filter media that can happen, as it did w/my tank just a week ago.

If the wet dry is big enough, which i have no clue how big they are, then you can just use it as a sump..if it doesnt have baffles, you could make some, and make 3 sep. compartments...one for your skimmer (although its a hang on, so you might be putting it on the tank?) one for a fuge, and one for the area the water comes in...but IMO, you can save a hundred bucks and just use any acrylic tank...in fact, if you really dont care what the sump looks like (which i know i dont) then you can just use a rubbermaid and put baffles in yourself...cheapest possible way right there, but it has the same effectiveness as the others...

and the lfs was somewhat right...dont use copper...and in my experience, ich meds dont really help..faster just to clear it all out...they wont live on rock, only fish, and if you dont put the fish back in, you're good.

HTH
mike

[meco65]

Ich is a paracite and can live in a tank and in rock as well , the only shure way to get rid of it is to leave your tank fish less for no less than 6 weeks. You can go ahead and change out the sand I would use araganite, and you will need to rinse it realy good. Also the six week time fram will let you have time to QT a new fish or two if the reson you are taking down the tank was ich than you will understand the need to QT any new fish that goes in the tank, and you will want to use the hyposalinity methed on them as well. As any new fish can have ich and you may not see it. Here are some good links on QT & hyposalinity. Hope this helps.

http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/ich.html
http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/quarantine.html

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html