1st tank Reuse Sand/Rock?

[Tochase]

Never had a tank and bought this off a guy: “75 gallon tank with two jebao wave makers and jebao return pump also have a bubble magus curve 5. The light are 2 UFO LED lights by Zetlight along with wifi controller. Also have a 4 stage RODI.”

my question: do I reuse his sand/rock/water? His rock has some green hair algae and there’s some torches and a couple zoas that don’t look amazing and (2) clownfish he will be giving me. He’s admitted to not maintaining it well and that’s the reason he’s getting ride of it.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I would syphon out all the existing water you can to be reused when setting up tank, do this before disturbing the tank so water is clear.

it‘s ok to reuse the rock but I would scrub off any algae you can and give it a good rinse in a bucket of old tank water before using.

IMO toss the old sand and replace with new however saving a few cups of it to add to your new sand bed will help jump start beneficial bacteria in your substrate.. make sure you rinse the old sand really well in some old tank water before placing in your newly set up system.

BTW.. welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Cell]

Rock, yes. Sand/water, no.

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

I would ask if he had ever treated with any medicine or anything that could hurt future live stock that could be in rock.
I would start with new stuff IMO each to his own. And welcome to R2R !!!

 

[Katrina71]

I would use new sand. Old rock.

 

[samnaz]

Don’t reuse the sand, unless you plan on giving it a very very thorough rinsing clean. IMO it’s not worth the time and effort. I would reuse the rock.

 

[Redleg]

I made the mistake of reusing the sand bed in a tank I bought. Just don't, especially since he admitted to not maintaining it. You had better read up on aptasia, flat worms,and gha. All of which might be hiding in that live rock.

 

[Tochase]

Thank you for the welcome and replies ya'll!

I should have pics later this am as I go to pick it up. It sounds like it's a basic set up, but it was a 75 gallon tank with all the aforementioned for $400.

Once I shop vac out all the sand, what's the best way to clean the tank so I know I start fresh?

The tank itself looks pretty clean, but he says there are some mini starfish (?) which multiply rapidly.

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

Thank you for the welcome and replies ya'll!

I should have pics later this am as I go to pick it up. It sounds like it's a basic set up, but it was a 75 gallon tank with all the aforementioned for $400.

Once I shop vac out all the sand, what's the best way to clean the tank so I know I start fresh?

The tank itself looks pretty clean, but he says there are some mini starfish (?) which multiply rapidly.

Probably the Astra starfish they can munch on zoa's I would remove them if that what it is.

 

[SPR1968]

I would use new sand defiantly , but I would be a little weary about the rock in case it’s absorbed phosphate which could start leaching back out, especially If the tank has been poorly maintained as you say, and absorbed a lot of it

When phosphate in the water and rocks are in equilibrium like in an established tank for example, your fine, but if you introduce clean water, there could well be a slow release out of the rock work back into the water, albeit slowly.

So depending on how much rock there is to reuse, if there isn’t much, it might be something else to consider getting new. You don’t want someone else’s issues in your first Marine tank.

And welcome to R2R as well!

 

[Retro Reefer]

Thank you for the welcome and replies ya'll!

I should have pics later this am as I go to pick it up. It sounds like it's a basic set up, but it was a 75 gallon tank with all the aforementioned for $400.

Once I shop vac out all the sand, what's the best way to clean the tank so I know I start fresh?

The tank itself looks pretty clean, but he says there are some mini starfish (?) which multiply rapidly.

IMO If your transfering fish and corals with this system your going to have to expedite the set up process and this is why you need as much old tank water as possible and stick with the old rock be it good or bad. Unless your going to rehouse the livestock this needs to be treated as a tank move and not a new tank set up.

Your probably not going to be able to do a vinegar or citrus acid deep cleaning on the tank, just scrape glass clean with razor blade and call it a day..

I would just deal with the astrea’s as you find them in my experience they are not that hard to keep in check with manual removal if your persistent.

 

[splitting_lanes]

Reuse the rock & most of the water. Reusing the rock will help transfer all the good bacteria and reduce the cycle impact. reusing the water will minimize shock to the fish and coral.

dont reuse the sand. Except maybe a little as suggested above.

 

[destro]

Good start with all the equipment. Make sure your RODI is working properly out of the gate. Replace the resin, pre-filter, carbon and membrane if they are exhausted.

I'd start from scratch and use all new water, rock, and sand.

New rock because you want to create your own aquascape and have all the rocks match.
Toss out the water and sand. It's like jumping into someone's dirty laundry. You might just get wet smelly towel that was sealed in bag, in the trunk of a car parked outside on the hottest day.

Good luck with your tank and welcome to R2R!

 

[BeejReef]

That's a great deal!

It's conceptual IMHO. You bought a used, running system with livestock.

If you really want a full teardown and sterilization, you need a second tank for your animals while you spend a month or two getting your DT ready.

Short of that, you have to re-use the live rock you have or you're putting your new pets into an uncycled tank. Using his live rock means you will have whatever pests he did.... pretty much no matter how carefully you clean the tank, scrub the rocks, or discard the sand.

I'd still give those rocks a strong scrubbing and hydrogen peroxide spray to knock back any algae. If you're planning on a quick drive home and a fast set up, be very careful of how you clean the tank itself. No soaps, no bleach (bleach is ok if you let it air dry for a full day). U can use vinegar to quickly clean the tank, but you'll spend $50-$75 bucks on 20+ gallons of the stuff if you need to make a solution strong enough to clean the tank in 4-6 hours and not 24-48.

Saltwater tanks look horrible when they're empty and dry, but it'll look great as soon as you get water back into it.

 

[Tochase]

I used the existing water and sand, put the couple clown fish, skunk shrimp, starfish, and there’s some crabs he must have had. Here’s the rock and it looks low algae to me. Thoughts?

 

[JimG1966]

Sand and rock look pretty clean ... dont think i would be to conserned..keep an eye on your ammonia levels and stuff since you took it all down.. odds are your going to have a small cycle