left for college, neglected tank

[Fishko]

Im trying to save my tank after a semester of neglect. Im not sure if I should just break down this tank completely and restart or try salvage it. Honestly I have no clue where to start, so much I need to do it just brings stress. Miss the fun of the hobby.

Don't want to complain much, but so many things I did wrong with this tank, the gate valve for the overflow is so hard to access, sixline wrasse is a nightmare to keep with other fish. The tank Is too high compared to the rest of the tank (29g). Honestly, I think first start is to clean the front glass from the coralline and do a few water changes. Im thinking about just holding out until I end my second semester ends and I can upgrade the tank in peace and do things the right way. Im just wondering what steps I should take to recover this tank.

Params :
400 calc
8.9 alk
1200 mag
phos .13 (prob cause of algae
nitrate 3 ppm
sal 1.025


This is the tank back during the summer of 2021.
Front view:

Side view:

during the summer I removed a lot of algae by hand and then it returned after I neglected the tank

 

[brmc1985]

Tank actually looks pretty good for months of neglect. Corals still look good. Maybe add some more clean up crew and do a couple water changes to get the nutrients back in check. But other than that…this tank looks better than some peoples tanks that “do maintenance” regularly. Maybe try some po4 remover like rowaphos or GFO

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Im trying to save my tank after a semester of neglect. Im not sure if I should just break down this tank completely and restart or try salvage it. Honestly I have no clue where to start, so much I need to do it just brings stress. Miss the fun of the hobby.

Don't want to complain much, but so many things I did wrong with this tank, the gate valve for the overflow is so hard to access, sixline wrasse is a nightmare to keep with other fish. The tank Is too high compared to the rest of the tank (29g). Honestly, I think first start is to clean the front glass from the coralline and do a few water changes. Im thinking about just holding out until I end my second semester ends and I can upgrade the tank in peace and do things the right way. Im just wondering what steps I should take to recover this tank.

Params :
400 calc
8.9 alk
1200 mag
phos .13 (prob cause of algae
nitrate 3 ppm
sal 1.025


This is the tank back during the summer of 2021.
Front view:

Side view:

during the summer I removed a lot of algae by hand and then it returned after I neglected the tank

With what you have in there and the size of the tank. This almost looks like a good candidate for a rip clean.

Basically, put corals in a tub with water and small PH and heater, rinse the crap out of the sand, scrub the crap out fo the rocks and do some water changes along the way. You could even just do a rock at time outside of the tank, if needed.

@brandon429 has quite a few posts about how to do it.

 

[brandon429]

these tanks fixed were just like yours, but your coralline ability is better. see how each rock was detailed, each sandbed cleaned in about 3 hours total don't put it off:

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

today in chat I surmised that a rip clean is merely the act of cheating the 4-6 week any decent doser set might accomplish, with the side benefit of no tradeoff invasions re vibrant +gha=cyano or chemiclean + cyano in-tank kill = GHA

rip clean = 3 hours to a ruby fixed reef. leave all the coralline in place as you work, keep it wet with spray water in fact in my opinion. shave off only the front window, leave the sides like crusty 70s mutton chops and keep them wet so they won't bleach out, keep the sideburn coralline do it this way

 

[MichaelReefer]

First I would do as much manual removal as you can. And a massive water change.

 

[brandon429]

the reason you shouldn't put it off:

your live rock has been plugged up from expression. small animals inside cannot evacuate the algae holds it all in place like a wick, doesn't go into skimming or filtration but generally lowers surface area and selects as plant substrate.

after rip clean the evacuation begins and little pellets of waste line the tank you'll need to be removing that in 1-2 gallon siphon runs weekly as the price for delay, this isn't a one off cure. its a 95% cure, you do the other 5% in small easy increments and starting now means you'll be done guiding by like April. easy.

notice this was a no testing, no bottle bac, all action copyied from those same tanks above job.

 

[Fishko]

Tank actually looks pretty good for months of neglect. Corals still look good. Maybe add some more clean up crew and do a couple water changes to get the nutrients back in check. But other than that…this tank looks better than some peoples tanks that “do maintenance” regularly. Maybe try some po4 remover like rowaphos or GFO

With what you have in there and the size of the tank. This almost looks like a good candidate for a rip clean.

Basically, put corals in a tub with water and small PH and heater, rinse the crap out of the sand, scrub the crap out fo the rocks and do some water changes along the way. You could even just do a rock at time outside of the tank, if needed.

@brandon429 has quite a few posts about how to do it.

that sounds like good idea, I could pop the lps off the rock and scrub the rocks with a tooth brush. then deep clean the sand bed and sump. Only problem arises with a rock that is covered with zoos, but I can worry about that last.

 

[brmc1985]

these tanks fixed were just like yours, but your coralline ability is better. see how each rock was detailed, each sandbed cleaned in about 3 hours total don't put it off:

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

today in chat I surmised that a rip clean is merely the act of cheating the 4-6 week any decent doser set might accomplish, with the side benefit of no tradeoff invasions re vibrant +gha=cyano or chemiclean + cyano in-tank kill = GHA

rip clean = 3 hours to a ruby fixed reef. leave all the coralline in place as you work, keep it wet with spray water in fact in my opinion. shave off only the front window, leave the sides like crusty 70s mutton chops and keep them wet so they won't bleach out, keep the sideburn coralline do it this way

Yes. Definitely leave the coralline in place as much as you can. Coralline is your best friend in the battle with algae imo.

 

[Fishko]

the reason you shouldn't put it off:

your live rock has been plugged up from expression. small animals inside cannot evacuate the algae holds it all in place like a wick, doesn't go into skimming or filtration but generally lowers surface area and selects as plant substrate.

after rip clean the evacuation begins and little pellets of waste line the tank you'll need to be removing that in 1-2 gallon siphon runs weekly as the price for delay, this isn't a one off cure. its a 95% cure, you do the other 5% in small easy increments and starting now means you'll be done guiding by like April. easy.

notice this was a no testing, no bottle bac, all action copying from those same tanks above job.

ill get some rodi water running then start mixing some salt and start tomorrow

 

[brmc1985]

that sounds like good idea, I could pop the lps off the rock and scrub the rocks with a tooth brush. then deep clean the sand bed and sump. Only problem arises with a rock that is covered with zoos, but I can worry about that last.

Mix up a bucket of the salt water you remove from the tank and hydrogen peroxide. Get as much algae as you can off the rocks then dunk in the mixture for 30-45 seconds. You can even dunk the zoa rock in there and they should be fine.

 

[brandon429]

if you copy any one of those linked jobs its perfection. that's the goats the best of the best to save you bulk fifty pages of reading in other works.

the weirdest and strangest part and most important factor of them all is the sand rinse in tap water step. it can't be overdone, it can only done so thoroughly and so harshly and so without excuse that your system deserves to exist among the goats

I recommend no dunking of peroxide its not in the plan above and its harsh on targets within the rock. our way is external rasping, and peroxide only on formerly anchored spots of algae already removed by a knife, while sitting on the counter. this preserves the greater portion of living microbes for sure and the peroxide really is a vital step in the algae kill. we've used a pocket knife to metal scrape off algae vs brush and pestle it

then on a clean rock only the former anchor spots get a dabbing of peroxide, perfect control and burns those holdfasts out. normally in large tanks we do a test rock first to check for growback, but in a nano just hammer it all out ferociously but within spec of the 5 jobs on file there all repeating the same thing

the race is who can get the cleanest reassembly. the cleaner the reassembly the less chance of skip cycle because all the waste is gone. rocks in saltwater, rasped, then dab peroxide and sand blasted to mars and back with tap water then a jolt of RO to rid the tap. u gotta snowglobe that _________.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

that sounds like good idea, I could pop the lps off the rock and scrub the rocks with a tooth brush. then deep clean the sand bed and sump. Only problem arises with a rock that is covered with zoos, but I can worry about that last.

Zoa rocks are easy. Wear gloves and some eye protection. But this can be done in a bucket or tote also.

Just scrub the rock with zoas around the zoas, then carefully scrub close to them. Use a little 3% h2o2 on the rock near the zoas and do not be scared if a little gets on them. I apply it with a makeup brush, as it allows me to be precise. Dif into the crevaices in the rock a little with tweezers and then rinse in some old tank water.

Super easy and you can take your time doing it. Most zoas can be out of the water for 15 minutes or more with no issues.

 

[Fishko]

Mix up a bucket of the salt water you remove from the tank and hydrogen peroxide. Get as much algae as you can off the rocks then dunk in the mixture for 30-45 seconds. You can even dunk the zoa rock in there and they should be fine.

I forgot about that, you can dip zoa frags in h202. I might as well replace the heater tomorrow and redo the wire management

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I forgot about that, you can dip zoa frags in h202. I might as well replace the heater tomorrow and redo the wire management

You got this. make water tongight and get prepped tonight. 2-3 hours your tank will look like new. Then you just need to manage nutrients and get the root of the problem in check.

Being as you will be going back to school, maybe have whomever is feeding the tank, feed a little less and send you a weekly pic of the tank (if you are away from the tank). If LPS looks like crap, feed a hair more. If it looks good but alage is going wild again, feed a little less.

 

[brandon429]

no tooth brushing, that already deviates from any job in the thread as it grinds and smashes regenerative bits into the rock. failure to read the thread can result in loss of tank or waste of time.

metal rasping/all jobs there was steel on rock dug outward, de anchored with a scrape dislodge like debriding plaque off a reef tooth. very opposite effect on anchors and growback and a prime reason brushing alone cannot remove plaque it takes a steel move in real life adherent removal on teeth


brushing is a lawn mow set on the low setting, leaves hold fasts and gets growback with easier initial work for the first clean


rasping is more detail work takes time but is the equivalent of kneeling down and digging up a patch of grass to the dirt, most roots gone, then squirting roundup directly where grass used to exist lol we are hammering invasions there, just hammering them.

plus you keep most coralline wet, demo up a keep coralline alive job we can add to the goats

if not wet it’ll bleach out then circle back if you leave the rough spots in place but to make a new run for once I think you should still take the tank down to bare glass like we do, but spray mist the coralline on the sides and back with saltwater to keep it wet during all surgery. Scrape front glass only/ideally/ as much as you want but this will reset your tank safely without losing the good aged look