Moving rock

Kenneth456

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
42
Reaction score
8
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello guys, I have a 55 gallons salt tank.. I moved it and made the mistake of using the same sand bed.. ever since then I’ve had phosphate issues.. I’m in the process of buying a new tank. I’m getting a 90 gallon and moving everything from my 55 gallon into it.. gonna buy new sand and everything just gonna keep the live rock and fish and coral. Have some live rock and some base rock., there’s some green hair algae on some of the rocks so before I move them I want to be able to clean it off and clean the rocks... what’s the best way I should go about this ? I saw stuff about spraying the rock with hydrogen peroxide and then rising off with salt water from the tank, but then I’m still worried about some phosphates hanging around inside the rock and being released once I put them in the new tank... what’s the best way I can clean these rocks and both get rid of the algae and phosphates.??
 

Dr. Reef

www.drreefsquarantinedfish.com
View Badges
Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Messages
3,444
Reaction score
6,178
Location
Tulsa, OK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If the rocks were never cured then no matter what you do now they will leech phosphate till they cant no more.
Unless you want to strip them and use acid and cure them everything else will be a band aid.
On the sand issue. You dont have to buy new sand you can always rinse old sand and use it again.
Either way using new sand or old rinsed sand along with some treatment of rocks outside the water will cause die off and your new tank will face a mini cycle. Be prepared to put your livestock in a different cycled system for a little while.
 
OP
OP
K

Kenneth456

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
42
Reaction score
8
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well I’m pretty sure the rocks were cured. I got the tank from my aunt about 2 years ago. I moved it to my house and it looked beautiful and everything was growing and looking awesome. Water didn’t have any issues. Then I moved and doing that started all the problems. Pretty sure it was from reusing the sand and no cleaning it properly. So the live rock should be cured. I do have some base rock also. ? How should I clean them ? Hydrogen peroxide ?
 

Super Fly

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 19, 2018
Messages
1,454
Reaction score
1,103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If rocks r cured already I would just take a tooth brush and scrub off the hair algae, u can do this in a separate bucket/tub of saltwater. Using Hydrogen peroxide will kill all the beneficial bacteria and rocks will have to be cured again. As far as sand, whether u go the route of new sand or rinsing the old sand to reuse, make sure to save few cups of the old sand in zip lock bag to help seed the new/cleaned sand.
 
OP
OP
K

Kenneth456

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
42
Reaction score
8
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If rocks r cured already I would just take a tooth brush and scrub off the hair algae, u can do this in a separate bucket/tub of saltwater. Using Hydrogen peroxide will kill all the beneficial bacteria and rocks will have to be cured again. As far as sand, whether u go the route of new sand or rinsing the old sand to reuse, make sure to save few cups of the old sand in zip lock bag to help seed the new/cleaned sand.
I bought some new sand that comes with all the organisms and stuff already so that should be good. I will do the tooth brush and get it all off. What do you suggest about the phosphate issue in the tank, I’m worried about some leeching from the rocks when I move them. Should I just give them a good rinse in the salt water ?
 

Super Fly

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 19, 2018
Messages
1,454
Reaction score
1,103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I bought some new sand that comes with all the organisms and stuff already so that should be good. I will do the tooth brush and get it all off. What do you suggest about the phosphate issue in the tank, I’m worried about some leeching from the rocks when I move them. Should I just give them a good rinse in the salt water ?
I would still use few cups of old sand to seed the new sand as it contains a ton more bacteria than the packaged sand and will help jump start the "live" sand. Yes I would give rocks a good rinse after brushing off GHA. What is the po4 level from latest test? if it's consistently high & u don't already have a GFO reactor, I'd recommend using one. However gfo reactor should be used on a needed basis and not constantly, turn it on whenever po4 goes above 0.06ppm. There should be some amount of NO3 & PO4 in tank for coral growth, don't aim for completely zero NO3 & PO4 levels or else corals will not grow and possibly start bleaching. For GHA, do u have any CUC? otherwise a one-spot foxface or small tang (tomini, kole or yellow) will keep rocks/tank very clean.
 
OP
OP
K

Kenneth456

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
42
Reaction score
8
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Not sure what a cuc is. My phosphate levels would get pretty bad all the way up to 0.06 but the latest we’re at like 0.03.. I was just gonna get a good clean up crew in the new tank and a tang to make sure there’s stuff to eat any algae that decides to leach from the old tank., thanks for y’alls help.. what do y’all suggest, snails or hermit crabs for clean up crew ? What works better and what stays alive longer ?
 

Super Fly

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 19, 2018
Messages
1,454
Reaction score
1,103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
CUC (Clean Up Crew) I keep combo of snails and crabs.
for snails, I keep large nassarius snails, cerrith and trochus. Trochus and Nassarius seems to be hardiest. Snails will eat algae and left over food/dead livestock (nassarius).
For hermit crabs, stay away from the blue legged (they'll eat snails). I keep Scarlet reef red legged hermits. Hermits will eat detritus.
here's a good reference for snail types https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/whats-the-best-snail-for-a-reef-tank/
 

Super Fly

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 19, 2018
Messages
1,454
Reaction score
1,103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
one thing about tangs, it can become territorial so should be the last fish added to your tank.
 
OP
OP
K

Kenneth456

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
42
Reaction score
8
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Will they be good with clowns ? I have a pair of clowns and they very mean.. everytime I stick my hand in to do some cleaning or whatever they won’t leave me alone and come up and bite my fingers.. and it doesn’t feel to good.. I usually gotta scare them off with something lol
 
OP
OP
K

Kenneth456

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
42
Reaction score
8
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Another question, how much of the clean up crew do you suggest I get ? Going to be a 90 gallon tank, how many snails and how many crabs ? I heard 1 per gallon but I’m not sure.. also should I put a few in the sump with the rocks to keep it clean ? Gonna get a floating basket and get a handful of chato micro to put in
 

Super Fly

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 19, 2018
Messages
1,454
Reaction score
1,103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Will they be good with clowns ? I have a pair of clowns and they very mean.. everytime I stick my hand in to do some cleaning or whatever they won’t leave me alone and come up and bite my fingers.. and it doesn’t feel to good.. I usually gotta scare them off with something lol
lol! Tang will be fine w clowns, I use to have yellow tang w clowns and no problem.

Another question, how much of the clean up crew do you suggest I get ? Going to be a 90 gallon tank, how many snails and how many crabs ? I heard 1 per gallon but I’m not sure.. also should I put a few in the sump with the rocks to keep it clean ? Gonna get a floating basket and get a handful of chato micro to put in
in my 93 cube I have appx 15 each of Trochus and Nassarius snails. I've also put appx 24 cerith but not sure how many of those are still living as they don't seem hardy. I also have 5 red legged hermits and about 4 small blue legged as well. would be ok to keep snails in sump... floating basket for chaeto sounds like a clever idea.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 71 53.0%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 68 50.7%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 34 25.4%
  • None.

    Votes: 30 22.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.7%
Back
Top