NEWBIE. Starting From Scratch. NEED HELP!

SilverCityReef · Oct 1, 2018

So I received a setup from a friend a few years ago but never got it fully setup. I had someone store it for me but they left it full of water for 3 years. Needless to say, everything but the tank itself is getting trashed and I'm going to have to start from scratch. Since I never got started in first place, I need some guidance and questions answered.

Dimensions on tank are 36" x 18" x 17" and has 3 bulkheads (? I think that's what they're called) for plumbing. Sump will probably be my old freshwater tank, 24" x 12.5" x 16.5"

So I did some searching today and here's what I think I need or what I am considering:
-Sicce Syncra Silent 3.5
-Hydor Theo 400w Heater
-AquaticLife Reno 36" LED RGBW Light (Experiences/Reviews?)
-50lbs Dry Rock
-40lbs Live Sand (Reccomendations?)

Is this enough to get tank started and cycling? I am limited on spending and expected my return pump, rock, light, ballast, etc to still be operational.

Also, I need to deep clean my tank and assume no chemicals so what's best option?

Can I put tank in a unfinished basement? I would have more room, able to dedicate breaker, organized plumbing, access to existing plumbing for future filtration system, and not limited by weight restrictions compared to my second floor apartment.

Finally, is it even worth salvaging this tank setup or should I just call it wash and maybe try getting into a new setup next year? This hobby unfortunately costs a lot to get setup and maintain but I feel it may be worth it in long run.

I appreciate any help, input, recommendations, etc that you have to offer. Also, if you are selling any of this equipment list above, please give me a price. The attached photo is all I have at the moment. Will get more later on today hopefully. Thank you.

cracker · Oct 1, 2018

Welcome Silver City ! This is a great place to learn.
Ao let's see here the tank like 15/20 gallons. the equipment sounds/looks ok for now. In he future you will want to improve 1
As for the sand . Was the sand sitting in the tank with water all those years? if so I'd toss it & go with new. Please consider rinsing any new sand dead or live Really, really good!
!st thing is a fill & leak test. fill wih water & add 1/2 gallon of vinegar to soak /dissolve the dry crud on the glass. Throw the pump in there also . It's all gotta be cleaned real good !
If possible start soaking the rock in new saltwater to start cleaning out this rock. It's gonna take a while so please go slowly !
Can we have a pic of the tank you want to use as a sump. did it come with a stand?

Dom · Oct 1, 2018

SilverCityReef said:
So I received a setup from a friend a few years ago but never got it fully setup. I had someone store it for me but they left it full of water for 3 years. Needless to say, everything but the tank itself is getting trashed and I'm going to have to start from scratch. Since I never got started in first place, I need some guidance and questions answered.

Dimensions on tank are 36" x 18" x 17" and has 3 bulkheads (? I think that's what they're called) for plumbing. Sump will probably be my old freshwater tank, 24" x 12.5" x 16.5"

So I did some searching today and here's what I think I need or what I am considering:
-Sicce Syncra Silent 3.5
-Hydor Theo 400w Heater
-AquaticLife Reno 36" LED RGBW Light (Experiences/Reviews?)
-50lbs Dry Rock
-40lbs Live Sand (Reccomendations?)

Is this enough to get tank started and cycling? I am limited on spending and expected my return pump, rock, light, ballast, etc to still be operational.

Also, I need to deep clean my tank and assume no chemicals so what's best option?

Can I put tank in a unfinished basement? I would have more room, able to dedicate breaker, organized plumbing, access to existing plumbing for future filtration system, and not limited by weight restrictions compared to my second floor apartment.

Finally, is it even worth salvaging this tank setup or should I just call it wash and maybe try getting into a new setup next year? This hobby unfortunately costs a lot to get setup and maintain but I feel it may be worth it in long run.

I appreciate any help, input, recommendations, etc that you have to offer. Also, if you are selling any of this equipment list above, please give me a price. The attached photo is all I have at the moment. Will get more later on today hopefully. Thank you.

Let's start with cleaning the tank. There are a few ways to go, but for me, I've always found clear distilled vinegar along with elbow grease an effective way to get a tank looking like new.

Generally speaking, live rock is about 1 pound per gallon of water. I don't know what the total water capacity of your system is, so I can't say how much live rock is appropriate for your setup. Where dry rock is concerned, the same rule applies, but there is more prep work involved.

Dry rock can be live rock that was left to dry, or, it can be mined rock (as is the stuff from BRS). Dry rock needs to be thoroughly rinsed and should be cycled in buckets before placement in your system.

When heating a tank, I go with 5 watts per gallon. So a 400 watt heater would cover an 80 gallon system.

When it comes to cycling your setup, no lighting is required. And, there are different methods. I've always preferred using a cocktail shrimp or phantom feeding to get the ball rolling. There is a product available... Dr. Tim's that I understand you can use for cycling too. But I've never used it and can't speak to its pros and cons. Can someone jump in on Dr. Tim please?

During cycling, you should monitor Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. You will see your ammonia rise and then fall. Once your ammonia drops down to zero, you can consider the tank cycled. Also, your Nitrites should be zero and you should detect some Nitrates.

The tank seems to be in good shape other than requiring a good cleaning. An unfinished basement shouldn't be an issue as long as there is some climate control.

This hobby is affordable to anyone who has patience. My recommendation to you would be this:

If you are using this tank to get started in the hobby, but think you may want a bigger one in the future, DO NOT invest in this tank. Your equipment will be geared toward a tank this size and little, if any of the equipment will be useful in a larger setup.

Personally, I'd wait until I have the money saved to buy the exact tank I want. Once you have the tank, put it in a safe place. Then save your money for the material to build a stand. Once you have your stand built, place the tank on top in the intended location and let it stay there until you have money for the next step... and so on... and so on.

Welcome to the forum!
Dom

vetteguy53081 · Oct 1, 2018

Youre planning which is valuable. Additionally, I like the choice of equipment....buy the best you can and but it ONCE !
Start slow, plan carefully and be patient. Get a good quality salt such as Reef crystals, Fritz Pro, corallife or Red sea coral pro ( one of the salts I use) and a good refractometer to measure salinity level.
When setting up, keep tank away from window ( why invite algae) and make sure tank and stand is Level prior to filling. In addition to introduction of live rock, use a good bacteria supplement to accelerate bacteria cultures.

VSVP bet · Oct 1, 2018

You can salvage anything. As long as the silicone is fine on the tank and there are no cracks in the glass, its good to go. Id replace dry gaskets on the bulkheads, but other than that, you should be fine.

This hobby is expensive, but it is possible to have a cost-effective and efficient system. It really depends on what you're looking to get out of your tank. As long as corners are not cut on filtration (protein skimmer, return pump, sump system, filter media), the other stuff is technically not essential. For example, if you're new, I would spend money where it counts on filtration, and buy a decent light and try your luck at soft coral (once you complete your cycle of course).

VSVP bet · Oct 1, 2018

VSVP bet said:
You can salvage anything. As long as the silicone is fine on the tank and there are no cracks in the glass, its good to go. Id replace dry gaskets on the bulkheads, but other than that, you should be fine.

This hobby is expensive, but it is possible to have a cost-effective and efficient system. It really depends on what you're looking to get out of your tank. As long as corners are not cut on filtration (protein skimmer, return pump, sump system, filter media), the other stuff is technically not essential. For example, if you're new, I would spend money where it counts on filtration, and buy a decent light and try your luck at soft coral (once you complete your cycle of course).

Further, if this is your first system, doing a smaller simple setup would be a good intro. Likely you will not get in over your head.

reef lover · Oct 1, 2018

Welcome to r2r!!

SilverCityReef · Oct 1, 2018

Unfortunately it started raining so I didn't get to wash tank today but here's some more photos of the condition it was in and the tank itself. Will post sump pics shortly. Stand is trash so I will be building new one from scratch. The guy who gave me this setup was going to help me get into high end & rare coral as that's what made it exciting to me, the risk to get a rare gem so to speak. Seeing how I dont have his assistance anymore, I may need to setup for rare & high end but start with basic and easy.

JumboShrimp · Oct 1, 2018

I’d try some Bar Keepers Friend on a tank in rough shape like that. Maybe available at a Walmart / Target / Dollar General. Use very little water on a rag and make a paste (use a toothbrush too, if needed), and clean a small section of the tank at a time. Just rinse the tank very thoroughly before you put your saltwater in there; if I recall correctly it is the same as using a very strong vinegar, but with a slight abrasiveness that won’t scratch your tank.

beaslbob · Oct 1, 2018

I would start the system with macro algae like chaetomorphia right from the beginning. Then do the rest.

cracker · Oct 1, 2018

Make sure the motor on that power head can be submerged before soaking it !

Ghost463 · Oct 1, 2018

1 thing that alarms me os the sand. 40 ppunds in a smaller tank in my experiences is trouble. Short term and long term. I use hardly enough to powder the glass. Tip. I use sheets of the filter foam under rocks.
Salt water is much easier with lesser sand imo.
Other then that it looks like u have a great start up!! Keep us posted!!

SilverCityReef · Oct 1, 2018

cracker said:
Make sure the motor on that power head can be submerged before soaking it !

It's all getting replaced. Nothing from old setup is salvageable. Going to start with new return pump, heater, light, etc. Just thinking if I should maybe buy stronger pump than the Sicce 3.5 to increase the flow.