Saving a neglected tank

[Pazernaker]

Hey guys! So glad I found this forum. A little backstory, I've been working diligently on rescuing a heavily neglected tank. I posted in member introduction initially, and you can see my first post, titled "New tank, tons of problems" Here.

Quick recap, I bought a neglected 60 gallon tank for next to nothing with about 60 lbs+ of a combination of live rock and life rock. Tank itself is mature at about 3 years old. I wish I took a picture of it when I first bought it, because it was gross. Came with a 500 watt heater, Marineland 360 canister filter, a seaclone 100 gallon skimmer, the tank/stand, 3 different powerheads, a spare heater, 2 clowns, an angelfish, and about 12+ olive sandsifting periscope snails.

I've since added 2 Fluval 38" light bars running on Auto, but I'm changing tonight to a Pro custom profile I found on here. Currently battling cyanobacteria (believed to be), which appears to be producing bubbles and is aggressively showing up in my sand and on my live rocks. Used 6 scoops of Chemiclean and currently am waiting for the 48 hours to pass before doing another water change.

If you want to know more in depth about the problems I've been having and how I've been fairing, check the link for background information, but I'll be posting here as the tank develops! Attached are some various pictures of where it started and where I'm at now. Future plans include an RODI unit, a 25 watt UV sterilizer, and possibly, a reactor, but for now, I'm focusing on getting the neglect recovered and getting this tank back to a solid base.

This is my first marine tank, but I have a background in chemical manufacturing and have always had a hot tub or a pond on my property, so I have some understanding to water maintenance. That being said, this is a REALLY steep learning curve!

First picture is 1 month before I picked the tank up (nothing was done between that picture and when I picked it up, it was a disaster and I don't even want to bring up the conditions of the cartridge filter), second picture is not long after I got it stabilized, third picture is later well after that. Since then, I've changed the aquascape around, and I'll et a picture updated this weekend after I do the water change from the Chemiclean!

 

[blaxsun]

I'm actually ok with not seeing the canister.

 

[Pazernaker]

I'm actually ok with not seeing the canister.

The floss filter on top was a solid gray gooey block...

 

[Pazernaker]

Update on my build!

I've been posting on my first post in the "New Members" category (linked in the first post here). If you want to know the history of this tank, feel free to check that out first, but since that was starting to get into a conversation beyond my introduction, I'm picking up where that thread left off here.

Last update, I was battling what turned out to be red Cyano with chemi clean at the recommendation of my LFS. A lot of members disagreed with the LFS's recommendations I was given, so this is where I am now.

I decided to wash my sand at the recommendation of TONS of members. I also added more live sand, as there was an average of a half inch of sand throughout the tank. I now have a 2" base and have adjusted the rocks to positions that make it easier to clean the tank and make it easier to get water flow with the power head(s), which I have one in and will be adding another tonight to the other side of the tank where the water is semi-stagnant. I intend to leave it alone for a month and just let things stabilize now that I've flipped the whole tank ecosystem on its head, though I already know as a beginner, not messing with things and letting the tank balance itself out is going to be H-E-double hockey stick for me...

Tank inhabitants/feed schedule:

*Condy Anemone: Thriving, hand fed thawed frozen shrimp bits twice a week (whenever his mouth opens)
*Snowflake Eel/Clouded Moray: Thriving, feed thawed frozen shrimp pieces every other day. I think he's eating my snails, as I had about 6 olive periscope snails, but am down to two. I also bought 15 Astrea snails and this morning, I watched him nibble on one that was on its back in the sand curled up in the shell, but I don't know if he was dead already...
*Bubble Coral: Thriving. Don't really know how to feed him, so I'm assuming he's eating things floating in the tank... Could use some advice here
*Blue spotted puffer, sailfish tang, mated clownfish, and melanurus wrasse: All seem to be doing really good. Feed twice a day with dry food pellets (forget the name/brand, will get when I get home). Also add a frozen seaweed with spirulina for the blue spotted puffer and one half a frozen brine pellet in the morning to feed the bubble coral because again, I have no idea how to feed that.
* Blue Tang died with a caved in stomach that got worse and worse since I added him. Was extremely lethargic ever since he was brought home from the aquarium, etc. Probably added way to early after I transported the tank and set it up, maybe a parasite? Doesn't seem to affect the rest of my tank, so I'm keeping an eye on things and treating this like a fluke. Here's the link to that discussion: Blue Tang Problems
* Royal Grama died suddenly, thought to be bullied by another tank mate due to the mark on its tail: Royal Grama problems.

Equipment I've since added:
17W UV sterilizer tuned at a high flow rate to target bacteria
RODI water unit in my house for water changes

Future goals:
*Increase salinity from 1.023/4 ish to 1.026 over the next month
*Monitor alkalinity, Phosphate, Nitrite and Nitrate levels daily as the sand becomes established over the next month
*Slowly increase Ph as it seems to flirt around the 8-8.1 mark. I won't address this for at least a month as the tank stabilizes itself.
*Address the green hairy Algae growing on the live rock. Waiting a month to tackle this as well, but it really annoys me just with its existence in the tank
*replace the protein skimmer motor. Seaclone 100 motor died and I'm trying to source a motor quickly. Here's the link to that forum post: SeaClone 100 motor
*Auto Top off unit: This is my project over the next month while the tank stabilizes. Looking at the Reef-Pi unit to set up Ph monitoring/top off, then look into the dosing capabilities.

Current numbers:
Ph: 8.0
Alkalinity, .6 PPM
Phosphate: 1.5 PPM (High and concerning, but with everything I'm doing, not surprising)
NO2: 0 PPM (rock bottom 0)
NO3: 160 PPM (concerning it's high since I just did a water change to take the chemi clean out, but have been told to expect a spike when I killed the cyano.)
Calcium: 450 PPM

 

[Pazernaker]

Doing another update since it's been about a week from the last one! Current numbers:

Ph: 8.1
Ammonia: .6 PPM (Stable)
Phosphate: 1.2 PPM (declining)
Nitrite: .1 (finally getting a non 0 reading since killing Cyno)
Nitrate: 50 PPM (dropped substantially from last week, water change this weekend)
Calcium: 325 PPM (need to address this)
Magnesium: 1480 PPM
Salinity: 1.025

I've also added a sand sifting Gobie to keep things clean and a starry bleny to address the green hair algae. Both are doing some SERIOUS work and the tank looks way better than it did before. I'll post a picture tonight when I get home.

 

[Freenow54]

Seems you are doing ok. A comment from Bulk Reef Supply was took months for problems to be visible will take months to correct time heals all wounds lol

 

[Pazernaker]

Seems you are doing ok. A comment from Bulk Reef Supply was took months for problems to be visible will take months to correct time heals all wounds lol

Getting there slowly, but surely. Always something to measure and check, but loving the hobby so far!

 

[Jubei2006]

What test are you using for ammonia? In a three year old reef tank it and nitrite should be zero. You have nitrates, which means there is a population of bacteria, but the other two numbers are unsettling for having inverts in the tank. For now I'd stop adding livestock, do some serious water changes and let the tank settle out. I would also look at a better skimmer. The reef octopus HOB 1000 and 2000 are pretty solid replacement for the Sea Clone (had one.....trashed it quickly).

 

[Oldsman]

Good turn around so far , you've got this licked

 

[Pazernaker]

Tank update!

My snowflake eel wound up dying, but there was a wonderful discussion about it with a lot of arguments about cause ranging from chemi-clean to my higher than normal ammonia reading. I wound up doing a 33% WC and changed my cartridge filter over to a more thorough and higher quantity of activated charcoal (SeaGel by Seachem) and dosed the tank with some API Quick Start to get a stronger bacteria base to help combat the ammonia/nitrate/phosphate levels. I also painted the back of the tank and it looks wonderful Throw a couple SPS and LPS's in there I got for cheap to see if they'd take, but to no surprise, they're doing rather mediocre.