Should I consider this offer?

[ScottJazz]

No one has said it so far:

Do not just move the sand. Either toss it and start with fresh sand OR thoroughly rinse the sand before putting back in to the tank. There's years of gunk trapped in the sand. By moving and jostling it, it'll cause a huge spike in nutrients and issue.

 

[Reef_Engineer]

It looks like a good deal to me, but I’d say it might need a bit more equipment to really get it in its prime. If those are AI Hydras, they’re definitely on the older side — but still great lights, honestly better than a lot of what’s being made today! You might want to add a few upgrades, like a controller, to really fine-tune things. Overall, though, $400 for that setup seems pretty fair.


Also, judging by the floor it’s sitting on, it looks like it’s in a garage — something to watch out for when you check it out is any water damage on the stand, like swollen wood at the base. Good luck, and keep us updated!

 

[Reef_Engineer]

I miss those lights lol.

 

[Reef_Engineer]

No one has said it so far:

Do not just move the sand. Either toss it and start with fresh sand OR thoroughly rinse the sand before putting back in to the tank. There's years of gunk trapped in the sand. By moving and jostling it, it'll cause a huge spike in nutrients and issue.

I’ll third this! Moving the sand is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, you don’t need to keep the old water. Some people go through great lengths to transport it like it’s liquid gold — I’ve never understood that. The beneficial bacteria are primarily on the rocks and in the filter media, not in the water.


That said, even the rocks can hold unwanted organics, so if you’re doing a full reset, bleaching and restarting them isn’t a bad idea. But if you want to keep the live rock, just keep it wet and it’ll be fine. You’ll likely go through a small mini-cycle afterward anyway — it’s just the bacteria population rebalancing itself, which is totally normal.

 

[johnappleseed]

No one has said it so far:

Do not just move the sand. Either toss it and start with fresh sand OR thoroughly rinse the sand before putting back in to the tank. There's years of gunk trapped in the sand. By moving and jostling it, it'll cause a huge spike in nutrients and issue.

How do I wash it? Just rinse it in RO water?

 

[johnappleseed]

I’ll third this! Moving the sand is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, you don’t need to keep the old water. Some people go through great lengths to transport it like it’s liquid gold — I’ve never understood that. The beneficial bacteria are primarily on the rocks and in the filter media, not in the water.


That said, even the rocks can hold unwanted organics, so if you’re doing a full reset, bleaching and restarting them isn’t a bad idea. But if you want to keep the live rock, just keep it wet and it’ll be fine. You’ll likely go through a small mini-cycle afterward anyway — it’s just the bacteria population rebalancing itself, which is totally normal.

Say I don’t keep the water or sand, how would I keep the fish and rock safe while restarting with new sand and water?

 

[Klem]

Tank a good look at that tank. If you see any clear silicone in the corners - run. With that said, it seems like a good deal.

 

[johnappleseed]

Tank a good look at that tank. If you see any clear silicone in the corners - run. With that said, it seems like a good deal.

Clear silicone? Why’s that a problem?

 

[Reef_Engineer]

Say I don’t keep the water or sand, how would I keep the fish and rock safe while restarting with new sand and water?

Just make new water and put the fish and rock in the same bin (not for transport, do that seperatly)

And make sure you shake the rock off before putting in the same bin. No need for the extra detritus build up.

You can get an Amonia badge and have some bacteria at the ready. It’s also useful to to have enough water to do a 100% change in the storage tub.

I use the tubs from northern tool when I do this. I have the 100 gallon and 150 gallon.

 

[ScottJazz]

How do I wash it? Just rinse it in RO water?

You can use regular tap water to do the rinsing. I’ve read some will use 5 gallon buckets and a hose. Let the hose run and agitate the sand and debris. The overflowing water will pull the debris with it. Then once it’s clearing up add some prime (de-chlorinator) to help neutralize any chlorine from the water. Pour out as much of the water before adding to the aquarium.

 

[slogan315]

Clear silicone? Why’s that a problem?

Clear silicone is fine. He means bubbles in the silicone. Bubbles in the silicone between the two pieces of glass indicates the panels are starting to separate, eventually leading to a seam failure.

Look up bubbles in the silicone for picture examples. They normally occur in old tanks, or if the tank isn’t level / supported properly.

 

[get-salty]

Its a great deal.

Handling rocks: it can be dangerous if you just go in w/ bared hands as things can stab and cut you that will lead to a minor or possibly major injuries.
Make sure they are submerged in its water so you can reseed instantly when setting it back up - keep at a 78 temp.

Sand: As other have mentioned, you dont want to reuse that sand. def throw it away, dont waste time saving or reuse it. they are not that expensive.

Live stocks: As we are entering the colder weather and depends where you're located, make sure live stocks are controlled at a temp of 78 degrees and an aerator for the fish. Keeping fish separated from corals.

It will be a long day lol but you can do it.
Make sure you have plenty of towels and buckets and most importantly, have fresh saltwater ready .

Good luck.

 

[vlangel]

You can use regular tap water to do the rinsing. I’ve read some will use 5 gallon buckets and a hose. Let the hose run and agitate the sand and debris. The overflowing water will pull the debris with it. Then once it’s clearing up add some prime (de-chlorinator) to help neutralize any chlorine from the water. Pour out as much of the water before adding to the aquarium.

I did this just 2 months ago. My old sand had been in its tank 8 years but it washed up well.

It is time consuming and getting the fish, inverts and coral settled is the priority. I would put the sand in its own container and get the rock, saltwater, then fish, inverts and coral in the tank. As soon as they are in, oxygenated the tank ( with a powerhead or at least an airstone or 2 as that is what can kill them fast. Next set up heater. The fish ,inverts and coral, now are ok for a day or so. That's when you want to get the sump set up. Once the sump is working set up the lights. Finally after all that you can wash the sand if you want.

 

[johnappleseed]

I have decided to surrender the fish and start a fresh tank, giving me time to be able to set up the way I want and give the tank/equipment a deep clean. Thank y'all for the help.

 

[MikeReefs]

Jumping in the hobby like this is very overwhelming. Taking measures and doing research on your setup will workout in the long run. You did the right thing starting fresh with a good setup. BRS has so many videos that are super helpful getting to know everything there is to know about the hobby. This forum will help you with how to run your setup. Best of luck

 

[johnappleseed]

Whenever I cycle my tank, what are all the things that I should be testing for? Should I just get one of the API master kits?

 

[MikeReefs]

Whenever I cycle my tank, what are all the things that I should be testing for?

Gets yourself a marine test kit either Salfert, API
Your testing for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate
Cycling goes in 3 stages
First is ammonia. You will see this spike when first adding the ammonia. Then it will drop when the bacteria starts to consume it
Second stage is Nitrite
And lastly is Nitrate
Perform water change when nitrate drops low enough and your system is cycled. Give it a couple more days to really settle then add a couple fish. Do not add more than a couple. You don’t want to overload the newly populated bacteria.

You can start a cycle using bottled bacteria such as microbacter XLM and Ammonia from Dr. Tim’s

A cycle takes about 3-4 weeks

 

[Fish Fan]

Whenever I cycle my tank, what are all the things that I should be testing for? Should I just get one of the API master kits?

Are you going to reuse the current rocks, or start with new rocks (or you can bleach cure your old rocks)? If you reuse the rocks, your tank won't need to cycle (the rocks are already cycled). If you bleach your rocks or purchase new rocks, then you'll need to cycle the tank.

If you have to cycle your tank, I'd suggest testing for ammonia and nitrate during the cycle.

The API kits don't get a lot of love here on R2R, but they are fine, especially just for cycling. They have a few quirks, but if you have them available locally then go a head and use them. If you have to order something, I'd suggest getting Salifert brand kits, these are inexpensive, easy to use, and are considered quite reliable:

https://www.chewy.com/salifert-aquarium-ammonia-test-kit/dp/379737?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=22429708310&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22433258830&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V3WaK4pThir7RgoVk3iRWuyX&gclid=CjwKCAiAoNbIBhB5EiwAZFbYGPxp98hSEAQMddKwHiVLIhvJ9v_C4CCzQGm2SWC_vgu6e9HwxGJfyRoC240QAvD_BwE

I would also suggest not bothering with the API Marine Master test kit. This kit includes tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH, and I don't think you need all those. I would get an ammonia test kit and a nitrate test kit, and that's all at this time. Many here at R2R don't test for pH ever, and there's no need to test for nitrite because nitrite is non-toxic in saltwater systems (unlike in freshwater where it is toxic). You also typically won't test for ammonia beyond this initial nitrogen cycle process (outside of a drastic emergency like a lot of die off).

I hope that helps!

 

[get-salty]

Are you going to reuse the current rocks, or start with new rocks (or you can bleach cure your old rocks)? If you reuse the rocks, your tank won't need to cycle (the rocks are already cycled). If you bleach your rocks or purchase new rocks, then you'll need to cycle the tank.

If you have to cycle your tank, I'd suggest testing for ammonia and nitrate during the cycle.

The API kits don't get a lot of love here on R2R, but they are fine, especially just for cycling. They have a few quirks, but if you have them available locally then go a head and use them. If you have to order something, I'd suggest getting Salifert brand kits, these are inexpensive, easy to use, and are considered quite reliable:

https://www.chewy.com/salifert-aquarium-ammonia-test-kit/dp/379737?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=22429708310&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22433258830&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V3WaK4pThir7RgoVk3iRWuyX&gclid=CjwKCAiAoNbIBhB5EiwAZFbYGPxp98hSEAQMddKwHiVLIhvJ9v_C4CCzQGm2SWC_vgu6e9HwxGJfyRoC240QAvD_BwE

I would also suggest not bothering with the API Marine Master test kit. This kit includes tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH, and I don't think you need all those. I would get an ammonia test kit and a nitrate test kit, and that's all at this time. Many here at R2R don't test for pH ever, and there's no need to test for nitrite because nitrite is non-toxic in saltwater systems (unlike in freshwater where it is toxic). You also typically won't test for ammonia beyond this initial nitrogen cycle process (outside of a drastic emergency like a lot of die off).

I hope that helps!

I think the word "API" is on the R2R banned list.
Go with Salifert 100%.

jk jk lol

 

[The Ugly Phase]

i see it does not come with a lid you 100% want to invest in a lid for it don't think anyone has mentioned this yet

fish CAN and WILL jump if you have no cover