Warning Severe Tank Neglect 45g bowfront 29g sump

BigJimmysReef · Dec 3, 2019

Where do I begin, I have had several tanks over the years, I received my first tank from a Construction Project Manager I had worked with on a project. He had two tomato clowns and a small red true crab. The project manager was from Hawaii, and had a small 10 gallon tank he kept on his desk. When the project was complete he moved back to Hawaii and gave me his tank, a gallon of fresh water and a box of saltwater from Petco. I had no idea what I was doing but was able to keep the tank running for a year or two and I was hooked. I tried to upgrade the clowns to a 29g Biocube, but the tomato clowns and crab did not survive (Looking back on it, I don't think I let the tank cycle before moving the fish). So, to replace the fish, I then made the classic mistake of listening to the LFS guy and not doing my own research and got bicolor dottyback thinking it was a royal gramma, along a couple of damsel fish and also a small porcupine puffer fish for my wife (we ending up falling for the sad puppy dog eyes and we named him Gizmo). At this point I started to read books and get on forums and learn more about the hobby. I learned that a puffer needs alot bigger tank and since the puffer soon would out grew the 29g Biocube, I upgraded to a 45g bowfront (that I got for a really good price or at least that's what I had told my wife at the time). I drilled the back, added bulkheads and drain line and pump and added a home made 29g sump. Which is the system I currently have, needless to say, I have been a poor pet owner and have lost a lot of fish and have made about every mistake in the books. Working in construction, I never have had consistent hours and would have to leave town for periodically. I went on a stretch where I was out of town off and on for 5 years coming back on weekends. This is how I came to have a neglected tank. I unfairly expected my wife to care for the tank, she fed the fish but did not know how to do any of the maintenance. Currently the 45g bowfront has a three strip damsel fish my kids have named Oreo, he has lived through the terrible conditions and has survived much longer than I would have ever expected him to, for awhile my wife and I was just waiting for him to die to give me the reason to tear down the tank. Which is a horrible thing to put an animal through, and I am deeply ashamed for it, the shame and neglect is what drove me to start caring about the tank and the fish again. I decided I needed to start testing the tank regularly and start doing weekly water changes. Someting I forgot to mention was that my tank would evaporate 6 to 10 gallons a week and we used filtered tap water to fill the tank to keep the pump from running dry. How bad was the tank, on July 7th, I bought some dip strip testing kits and started testing the tank, Temp. 75.6; PH 8; Ammonia NA; Nitrite 0; Nitrate 300; Alk 300; I tested twice a week and once I had the funds I did the first water change in approximately 5-6 years, I also upgraded to the API test kit and a refracto meter. The following week after the 33% water change the test results were 75.7; PH 8.4; Ammonia 0.25; Nitrite 0; Nitrate 160; Phosphate 2.0 and Salinity of 1.018.

P-Dub · Dec 3, 2019

Well, you have yourself a project for sure. With the plethora of knowledge compiled here at R2R and the helpful folks to ask questions from, you will have no problem getting your tank back in shape.

I see that you are new here. I encourage you to post up in the Meet & Greet Forum and link to this thread in your introduction thread. Welcome to R2R!

Katrina71 · Dec 3, 2019

Hello OREO. We are glad you are both here. Your honesty is nice. I agree, not an ideal condition for a fish, but life happens. I'm glad you decided to get things back on track.

BigJimmysReef · Dec 13, 2019

Thank you all for the encouraging words. Oreo, is doing much better. I've enlisted helpers to help me keep up with tank maintenance. I have been doing biweekly and or weekly water changes and the test results were 78.1; PH 8.4; Ammonia 0; Nitrite 0; Nitrate 40; Phosphate 1.0 and Salinity of 1.026.
Also since this was my own do it yourself drilled tank the white over flows in the rear of the tank were more sediment and ditreous traps, so when I do a water change I have been removing them. I am planning on re plumbing the tank, so I have two drains and an inlet line.

Disclaimer: These pictures and parameters are from September, I want to document my process of bring back the tank. I will try and get caught up, I am on winter break and should have some free time to make some posts.

Thank you again for your input.

MERKEY · Dec 13, 2019

Welcome back!!! Looking on the way to recovery!

vetteguy53081 · Dec 13, 2019

In this hobby, we all face a good cleaning sooner or later. It is one way to get very familiar with your tank !!
Will be a nice one when seeded and running

Magellan · Dec 13, 2019

That damselfish is the real mvp

Katrina71 · Dec 13, 2019

Hey it looks pretty good already!

Lazydayz · Dec 13, 2019

First welcome to R2R! The tank is already looking much better!

BigJimmysReef · Dec 13, 2019

Magellan said:
That damselfish is the real mvp

He was a real butt head and killed all the other Damsel's before the tank fell into disrepair. He has survived so long I feel I owe him, so all the future plans are planned around him.

Magellan · Dec 14, 2019

BigJimmysReef said:
He was a real butt head and killed all the other Damsel's before the tank fell into disrepair. He has survived so long I feel I owe him, so all the future plans are planned around him.

Wow!! That damsel has his own war stories at this point. Glad to hear that though, I have a soft spot for my fish too.

BigJimmysReef · Dec 17, 2019

So update still behind but working on catching up.
45 Gallon Bowfront
11/15 Friday 09:01 PM
Temperature: 74.1 °F
pH: 8.4
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Phosphate: 0.5 ppm
Salinity: 1.025 SG

Ive added chaeto to the sump and a red grow light. I also have the drain line from the tank emptying into a 7" filter sock. I removed my home made overflows which were just a detritus trap and added a small pump help flow, Eventually I will move the pump to the sump and upgrade the tank pumps.

Oreo now has some company we have Hunter our emerald crab. There are also three nassarius snails as well.

Ive been trying to get my temp. up but I think my heaters are going out on me.

BigJimmysReef · Apr 7, 2020

So, its been awhile since I posted. Paramiters are Temp. 78.1; PH 8.2; Ammonia 0; Nitrite 0; Nitrate 10; Phosphate 1.0 and Salinity of 1.026, Ive been using the API test kit hoping to upgrade them.

Magellan · Apr 7, 2020

Damsel still hanging in there?

Phycodurus · Apr 8, 2020

i missed yr original december post, bigjimmy, and i applaud yr sense of recommitment.

heaters, more than any other piece of equipment, have a reputation for breaking down, and some people just replace them on a schedule every year or every other year. i’m up to doing that myself as mine are approaching the three-year mark.

coralline algae taking a foothold yet?

BigJimmysReef · Apr 19, 2020

Oreo the Damsel is still hanging on and doing well. Paramiters are Temp. 78.1; PH 8.2; Ammonia 0; Nitrite 0; Nitrate 15; Phosphate 1.0 and Salinity of 1.027, taken with the API test kit.

BigJimmysReef · May 30, 2022

Probably the worst fish and fish tank Owner and fish blogger, its been some time since I updated the post. So to start with Oreo is alive and still doing well, my wife and I estimated his age today and he is at least 8 or 9 years old at this time.

Tank Parameters; Temp. 78.4; PH 8.27.9; Ammonia 0; Nitrite 0; Nitrate 10; Phosphate 0.25 and Salinity of 1.026, taken with the API test kit.

So after putting in the effort to try and get the tank up and running again found I had a leak on the rear bulk head, its was not a bad leak just enough to loose salt and a little bit of water, its not soaking the floor or anything just dribbles out and evaporates but has me adding 10 gallons of fresh a week. So hunter the emerald crab and the nassarius snails are MIA and suspected no longer to be with us. So the leak is in a tough enough spot that I pretty much need to take down the tank to repair it and at that point I might as well upgrade the tank. So, that pretty much put me in a depression about the tank and thinking about what to do, and what to upgrade to, I wanted to go to a more stable tank that's a little wider and one that roughly fit the 36"x12"-18"x21" space I had already have for the 45 gallon. So I figured I should go with a 75 gallon that was 48"x 18"x21" but as I started looking into it I found that the 90 gallon was 48"x19"x24" and that there was a 120 that was 48"x24"x24" all that to say I was one depressed and two was suffering from analysis paralysis. So, I did finally come to the conclusion to up grade to the 120. So then the plan became how do I tear down the 45 gallon and make sure Oreo survives. In the mean time I have set up a 29 gallon to be a temporary tank for Oreo while the build goes down, its been running for a year and had two clowns and a royal gamma. So, Oreo has lived in this tank for the 8 or 9 years and is fast as all get out and super paranoid. Needless to say to get him out I would have to tear everything down.

So, we have been maintaining Oreos tank but not going gang busters on it just keeping it running. The chaeto has been awesome the Copepod population has boomed and are Oreos between feeding snack. I have been trying to find a tank either 75, 90, or 120 I don't have a lot of funds so I was trying to figure it out on the cheap and was looking at modifying a Aqeon standard tank from Petco when I stumbled on someone on Facebook live selling an old 120 starfire eurobraced tank with internal overflow for $600 this was during Covid, the tank had a bunch of accessories including two gen. 3 Radion XR30's, and I also got a cheap 2015 Ecotech MP40 off of eBay. So Oreo got an upgrade to his flow and also his lighting. The one light I added has now caused Coraline algae to start growing like gang busters.

So this winter I have been planning on how to tare down the 45 gallon and get Oreo, I would also like to reap as much of the benefits from the 45 gallon and take them to the 120, so I want to try and save all the rock, I am planning on cycling it in a brute container in my garage during the new build process. So to get Oreo out safely I plan on removing all the rocks and all the structures and draining the tank as to about 2" or 3" so I can capture him and acclimate him to the 29 gallon. My fear is that he will die in the process and dang it if the little but head fish has a soft spot in my heart. I don't know if he will survive and I don't know if he will kill all the inhabitants of the 29 gallon. So this has delayed my plans to tear down the tank. I planned on adding some of his favorite hides to the 29 gallon and rearranging as much of the 29g tank as possible and keeping the lights off for a week or two.

So update completed, I finally got the nerve to tear down the tank, I thought the three day weekend would be the perfect time. Oreo, is looking healthy the 29 gallon, lost a clown fish it jumped out of the tank with a glass lid and plastic extender on how I have no idea but down to two fish, I though now was the best time before getting another clown. So Saturday, needed to run few errands to get last minute items for the move. Took the family to breakfast because I was gonna put them to work with the tear down. As usual the day got away from me and my wife took over my weekend with Honey do's as well as my mother in law and her Honey do's.

I am bound and determined to rip off the bandaid and get this completed, so the plan is now for next weekend. I will update with pictures of the process and will add a build thread for the 29 gallon and the 120 when it starts. I might do a Youtube series on it I am a huge Packers fan and want to make it a Packers themed tank.

BigJimmysReef · Jun 6, 2022

Tank Tear down delayed but her are Tank photos, and Oreo!

BigJimmysReef · Jun 22, 2022

Small update have decided to start pulling live rock and putting it in my garage in a brute trash can to cure for my new 120 gal. tank Iam going to build. So I am prepping for that.

BigJimmysReef · Mar 31, 2023

Wow, looking at this thread, my time line sucks. Finally pulled all the live rock from tank. We captured Oreo and moved him to his new temporary home. Clownfish and he are not getting along. Here is some photos of Oreo and the empty tank.