Hey guys. I've been AWOL awhile and am back to revamp the 55. It's currently a FOWLR with two clowns, a blenny and a shrimp with a few snails and like 3 hermit crabs. Nothing too exciting. Through my own stupidity and overconfidence (and nothing more will be said on the issue) the tank is now overrun with bubble algae and chaeto. I broke down yesterday and got a 10 gal hospital tank (I just needed to get one anyway) and now all the critters are in the little tank.
The questions are:
1. How long can the 3 fish stay in the 10 gal tank and what, besides the obvious, do I have to do to maintain it? My plan is 1-2 gal daily water changes, keep up on vitamins (The blenny's starving himself again - I'm hoping to force some vitamins into him through the water, maybe bring him around) and ....What??
2. I'm taking all the rock out and scrubbing EVERYTHING off of it. I mean I'm scrubbing in the sink with a toothbrush. I was told once before to boil the rock when I threw one outside in the snow to kill an aiptasia. I'm not sure if that advice applies to this situation. If I can find an old pan that's not teflon coated, I'll do that but right now, It's not looking like that's going to happen. How detrimental to the project will it be if I don't boil the rock to clean it? I figured some dead bacteria and whatnot would only jumpstart the cycle once I put everything back together. Am I correct?
2b. Is there a better way to sterilize the rock than kill my back and hip over the sink? (maybe I should just suck it up and boil it...) My primary goal is to get rid of the chaeto and bubble algae. I know I'll still have some spores in the water in the tank and stuff but I figured getting it off the rock and then investing in a legit CUC would be the best way to go.
3. Once I have all this done, I'm going to let the rock dry and glue it together to create some pretty arches and hidey-holes and stuff for the lil lovelies. Any pics or suggestions for good reference sites? I've been googling, but it never hurts to ask.
4. What do I do with the sand bed? This tank has been running in my bedroom for 2 years now and something like 6 years at a friend's before that. I don't want to start stirring the sand and kill everything but while I'm cleaning, I'd like to clean everything. Is it worth it to disturb the sand bed? Is there a specific way it should be cleaned? As far as the sand goes, I'm completely clueless. I know it's like 50% of my filter and that's about it. lol.
5. A sump is something I've been considering. Just like a 20 long or something - an experimental thing. Should I try to fit it in or wait until (if) I move and play with it on the planned larger tank when that happens? What are the conditions under which I would add a sump to a semi-broken-down tank?
6. Finally, when all is said and done, I'm gonna get up the balls to drop a coral in there. I'm not sure if I will have to wait forever for the tank to reestablish itself or not - guess that would depend on what I do with the sand? How much of the bacteria colony I actually kill in this project? (obviously I'm not gonna plop one in there tomorrow) As a part B to this, will it be safe to put the fish in the tank with the new rock or should I let that cycle for.... what is it? I don't remember off hand.... anyway - Fish. Where do they go and when?
It needs to be done fast, as I'm having a hip surgery on the 18th of March and will be down for three weeks (min). That and I don't want to leave the lovelies in the hospital tank any longer than I need to.
As always, thanks for everything!
The questions are:
1. How long can the 3 fish stay in the 10 gal tank and what, besides the obvious, do I have to do to maintain it? My plan is 1-2 gal daily water changes, keep up on vitamins (The blenny's starving himself again - I'm hoping to force some vitamins into him through the water, maybe bring him around) and ....What??
2. I'm taking all the rock out and scrubbing EVERYTHING off of it. I mean I'm scrubbing in the sink with a toothbrush. I was told once before to boil the rock when I threw one outside in the snow to kill an aiptasia. I'm not sure if that advice applies to this situation. If I can find an old pan that's not teflon coated, I'll do that but right now, It's not looking like that's going to happen. How detrimental to the project will it be if I don't boil the rock to clean it? I figured some dead bacteria and whatnot would only jumpstart the cycle once I put everything back together. Am I correct?
2b. Is there a better way to sterilize the rock than kill my back and hip over the sink? (maybe I should just suck it up and boil it...) My primary goal is to get rid of the chaeto and bubble algae. I know I'll still have some spores in the water in the tank and stuff but I figured getting it off the rock and then investing in a legit CUC would be the best way to go.
3. Once I have all this done, I'm going to let the rock dry and glue it together to create some pretty arches and hidey-holes and stuff for the lil lovelies. Any pics or suggestions for good reference sites? I've been googling, but it never hurts to ask.
4. What do I do with the sand bed? This tank has been running in my bedroom for 2 years now and something like 6 years at a friend's before that. I don't want to start stirring the sand and kill everything but while I'm cleaning, I'd like to clean everything. Is it worth it to disturb the sand bed? Is there a specific way it should be cleaned? As far as the sand goes, I'm completely clueless. I know it's like 50% of my filter and that's about it. lol.
5. A sump is something I've been considering. Just like a 20 long or something - an experimental thing. Should I try to fit it in or wait until (if) I move and play with it on the planned larger tank when that happens? What are the conditions under which I would add a sump to a semi-broken-down tank?
6. Finally, when all is said and done, I'm gonna get up the balls to drop a coral in there. I'm not sure if I will have to wait forever for the tank to reestablish itself or not - guess that would depend on what I do with the sand? How much of the bacteria colony I actually kill in this project? (obviously I'm not gonna plop one in there tomorrow) As a part B to this, will it be safe to put the fish in the tank with the new rock or should I let that cycle for.... what is it? I don't remember off hand.... anyway - Fish. Where do they go and when?
It needs to be done fast, as I'm having a hip surgery on the 18th of March and will be down for three weeks (min). That and I don't want to leave the lovelies in the hospital tank any longer than I need to.
As always, thanks for everything!