Updating the 55

KellyFrancis

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2012
1,303
4
0
Somerset WI
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! :D
 

Otherone

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 2, 2009
2,683
4
0
Lancaster,PA USA
You can boil the rocks however all B+B will be destroyed with the cyanobacteria+ algae. This would be the fastest way but isn't really necessary especially if time is on your side with surgery. To rid yourself of green hair + green bubble algae all that is really needed is to deny it sunlight or any type of lite. Red bubble Cyno can be killed with a product called Chemiclean.

If you boil you'll be recycling from scratch 6-8 weeks.
 

KellyFrancis

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2012
1,303
4
0
Somerset WI
Ok. Would the chaeto die as well if I were to cut off the light for X amt of time? (I would assume so, but I guess you never do know for sure) I'm such an idiot for putting that stuff in the display tank. lol. It's a total nightmare. I still want to do something with the rock though...I'm so torn....I don't know whether to just recycle it so I can do it the way I want or to leave it be.

And an update. The blenny died this morning. He's the one I saved from starvation last Feb. He was doing so well for so long. :(

We also decided to redo some furniture in the living room and while we're at it, move the tank to the living room as well. So now I'm hell bent on getting an experimental sump under there and tossing around a new stand as well. I think I've bitten off more than I can chew. haha
 

Otherone

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 2, 2009
2,683
4
0
Lancaster,PA USA
All plant life needs lite to process sugars - no lite - dead plant. Fish on the other hand don't need artificial light at all. My monsters (dats, pikes, bichers,etc) have no clue what a fish tank light even is and some of them are over 2ft in length.

I've actually gone in the opposite direction - full blown 210 gallon reef to larger open water salty fish w/no corals and the benefits are outstanding. Little reef fish are a pain in the neck - most don't live very long in captivity do to health issues plus they are for the most part overly aggressive when it comes to a small territory - they kill each other. larger open water fish don't have those issues - you might be happier with a dwarf lion fish then fighting with a reef (and I do mean fighting) because you cannot neglect a reef for 1 day, it's a full time job that chokes the life outta fish keeping and your pocket book. At least that was my 3 year experience.
 

KellyFrancis

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2012
1,303
4
0
Somerset WI
Well. A few days worth of research later, I've made a decision. I'm going to completely tear the 55 apart. Rocks, sand everything is being cleaned. While it's broken down, I'm going to try my hand at drilling and doing either a Herbie or BeanAnimal overflow (Haven't decided yet whether I want to experiment with the big boy overflow while I've just got 55 gals to spill on the floor) with a 36" internal overflow box (not grated, smooth) going down to a 20 long sump. While that's happening, we're going to build a 48Lx28Hx16D stand from angle iron and whatever for the sides and doors as well as something to hang from the ceiling and screw the lights to. Everything's experimentation for larger tanks down the road so that's why the overkill. Lol. Any suggestions?


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KellyFrancis

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2012
1,303
4
0
Somerset WI
Update on the plan: it will look like this:

(Doodled on my new coloring app lol)

ImageUploadedByMonsterAquariaNetwork1394753497.896599.jpg

The one side will have a true CTC overflow and I think the return will be centered below that with a whatever junction that doesn't allow back flow to fashion a sort of power head out of the return. I have no clue what the stand will be made of except an angle iron frame. Lol.

I also bought all sorts of discount glass tile and I'm gonna try to tile a background on a sheet of plexiglass or something with silicone and also do the side facing the stand. I'll just prop it in there with my rock arch and the sand in case I gotta take it out. I'm shooting for minimal spacing between the tiles so I'm peeling it off the mesh stuff and gonna silicone them on one by one. I also got some bigger ones for intermittent shelving for whatever tickles my fancy. But at a Buck a foot or less, I figure it will be a worthwhile experiment. :)

Any thoughts, suggestions, criticisms?


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