How to Fix Wrecked Tank!?

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Geoff_7

Geoff_7

Yellow-Tailed Blue Damsel
Jan 24, 2008
32
0
0
Nova Scotia, Canada
Hello Everyone,

It's been ages since I've been here, long story Short, I went across the Country to work for the summer and I left my tank at home.

It's had very little done to it, algae scraped, fish fed once every couple of days, and thats it.

It's a 10g FOWLR, It has about 15lbs of Live rock in it. I have 1 damsel and a few brown button polyps.

My question is I know the tank will be in very bad shape when I get home, I know the fish is still alive so I need to bring the tank back up to good standards. whats the best way to go about fixing it?

I assume the tank has a large amount of algae growth, apatasia comletely covering all live rock and surfaces and what else Im not sure.

Can I create a new 10g tank with substrate and water and move the fish into that while working on the old tank?

I really have no Idea where I would start and Im kinda lost, has anyone else had an experience with this? or know what the best option would be?

Thanks for any help, it's Very Appreciated.
I apologize for the poor fish keeping habit, I will make sure the next time I leave proper maitnence is done.
 
Ace25

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
5,753
0
36
www.centralcoastreefclub.com
Personally, I would do 5 90% waterchanges over a 5 day period. First day, 90%, second day, use some Aptaisia Control to kill the aptaisia, scrape algae on glass, stir sandbed if you have one, then another 90%, 3rd day 90%, 4th day more aptaisia control for the ones you missed or survived the first time, then 90%, 5th day 90%..

Doing this should bring down your nitrates, phosphates, etc. When you do back to back large water changes it really cleans out the tank quickly. Nitrates are in the rocks when you neglect a tank, and when you do just 1 90% and refill, the rocks leach nitrates back into the tank quickly. So if on day one your nitrates were 120 and you did a 90% water change, 24 hours later your nitrates would probably still be around 100. When you do it back to back quickly, you get rid of them all to the point you can start back on a normal once a week 25% waterchange.

It's only 10G so we are not talking alot of water. If your doing 7-8G when you take into account for rock, leaving an inch of water in the bottom for the fish, it should be able to be done in a minute or 2.
 
Geoff_7

Geoff_7

Yellow-Tailed Blue Damsel
Jan 24, 2008
32
0
0
Nova Scotia, Canada
That sounds alot easier than I thought it would be. 90% is a large water change (Percentage wise), what about the good bacteria, if any is left?
I know the Live rock is the main source of bacteria and but I also have a HOB filter, should I change that as well or keep it for the bacteria theat would be growing in it and change it after the water is back to norm?

I wont be back home for a week still, but I might be able to get some water mixed up if I ask someone really nicely, and maybe even a water change, is there anything to watch out for when doing this?

I have my button polyps on a rock in the tank, will exposing them to the air and having no water for about 5 mins to fill up the tank harm them?
 
Ace25

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
5,753
0
36
www.centralcoastreefclub.com
Bateria levels should not be affected. Your rock will sustain them just fine. As far as things out of water.. in my early days I was always deathly afraid to expose anything to the air, but as years have gone by, I have learned that quite a lot of corals live in shallow areas in the ocean and are quite often exposed to air during low tides. I am still doing 50% water change on my new (2 month old) 75G tank and I expose my SPS corals to the air each time. It doesn't affect them negatively at all. Only things that don't like to be exposed to air are sponges. When I do expose my corals to the air I make sure I have no fans on and no lights, because you do not want to let a coral dry out, and both fans and lights will do that to a coral rather quickly. I have seen very very nice 400G+ reef tanks work over $100,000 have the corals exposed to air for 10-15minutes when doing big water changes with no ill effect.. if the people that own and do that on their tanks feel safe doing so, and I watch them do it in person, then I feel a lot better when I go home and do the same on my tank.
 
Geoff_7

Geoff_7

Yellow-Tailed Blue Damsel
Jan 24, 2008
32
0
0
Nova Scotia, Canada
I often thought about those tanks that are full to the brim of corals and such, they couldn't do more than a 10% water change without exposing anything. What you say makes sense, so I won't worry about the few mins they're out of water, especially on a 10g where it will only be a few mins max.

When you say apatasia control, are you talking about a store bought brand like Joes Juice or the home made type (Lime Juice? I forget the recipie) With a 90% water change taking place every day, would it be okay just to use a syringe and spray it directly into the apatasia, or would you recommend the needle injection still?
 
Ace25

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
5,753
0
36
www.centralcoastreefclub.com
Aiptasia Control is actually a brand name product. IMO the very best aiptasia killer on the market. I have tried home made solutions as well as Joe's juice on numerous occasions and with both of those I could get around 50-60% of the aiptasia to die, but one little squirt of Aiptasia Control and I never see them again, instant death.
 
Last edited:
Geoff_7

Geoff_7

Yellow-Tailed Blue Damsel
Jan 24, 2008
32
0
0
Nova Scotia, Canada
I looked for Aptasia Control and I could only find it at MarineDepot.com, which is about $50 shipping to canada. Do you know nay other vendors that carry it, and maybe some that have low shipping costs to Canada?

Thanks for all the help.
 
Geoff_7

Geoff_7

Yellow-Tailed Blue Damsel
Jan 24, 2008
32
0
0
Nova Scotia, Canada
(looks like I can't edit an old post)
I found a product called Aptasia-X by Red Sea, It looks like alot of people have tried it and like it, theres a video on youtube that shows it working. I can buy it from Bigals and shipping is only $5.00, so I might give that a shot.
 
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