Tank Cleaning and LR Cleaning

[greech]

If you want it done fast (and it's just GHA): scrub rocks with soft vegetable brush and rinse in salt water tub (don't leave the rock out of the water while you are cleaning other pieces). I would place a good powerhead in the SW rinse tub as well to blow off/out detritus. You should get most of the GHA off so it can go back in the tank. If you want, you can do a 3-7 day blackout after this but again if its just GHA and you are using RO/DI and have a good CUC, I see no reason to do that.

Long route: 3-7 day blackout (either in the tank or in a separate tub). Fish and LR will be fine w/out light but if you have corals I wouldn't go past 3 days. The algae should just die off or can be blown off and siphoned fairly easily. If you do it in tank, I would do a good WC at the end.

HTH

 

[ToeJam]

The snails and crabs don't eat hair algae...sea hairs but those starve once algae is gone...but it sounds like you have a huge break out of it.

I personally would go the route of live rock cure process. Starting over is what I am saying.

Taking the rock out like mentioned and putting it in a rubber maid container...put a power head in and heater...and change the water out according to cure process instructions.

This will kill everything off BUT the most important thing in LR...the bacteria for bio you need.

You could jump start this process by getting a nylon brush and cleaning those rocks off in the tank before you move things out. Get all you can off by hand first...then do the Cure process (google that..there are plenty of articles on how to)

The fish you can save by either setting up a 10g tank before all this....and just make a small nano basically for them....water change 50% weekly ...till your old tank is back up and ready for the fish.

Cleaning Tank itself: 1/10 bleach solution is good... then thoroughly wash tank out several times after the hand cleaning with a towel and that water.

 

[ToeJam]

The longer way of doing it write up:
Cleaning process requires that you begin with a bucket, siphon hose, nylon brush, and elbow grease.

Take every rock and scrub the holy hell out of them. Hand pull, scrub, and curse the hair algae to hell off in a bucket with siphoned out tank water.

Once you are done scrubbing your things all out.... you can now begin prevention of it from growing like mad.

That means keeping Phosphates at 0 by using (anyone who knows me knows what is coming here /drum roll)

*Buy a Phosban reactor and use phosban media* This stuff lasts a long time....and strips phosphates out of the water.

Now keeping phosphate in check...next is Nitrate. We take care of this by water changes. using a pure water source for mixing and or top off.

This way you keep the growth at bay. Here comes the bad news. You will still see some hair algae reforming. You will have to keep scrubbing and pulling the left overs off per water change.

If you keep on top of water quality and cleaning. The hair algae will eventually be done for. This is a longer term way of getting your tank back to normal again.

I also recommend on first clean up that you immediately change out 50% or greater water on the spot...even 80%. Get started on the right foot here.

 

[valcard]

For the tank cleaning, how many parts vinager to water? Thank you all for your help

 

[greech]

Doesn't matter much. I usually use about 1/4 vinegar and let it soak for a couple hours. Always worked well for me. Just rinse well.

 

[snailrider]

This is how I clean old tanks I get.

First I scrape with a razor blade, keeping clear of the corner silicon.

Then if there was tape or glue, I use paint thinner to remove the residue.

You could bleach at this time if you are concerned about killing bacteria, ( I never bleach) as in the next steps you will clear out the bleach residue which is not good for fish and other micro organisms.

Then I go to the getting rid of calcification. This is the toughest part. Usually a good glass save green scrubby is what I start with, and lots of water, (outside)

Then I go to a Stainless steel wool scrubby for thougher stuff. using vinegar straight from the bottle. (consumer vinegar is like 5%) Then lots of water, and filling the tank to test for leaks.

Takes about 3 hours to do a good job.

\

 

[valcard]

Looking at ro/di systems on ebay and came across a few. New to the ro/di units and want your opinion on these.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Zero-0-ppm-Reef...all_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item5887724e0e

http://cgi.ebay.com/Aqua-Reef-RO-DI...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588767f853

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zero-0-ppm-Reef...all_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item19bbdd92c0http://cgi.ebay.com/Zero-0-ppm-Reef-6st-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-Water-Filters-/380229537294?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item5887724e0e

 

[greech]

I don't know anything about those but highly recommend a BRS system

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/reverse-osmosis-filters-and-systems

I would be concerned about the availability of replacement cartridges down the line for the ebay systems.

 

[valcard]

Thankyou all for help. A few last questions I have to ask. Looking to move everything from 75 gal to the 55 gal so I can restart the 75 gal from scratch. Can I use some of the LR from my 75 gal that I cleaned to cycle the 55 gal (which is going to be 100% ro water not tap)? Will a maroon gold strip clown fish be fine in a 55 gal with a teal chromes fish?

 

[greech]

Sure you can use some of your existing rock to help with the cycle in the 55. Do you mean, just move everything over in one step or use a few pieces of your LR to help cycle other rock/sand you have for the 55?

Yes the maroon and chromis will be fine in a 55.