just bought a used 100g, need help figuring things out...

[disisgustavo]

hi, my gf just purchased a used 100g tank/stand and some sort of filter? from craiglist and i need some help on how to clean it and how to set up (what i think is) the filter. first of all its pretty dirty with what looks like salt maybe and then a bunch of dark red spots as you can see from these pics:

i was wondering what would be the best/most efficent way to get rid of this grime (it seems to be stuck on there pretty well) without scratching the tank or using any harmful detergents? the filters are also covered in this stuff (as seen in this next pic), can i just leave that there or should i clean both parts of the filter as well?

ok, now on to the next step, can someone tell me what this thing is, and how i would go about using it?

the second part of it that i placed on top of it so you can all see attaches to the other side of the part that is hanging on, (it goes inside the water) and the guy who sold it to us jsut told us that i can adjust the height and that is how how the water will go in my tank? also, the part that hangs on the back seems to have two seperate compartments, one which is empty (am i supposed to put bioballs in there?) and the other side has a pipe with slits cut out in it that i am guessing the sponge goes on. the pipe then extends below the box to a tube that im really not sure where it goes (to a sump perhaps? but then how do i get the water in the sump to return to the tank?), here is a pic:

that is pretty much it for now, any and all help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[Sonicblast12]

As for cleaning the tank, it's time consuming, but using a razor blade to scrape off the stubborn spots works about as well as anything.

 

[MonoSebaelover]

Ok all the red spots are Coralline algae which is beneficial/sign of a healthy tank (you also have to have the lighting for it too though) It is up to you whether you want to clean it off or not. You will need a razor to get it off (Kent Marine sells one that is safe for aquariums) if you opt to go that route. As to the compartment on the outside of the overflow (btw, that is a prefilter for your standard wet/dry filter) on the right, that is a water bank that equalizes the water between the tank and the filter that the U-tube utilizes to get water to flow into the filter below. Now there should be a whole seperate tank like filter that sits below/to the side of the tank that has an in flow section, the bioball section and then the pump section. In that pump section you will place a pump with a return tube that goes back into the tank. Anyway hope this helps and good luck!

 

[disisgustavo]

bahh, so i have to buy a whole other tank for the tube that comes out of the filter to go into? we also got a 30g tall aquarium with it, will this work? other than a skimmer, what else would i need? also do i need a skimmer for when i am just cycling it with live rock?

oh yea, about the coraline algae, wouldnt it be dead since the tank has been dry for over a week or will it just come right back to life once we fill the tank back up?