Any advice on how to rescue a neglected tank and try to save the livestock??

[boxer rox]

My daughter has a friend who just lost her husband to cancer. He was running two 75 gallon tanks. He was not able to take care of the tanks and was hospitalized for over a month. Needless to say the pictures I was sent look pretty bad. I agreed to buy what she has left.

From what I saw in the pictures there are some snails and a pair of clowns left. It also looks like some rock but I can’t tell anything about it. The water level is low and I really don’t know how it can be filtering. As far as the equipment goes I really don’t care about it. My main concern is to try and save the livestock.

My plan is to take some Brute trash cans and bring home what water I can and start making some fresh saltwater to change out water over a couple days. I’m just thinking use one 75s as a temporary hospital tank until I can get a new tank and get a cycle done. Should I use the rock that’s there and add it in with the fish? Does this plan sound like it will work or should I go another route? Any advice or input is appreciated.

I’m hoping to save the guys fish so his wife and kids can get a little bit of peace from that. Ive been out of the hobby for over five years so I don’t have anything left. I’m hoping there is at least a test kit and some salt with the tank. We are in an area that requires shipping supplies or a two hour drive one way to buy reefing supplies. Anything that you folks can recommend or suggest I would greatly appreciate it. We are taking two trucks to go pick it up tomorrow evening.

 

[MtnDewMan]

Brute force would be to get some tubs, empty out the tank water into the tubs, put a pump and heater on the tub. That's a makeshift aquarium, put the fish in the tub. Empty out the main tank, clean it up, fill it with fresh saltwater. Put a pump and heater in it to the desired temperature. Put whatever you want in it to start it fresh (including bottled bacteria and a bit of live rock and whatever filter you are using), but wouldn't take much if you are just trying to keep the fish. Then put the fish in from the tub (acclimate them of course). Plan on a couple of water changes a week while the filtration kicks in.

 

[boxer rox]

The 75 gallon tanks don’t really interest me for the long term. My main priority is to save the livestock and any rock I can reuse. I plan to try to use the 75 to house the livestock while I get something bigger up and running. I’ve been thinking seriously about getting back into the hobby and this just pushed me a little harder. Trying to go too fast was my problem in the past. I plan to get a large tank going but want to take my time with that.

Wvned, Thanks for the reminder about needing to add fresh top off water to what’s there.
MtnDewMan,The tubs are a great idea. That’s probably going to be the plan at least for a few days. Do you think just adding a few pieces of rock and fresh water will start a big enough cycle to keep The fish out of the aquarium? Will several water changes a week be enough to keep the ammonia down for the fish? Every other cycle I have ever had on new tanks was with live sand and very live rock etc. with a big ammonia spike. I just plan on keeping this very bare, just enough for the fish for now and then later on add them to a larger display tank.

 

[Genetics]

The salinity of the aquarium needs to be adjusted back to normal slowly. From what you’re describing it’s not something that can be done in a day.

 

[boxer rox]

The salinity of the aquarium needs to be adjusted back to normal slowly. From what you’re describing it’s not something that can be done in a day.

Thanks, I will go slow with that. I’m torn between getting them into some clean healthy water and not shocking them all at once. I don’t want to kill them with kindness.

 

[kharmaguru]

Do you take days to acclimate your livestock?
Correcting a tank from one salinity to another is exactly the same process.
2 hours is more than enough time.

They idea that changing from conditions that are perhaps dangerous to animals to one that is good for them should take an extended period of time seems silly to me.

I do not do it.

I think the assumption is with the evaporation that it's a lot more than 1.027 ->1.026 but frankly it's a hard call without numbers. Be sad if everything melted because you went from 1.035 (that it got to over weeks) to 1.025 in one fell swoop.

 

[MtnDewMan]

The 75 gallon tanks don’t really interest me for the long term. My main priority is to save the livestock and any rock I can reuse. I plan to try to use the 75 to house the livestock while I get something bigger up and running. I’ve been thinking seriously about getting back into the hobby and this just pushed me a little harder. Trying to go too fast was my problem in the past. I plan to get a large tank going but want to take my time with that.

Wvned, Thanks for the reminder about needing to add fresh top off water to what’s there.
MtnDewMan,The tubs are a great idea. That’s probably going to be the plan at least for a few days. Do you think just adding a few pieces of rock and fresh water will start a big enough cycle to keep The fish out of the aquarium? Will several water changes a week be enough to keep the ammonia down for the fish? Every other cycle I have ever had on new tanks was with live sand and very live rock etc. with a big ammonia spike. I just plan on keeping this very bare, just enough for the fish for now and then later on add them to a larger display tank.

Fill the tub(s) with aquarium water and pieces of rock from the aquarium. That way the tubs will benefit from the beneficial filtration that is already there. Since the tubs are only temporary, you won't be adding that water back to the main tank when you set it up. I dug up some pictures I had from a past tank change years ago to give an idea.

 

[Reefing102]

I agree with the tubs. Add as much rock from the as you can and as much tank water and that will work for temporary holding as you’ll have the bio filtration needed.

As far as salt level goes, without knowing numbers, it’ll be hard telling. But I’d say doable within a day if spread out. If it high, the more I’d spread it out (4-6 hours or so)

Some important points were brought up about the possibility of stagnant water in the filtration area so I’d be mindful of that

My only other add is to be careful with any sand. I would not add it to any of the tubs with live stock unless you rinse it first. It’s definitely usable, just should be rinsed very well or just use new sand

Also, if your able to, perhaps post some pics that they sent you to help us see where things are at

 

[boxer rox]

 

[boxer rox]

These are the only pictures I have. The young lady just returned home from the hospital and is in the process of arranging services for her husband. Like I said it’s pretty bad. I agreed to pay her what she wants and if nothing else it will help her family out a little. If I can save the clowns and some clean up crew I’ll consider it a success. Anything else will be a bonus and will push me back into the hobby. I have missed it.

 

[MtnDewMan]

These are the only pictures I have. The young lady just returned home from the hospital and is in the process of arranging services for her husband. Like I said it’s pretty bad. I agreed to pay her what she wants and if nothing else it will help her family out a little. If I can save the clowns and some clean up crew I’ll consider it a success. Anything else will be a bonus and will push me back into the hobby. I have missed it.

If that is all you are doing for the moment, get a cheap all in one ten gallon tank, or a cheap 10 gallon tank with a hang on filter. Once you have stable parameters in the main tank (salinity), then fill 2/3 of the 10 gallon tank with that water and 1/3 with new water. You will definitely save the fish that way.

By the way, same idea of using a cheap tub, just an alternative.

 

[Reefing102]

Looks about half empty…I’d definitely spread the salt balancing out as much as possible as it is likely through the roof. That said, it definitely looks salvageable and even several of the corals look salvageable. I’d be concerned with the pumps being burnt out. It doesn’t look like much sand so I personally wouldn’t bother with trying to reuse any of it

 

[griss]

Looks about half empty…I’d definitely spread the salt balancing out as much as possible as it is likely through the roof. That said, it definitely looks salvageable and even several of the corals look salvageable. I’d be concerned with the pumps being burnt out. It doesn’t look like much sand so I personally wouldn’t bother with trying to reuse any of it

Agree with this 100%

 

[boxer rox]

It was a late night. The tank was pretty bad but one of the relatives did make some water now and again and did try to keep it topped off. The salinity was around 1.030. All I have to measure salinity right now is a cheap hydrometer. There has been no circulation or filtration for almost a month.

The tank was probably pretty nice when it was running. Good bit of pretty nice rock and a few corals were salvageable. The best part is once I started digging through the mud, besides the two clowns we also found a Goby, a Wrasse and a pretty good sized shrimp. I had no idea that marine fish were this hardy. I mean the tank was a horror show.

The rock is in my garage with a power head and a heater in a Brute trash can. The fish I have in a little ten gallon aquarium with heat and a power head. They are all still alive this morning. I’m on well water so the RODI is making water slow. I ordered a booster pump last night. I don’t know if I should just make some saltwater with tap water just to get the fish And corals in some clean water? I have to work today so hopefully tonight I can clean some more stuff up and get some more water changed.

 

[Reefing102]

Sounds like a plan and sounds like some nice surprises. As for using tap water, my only concern would be anything extra (such as copper or something else in the water).

 

[boxer rox]

Sounds like a plan and sounds like some nice surprises. As for using tap water, my only concern would be anything extra (such as copper or something else in the water).

Agreed. The RODI is just dripping. I forgot about the booster pump when on well water. I will get enough to do a change in the small ten today. The rocks will just have to ride it out in the nasty tank water for a bit I guess. With finding more fish I think I will clean the 75 and try to get them into it temporarily. I’m just overwhelmed at the moment. Everything is just piled in my garage. Hopefully tonight I can make some more headway.
thanks everyone for the replies and advice.

 

[Reefing102]

The rock should be fine. As long as water is moving, I don’t see too much of an issue. When you change it out, I’d probably rinse the rock in the old water to get any loose detritus off the rock

 

[leebca]

Don't forget to maintain a steady pH. If the 'old' pH was wrong, keep the pH the same in the new system, and change it slowly to its proper range.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Well water & the RO DI unit are NOT friends.
Usually there is CO2 in well water & it kills the DI.
The water has to be degassed before it gets to the RO.

 

[leebca]

It was a late night. The tank was pretty bad but one of the relatives did make some water now and again and did try to keep it topped off. The salinity was around 1.030. All I have to measure salinity right now is a cheap hydrometer. There has been no circulation or filtration for almost a month.

The tank was probably pretty nice when it was running. Good bit of pretty nice rock and a few corals were salvageable. The best part is once I started digging through the mud, besides the two clowns we also found a Goby, a Wrasse and a pretty good sized shrimp. I had no idea that marine fish were this hardy. I mean the tank was a horror show.

The rock is in my garage with a power head and a heater in a Brute trash can. The fish I have in a little ten gallon aquarium with heat and a power head. They are all still alive this morning. I’m on well water so the RODI is making water slow. I ordered a booster pump last night. I don’t know if I should just make some saltwater with tap water just to get the fish And corals in some clean water? I have to work today so hopefully tonight I can clean some more stuff up and get some more water changed.

Oops! I didn't realize you are on well water. Many problems.