Need Expert advise

[oscarslr]

K here is the deal my friend has a reef tank 80 gal that is full of algae i mean you can hardly see the live rock, he has a tang, clown fish, and two damsels that look great , he does have one coral that is surviving,

i am getting this tank what should i do?????

 

[drummereef]

I would get a quality RO/DI unit asap #1. Need a lot more info about the system...

1. What substrate?
2. What kind of filtration?
3. Skimmer?
4. How much flow?
5. How old is the system?

 

[SaltyDr]

If it's free go for it. As you will find out, something "free" will still cost you lots in the long run. Do you REALLY want a saltwater tank? You can ditch the sand, cook the rock and go from there (when I mean cook, don't boil it - keep it in the dark in a large tub/garbage can with heater, powerhead and do frequent water changes for a month or more) Do need more info, though.

 

[oscarslr]

k its a sump system(20 gal) with a protein skimmer its about 1.5 years old 100+ lbs of rock and about a 3 inch sand bed have no clue what the substrate is can you save the sand?? or do u have to toss it definitely

 

[SaltyDr]

If the algae is that bad it means the nutrients are high and the sand bed likely has a lot of trapped nutrients. You can theoretically was the heck out of the sand and remove most of the nutrients but I'd start fresh.

 

[oscarslr]

it has 4 VHO's

 

[oscarslr]

can you dry out the sand?

 

[drummereef]

You can save the sand but it's probably jam packed with nitrate and phosphate at this point. I would recommend getting new dry sand for when you move the tank. The issue with 'cooking' the live rock is what to do with the fish in the mean time. It will take weeks to cook the rock. I would suggest manually removing the algae before putting the rock back in the tank after the move. Scrub it real good. Then, use only RO/DI water and feed very little until you get your phosphates/nitrates under control. If you got the $, add a phosban reactor as well.

Are there any bio-balls, sponges, pads, etc in the sump?

 

[oscarslr]

how can i keep the fish and coral alive? i have a a spare 75 gal tank and a canister filter will that work for now?

 

[drummereef]

You can set the 75g up as a QT tank. You'll have to make sure the media in the canister is fully established before you start this process though.

 

[oscarslr]

will filling the tank with vinegar and water help?

 

[oscarslr]

will drying out the rock and using it as a base with cured live rock work quicker than cooking it?

 

[drummereef]

Filling what tank?

 

[oscarslr]

the old 80 to get it cleaned

 

[drummereef]

You can yes.

 

[oscarslr]

so i can dry the rock or clean the tank with vinegar

 

[drummereef]

No, don't dry the rock that will kill it. What you want to do is a process called 'cooking' the rock. Here's a detailed faq on the process. Scroll down to SeanT's post.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=437342

 

[oscarslr]

Will killing the rock be quicker if after i kill it seed it with new cured live rock than cooking it?

 

[oscarslr]

can i use some of the same water from the 80 gal to keep the fish and coral alive in the 75 gal?

 

[drummereef]

Yes, but it will take quite a while for it to get re-established and cycle again.