Planning a moderate overhaul,need advice

[Justin74]

Theres alot of years combined experience in our club with some real ejamacated folks too. Was gonna post somewhere else to slow the flow of posts but I think I trust you guys more than most places on the boards throughout RC,at least all hanging out in one spot like here.So here it goes.

I have approximately at least a 15 lb rock that I would like to put in my 30 thats currently in my 55g display. The reason is Im tired of trimming macro and it spreading due to the "missed him,damnit!"process of trying to collect any floating peices. Not only is this a big rock covered in macro,micro,detritus, diatomish cyano strands, but it has been in the same spot for a couple years. So, I know its trapped some dead stuff under there and hand prints worth of sand that has not been disturbed for as long as its been there. Now this rock is almost 20% of my total LR so there can be a whole ....load of problems if not approached carefully.

My course of action would be this.
Take out a few gallons,enough to submerge the rock. Physicall remove as much macro micro as possible. Dip rinse in some more freshly removed tank water.Put the rock in the 30g,suck up another 5 gallons from the display leaving me with 20% water removed from display after rock is removed. Then replace 20% with new fresh SW to complete the waterchange.Polished off with some fresh carbon.

Ideally I would like to do 30% but only have a 10 gallon container presently. So what do you think guys? Will this cut it?Let me know if you personally had good results with different or more methods than I mentioned.Please

-Justin

 

[rickbirdman]

any bad algea its usually bad water quality. i have a battle going on with cyano both red and green, a little hair algea which is almost gone. ever since i have reduced my light and used ro or ro/di just by doing 3 20% water changes in about a month the algea is going away. but a good way to start off is cleaning the bad algea off in a seperate tub and rinse the rock when your done.

if you have any nice macro send some my way.

 

[Justin74]

I have no questions of my input water. Looking at my tank its kinda hard not to notice all the nutrients stemming from this one rock. Its been kinda of a graveyard. Little nooks and holes that act like traps for snails, and I think it possible have been the last resting place for my algae blenny before he dissapeared on me as well(helping this algae bloom I have even more..). Aside from all this its just a net for detritus because of the thickness of the macro. Well, after I posted this Im having second thoughts on removing it. Im seriously thinking I may just leave it and plop a couple emeralds to be done with algae alltogether. When I had some before they never let it get any macro,grape calaurpa being the biggy. It just has a big rhodactis on it that I wanted to put in the 30 with the other softies so when I do get an emerald Ill have less concerns due to my previous experience with emeralds and softies.

So last night I pulled about 2lb of the stuff off the rock.After all the trimming was done I swapped out the filter pads so no peices floating around and sucked up just didnt dissolve and release more nutrients. A tang would be nice to help keep some algae control,as I dont have any veggie eaters right now. But I know a 55g is too small to house one. Any suggestions on a smaller veggie eater that can be housed in a mid size tank?

-Justin

 

[Fragmented]

My Foxface loves to help keep my tank's algae under controll. He and the Purple Tang pal around together looking for tasty morsels. The Foxface has a really interesting personality too. Very fun to watch.

 

[Justin74]

Youll have to forgive me but Ive always thought they are soo damned ugly :x

-Justin

 

[Justin74]

Thank you for the input though

-Justin

 

[duec22]

Justin, I recently replaced a couple pounds of new LR in my tank. Since I was going with more SPS I wanted rock that could have much better water flow. I bought a couple of large pieces of branch rock and let it cure for about two months. Everytime I would do my weekly water change I would change the water into the container I was cureing the LR in. I waited untill the rock stopped sheding, then put a light over it for a couple of weeks. Since I didn't notice any alge growth on the rock I decided it was good to go. When I changed out the rock, I took a second container did a water change, and kept the old water in the new container, and started pulling out all the coral and putting it in there. With 80% of the coral out I was able to take out the rock I wanted, scrub some of the old stuff, and vacuum some of the sand a little bit. I let the tank settle and filter clean, then did another small water change, attached frags to new rock and put it in the tank. Did another water change two days later. Never had an alge bloom or any problem from the change over. The tank is a lot cleaner now, but I think I building a skimmer soon to try and prevent it from happeing again.

 

[Pico1]

you can put a yellow tang in a 55

 

[Justin74]

I think my biggest concern is disturbing the sand bed. I think the key like you mentioned is just doing some large frequent waterchanges for a lil while.

Pico, ya I could. But they are a big fish and there quality of life would be better suited for a 100g or more especially if youd like to have other fish with him as well. They are designed to swim, and its hard to do with a 55, and doesnt make it easier with all the LR I have in the tank.

-Justin