Hey guys. I have only been in the salt water hobby a few months. I did almost everything wrong on my first set up but now it's running well and all fish/inverts/corals look happy and doing well. (Didn't kill any of them) I think I got a great deal on a Red Sea max 250 65 gal. It has the upgraded led lights full spectrum. And everything seems to be in working order. Still has live sand/crushed coral in it and some water. Few inches. Lots of alge growth all over. I bought it for $250 and it's actually in perfect condition physically. Now do I threw away the sand? Best method of cleaning it? I personally like the color of the Alge. What would you guys recommend I do first as it is a used tank ? The guy who owned it bought a larger Red Sea model and transferred his rock and livestock to that. It wasn't a poorly maintained tank. Whatever info you have will certainly help.
Purchased used Red Sea max 250 need some advice
- Thread starter Autofill
- Start date
Ron Reefman
Active member
Take all the sand out and put it in a bucket. Fill the tank full of water (any water) and let it set for a few days and check for leaks regularly, not just after day go by. Seriously.
To clean the sand take the bucket out in the yard with the garden hose and no nozzle. Turn the water on and stick the end of the hose into the sand and fill the bucket to overflowing. Crud should flow out over the top and the sand should stay in. Move the hose up and down all over the bucket. When the water overflowing the bucket starts to run clear you can stop. Now SLOWLY tip the bucket and drain off as much water as you can. You now have clean sand. Some people will tell you to now fill the bucket with new saltwater. That's optional in my opinion.
To clean the sand take the bucket out in the yard with the garden hose and no nozzle. Turn the water on and stick the end of the hose into the sand and fill the bucket to overflowing. Crud should flow out over the top and the sand should stay in. Move the hose up and down all over the bucket. When the water overflowing the bucket starts to run clear you can stop. Now SLOWLY tip the bucket and drain off as much water as you can. You now have clean sand. Some people will tell you to now fill the bucket with new saltwater. That's optional in my opinion.
tinfoilsoldier
New member
There might be living things in the sand, but it is better to lose them when you wash away all of the rotting previously living things and filth that is also in the sand.
I like to use hydrogen peroxide to clean algae/tanks. It is self neutralizing to oxygen and water, and I've been able to screw spray bottle tops directly onto the brown bottle from the store.
Scrape the glass with a razor. Clean it really well, especially the rounded glass corners if yours has them. They stay reasonably clean but I wish I had better cleaned the dead coraline off ours when we bought it from a co-worker. Be careful with the back, it's plastic and will scratch.
I like to use hydrogen peroxide to clean algae/tanks. It is self neutralizing to oxygen and water, and I've been able to screw spray bottle tops directly onto the brown bottle from the store.
Scrape the glass with a razor. Clean it really well, especially the rounded glass corners if yours has them. They stay reasonably clean but I wish I had better cleaned the dead coraline off ours when we bought it from a co-worker. Be careful with the back, it's plastic and will scratch.
You have the same tank? What media are you using? Too many different things online and what Red Sea says to do.
tinfoilsoldier
New member
I actually have it draining into my basement where a 40 gallon breeder is set up with a filter sock, skimmer, refugium, chaeto chamber, gfo/carbon reactor, bubble trap, and a DC return pump to send it back upstairs.
