Restarting Tank

[brainchild24]

Hey Guys not sure where to put this posting so I figured under large reefs as I qualify, unfortunately I am posting in regards to a problem instead of showing off the tank. I have a 250 gallon marineland tank upgrade from a 90 (go big or go home right) and it has been running great for a year now, until I had two things start to take over cr-aiptasia and red cyano. In the past I would through in a bunch of peppermint shrimp and call it a day with regards to the aiptasia but since I have a couple of wrasses in the tank that does work so well. As to the cyno not sure why that all started as I have a great skimmer (SRO-XP5000) which pulls tons of muck out, also I perform a 32 gallon (that what the brute trash can holds ) water change every four weeks.

So its been about two months now I have decided to break down the tank and restart, unless I get an alternative, and yes the aiptasia have multiplied like rabbits. I have tried just about everything to kill them but they just keep coming back. I was going to order a tahiti butterfly but I just want the system back to it glory.

I forgot to mention the question i had in the first place was what should I use to kill the tank, I know I have to replace the substrate, but I want to see what was the best approach (bleach, ect..)

Thanks all for any advise.

 

[brainchild24]

bump+

 

[rfalvey89]

have you tried a reactor with Bio-Pellets?
I know where you are coming from but only have a 90 gal...had cyano threw in a Phos-Ban 150 and the Cyano was gone in days...I run a baggie of carbon and a baggie of ROWA ..seems to do it / to it

 

[James404]

Could try a filefish or a copperband butterfly.

 

[albano]

Could try a filefish or a copperband butterfly.

+1...bristletail filefish (about $25)...should eat all aptasia in a few weeks!

 

[LOTUS50GOD]

Carbon is the best way to reduce cyano.

 

[brainchild24]

Thanks all, I am running GFO and Carbon which I think is keeping it in check somewhat. I think I am going to add another MP40.

Do you think the filefish will do well in a tank with a clown tang?

 

[albano]

Do you think the filefish will do well in a tank with a clown tang?

Nothings guaranteed...but...I added a pair of filefish, to my 450g DT with 70 other fish, including 10 tangs (no clown tang), and no one even looked at them! They cleaned my 450g DT, 60g QT and 25g Frag tank in less than 2 weeks

 

[brainchild24]

So I have a new filefish coming in the morning...Lets see if he is up to the challenge.

 

[Daniel Reef]

Pics please.

 

[brainchild24]

Here he is, but he hasn't touched the aiptasia as yet. He is eating prepared food which is good.

 

[albano]

Here he is, but he hasn't touched the aiptasia as yet.

I've never actually seen mine eat the aptasia...BUT it's GONE!

 

[brainchild24]

albano, I figure he is new to the tank and just getting adjusted, I did see him start to eye a couple so I am sure that its only time.

 

[brainchild24]

This is what my tank looked like a couple months ago.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107395889707225401552/250GallonJaReef

 

[brainchild24]

So the filefish has started to nip on my scolymia and thats not cool.

 

[jbanks]

update?

 

[dylan87]

clown tangs are awesome they can be evil little buggers though i was stationd in egypt for a year and our reef(yes i was "stationed" with the army in egypt in south sinai we had our own beach with a very large reef)there were about 20 clown tangs that lived at the entrance to it and everytime you went in theyd get all angry try and bite us i want one real bad but after seeing them in the wild i would want a tank way bigger than my 220 im about to setup.

how big is your the ones at the reef were all about a foot and a half

 

[brainchild24]

dylan87, yeah I know what you mean he started off being a pain in the butt, then after a while my yellow tang stepped up and became alpha tang as he had been in the tank for a while. As for the length on mine he is about five and half inches.

jbanks, so I actually broke the tank down and transfered all the fish and coral to a 110gallon lagoon which is located at my LFS, seems to be working like a dream. So this thread will turn into a rebuild. fun fun. spent the last three days cleaning everything and bleached all my rock in the good ole NC hot sun .

pictures to follow.

 

[jbanks]

Looking forward to your progress!

 

[brainchild24]

I will be refilling the tank tomorrow, also took this opportunity to repaint a couple spots that had rust on them (steel stand with a wood wrap). I will also be re-routing wiring under the tank as some of it got out of control (adding new toys along the way made for a wire mess, but a good one to have ).