Restoring Neglected Tank

[StrongBad]

So tomorrow I transfer a 135 gal reef aquarium from its old owners to my house. I looks like it was a beautiful tank at one point. Now it has Zoanthids spreading all over the rocks and worse it has green hair algae and some bubble algae on most of the rock. It looks like they may have had the light cycle go a little long every day as well. It has a 40gal refugium and a berlin protein skimmer. And water changes were done about once a month.
My question, what will it take to resurrect this tank. Do i have to do the manual removal/water change method of clearing the algae or are there predators to graze it down? HOw long do you all think it will take to clear everything with proper chemistry and lighting? I would like to keep as much of the good life through the transfer but if i need to just start anew i can swing that as well.

 

[Scottm]

Its not incredibly difficult to restore a tank such as this. Just be consistant in your water changes. one a week I would say till the algae is cleared. And to my mind manual removal is best. just be vigilent. With manual removal the results are immediate and satisfying. even if it is difficult sometimes. It sounds like a great setup and will probably be amazing by the time you have it where you want it. I would get some snails and hermit crabs too. They help a little.

 

[ntswift]

I agree, it wont be too hard to get it up and running like it was back in the good 'ol days. Just do weekly PWC like already mentioned and maybe a good clean up crew should do it. Emerald crabs will help out a lot also with hair algea and bubble algea. Congrats on the new addition!

 

[StrongBad]

cool. I am planning on upping the cleanup crew substantially. Lots of different types of snails and a mess of hermits. I also wondered if i could possibly cheat a litte with Chaeto. Would it speed up the process of removing the bad (undesired) algae if i put a huge ball of chaeto in the refugium. I am hoping it will compete with the hair/bubble algae for nutrients. Obviously a high amount of those nutrient is the problem but maybe it will help until i can balance chemistry?

 

[dorian965]

adding algae to the sump would help and i would do a LARGE water change when you move the tank depending on the fish load and delicacy of the coral. zoos are pretty tough. you could also get a yellow tang. i dont know of your stocking plans but they seem to be standard practice for a mixed reef and they are great with hair algae. cleaned my used tank right up.

 

[StrongBad]

Great idea with the yellow tang. THe tank already has 6 or so fish that i could see. A domino, a blue damsel, a pair of tomatoe clowns, and a couple of different wrasse. Since I expect the tank to go thru quite an ordeal and a drastic change in chemistry i was considering keeping the several coral in my 40 gallon tank and trying to trade in the existing fish for store credit. After i am more comfortable with the state of the tank i will begin adding fish and a yellow tang seems a great start to aid in ridding the tank of the pesky algae stubble that manual cleaning misses.

 

[dorian965]

yea, you dont want that domino in there. i hate those guys.

ive moved my tanks several times and have never lost anything. i usually do about a 50% water change also. maybe ive just been lucky, who knows.

 

[melosu58]

PWCs and I think probably need to change the bulbs as they most likely are past their time to be changed. The spectrum they are putting out is probably fueling the algea.

 

[angelscrx]

Wear gloves if you plan on handling rocks with lots of zoos. If you have cuts on your hands you can get a taste of the palytoxin they leach and you won't like it. It will make you sick to your stomach and the painful headache. (Voice of experience)