First 75 gal tank, setting up

[Bkmrsteel]

I got this in trade for a few hundred dollars worth off computer work. More work to come in trade for the new t5 light setup hes offered me.

I got the 75 gal tank, stand, top, refuge, over flow box, return pump, protean skimmer, titanium heater, sand, delivery of the setup and 75+ gal of RO sea water to fill it. thermo meteers, clips, and power strip timers as well.

With lights and water to come, not a bad trade imo. The refuge is full of live pods as well. Adults and little babys. Also got a full sea chem liquid lab.

 

[Clownfishlovers]

looking good man

 

[carey]

Great deal sounds like! Good luck with the setup!

 

[Bkmrsteel]

He brought the DO sea water over today with me in his truck. We got the tank filled up and running!

Less then 4 hours running and water viability has already improved frome 0 to about 60.

I'm excited to get some coral growing!

 

[Bkmrsteel]

Had the tank setup about 12 hours now. This was a used tank, and very well established at the time of brake down, so I left everything in the refuge (living and ded). This obviously smelled like deth before getting water running once again, but just getting home there is a new "knock you on your ***" smell. It almost has a sulfer smell, and can't tell if its coming from the refuge or the skimmer.

My only concern is if this is harmful gas that could make me sick, or just unplesint?

Ps, the skimmer is kicking up a lot of phome. Don't know if the two are related.

 

[Convict2161]

Had the tank setup about 12 hours now. This was a used tank, and very well established at the time of brake down, so I left everything in the refuge (living and ded). This obviously smelled like deth before getting water running once again, but just getting home there is a new "knock you on your ***" smell. It almost has a sulfer smell, and can't tell if its coming from the refuge or the skimmer.

My only concern is if this is harmful gas that could make me sick, or just unplesint?

Ps, the skimmer is kicking up a lot of phome. Don't know if the two are related.

Harmful gas, I doubt it, I don't know enough about saltwater tanks and such but being a fire chief and on the county's Hazardous Materials Team as well as the special operations team I can help with the odor. If its like a sulfur smell not harmful just unpleasant. You have a CO detector in the house as well as a smoke I'm assuming so your covered with the CO.

Maybe just some of the old gunk getting through the system? Is it like a rotten egg smell? You can vent by opening a window to help get some fresh air and if it still concerns you, you can always call your local fire dept. they have equipment I hope to test the air quality and make sure it's nothing to be alarmed about. If you have no signs or symptoms I'd say your ok. Open a window to play it safe but I don't really see what harmful vapors could be coming from the tank.

Is the water flowing? Pumps on? So the water isn't stagnant right?

Sorry for all the questions that's just the FF in me.

Also you would wanna make sure it's not Hydrogen sulfide that's a different ball game and can be harmful. Again sorry but it's what I do. Here's a quick read on it. If it's nothing like this then your ok. I just want to make sure your family and you are safe that's my job even if we never met.

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/hydrogensulfide.htm

Please let me know

Thank you,

Dino

 

[Bkmrsteel]

Thanks for the quick reply

The tank is running and all setup. There is a lot of detritus in the tank.
the smell is some what like rotting eggs, but more refined. We have smoke detectors, although idk about a co one. cut off the ac and opened a window in the room.

 

[Convict2161]

Thanks for the quick reply

The tank is running and all setup. There is a lot of detritus in the tank.
the smell is some what like rotting eggs, but more refined. We have smoke detectors, although idk about a co one. cut off the ac and opened a window in the room.

Ok good. The rotten egg smell is what concerns me. Maybe it's just the algae? Your sure it's the tank right? No septic tank? No sewer back up? Where is the tank located? Is the odor dissipating with the window open.

And get a CO detector please, PM me and I can send you one free of charge from my dept. if you would like. Again sorry been chief for 7 years and a FF for more years lol so... It's in my blood. If you were close by I'd come there with my meters and just double check for ya myself. As long as everyone feels ok. I'm in chief mode I apologize.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

No problem, smell is decreasing. The tank is our "center peace" on the living room. My gf and I still notice the strong oder, but agree its subsiding (based on first impression after being gone all day).

We live in an apartment, and where very lucky to have one with the parking deck below us, so instead of a few 2x6 boards, we have almost 2' of solid cement below us.

It just sucks we can't have the ac running, having it be middle of summer in ga.

24 hours running now and the water is cristal clear! low ammonia, high no3, very low no4 (so good progress)

 

[Ingy]

I can't tell fro the pic but is there a deep sand layer in the fuge? There is an anaerobic bacteria that will consume nitrAtes and does in fact release hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen gas. If the deep sand layer gets disturbed (which it would have) the h2s gas could be released and can be deadly but the amount you would've dealing with are well below that. In fact if you can smell h2s it isn't deadly. The first part of your body it attacks is your nose and then you can't smell it. I used to work in a pulp mill and h2s was our biggest fear.
Again, don't worry about the levels (if any) in your tank but it may account for the smell.
Never disturb you refuge tank sand bed (if it is a deep bed) with the fuge running and fish in your tank. Great way to kill everything.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

I can't tell fro the pic but is there a deep sand layer in the fuge? There is an anaerobic bacteria that will consume nitrAtes and does in fact release hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen gas. If the deep sand layer gets disturbed (which it would have) the h2s gas could be released and can be deadly but the amount you would've dealing with are well below that. In fact if you can smell h2s it isn't deadly. The first part of your body it attacks is your nose and then you can't smell it. I used to work in a pulp mill and h2s was our biggest fear.
Again, don't worry about the levels (if any) in your tank but it may account for the smell.
Never disturb you refuge tank sand bed (if it is a deep bed) with the fuge running and fish in your tank. Great way to kill everything.

Lfs said it was myrical mud, although to my untrained eye it looks like moldy a**. It was mess with as there was two acrylic pieces that fell in there, and I had to fish then out. Then very gently moved it (around the corners, one spot in the middle) to make sure there was not more.

If I can't move it, how do I plant in it without killing the fish?

 

[Convict2161]

Glad to hear that odor is dissipating. Good stuff! Good luck with the tank, looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[Ingy]

I think right now you can plant stuff without concern. Based on the fart smell, your h2s gas is already released.
Do you do your water change thru the sump? If you do that's when you can stir up the sump with less concern. Shut your return off , plant stuff in mud, do water removal in sump, add water to DT, repeat if necessary, then turn sump back on.
Planting a few plants isn't a huge concern in a deep bed sump as long as you don't stir up the entire thing.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

I think right now you can plant stuff without concern. Based on the fart smell, your h2s gas is already released.
Do you do your water change thru the sump? If you do that's when you can stir up the sump with less concern. Shut your return off , plant stuff in mud, do water removal in sump, add water to DT, repeat if necessary, then turn sump back on.
Planting a few plants isn't a huge concern in a deep bed sump as long as you don't stir up the entire thing.

Thanks man, Ill probably do one at the end of the week, or the weekend. Ill try stirring up and cleaning the mud as best I can. Also need to clean the different chambers in the sump as well.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

Guess I stirred it up to much, and didn't let it settle as much as I should have. I now have a black tank with a layer of mud forming on the sand. Good thing I have no fish yet... Fml,

 

[Bkmrsteel]

Here was my solution to cleaning the water in my tank after fowling it with mud from the refuge.

sock over the over flow return pipe, few sponges (aquarium safe), and river rock subsrate sitting on the catch grate. That with a 40% water change has brought clarity in the tank over the past two hours from 10% to 80% and still improving.

Cleaned the sand best I could, and removed build up from the first chamber (cleaning it well at the same time). The thing that had made the biggest difference has been my diy mechanical filter.





I understand this may become a nitrate factory, and could be bad in the long run. I had no idea how I was going to do it otherwise