Zarlinia
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Last week, my friend's mother got her a used tank and stand for her birthday coming up this week. Sadly her mom knows nothing about keeping a good aquarium or she would have questioned the look of the tank. It wasn't a bad deal but there are some problems that will have to be overcome before the tank is ready for any little fishies to call home. So as her friend and fishy adviser I'm trying to figure out how to get this smelly crusty thing to look like a promising fish home.
General info on the tank isn't much. We think it's a 49 gallon tank that came with a light hood, a filter, very little gravel, and a stand that is far from perfect. I have some general ideas what needs to be done but for some I'm feeling my way through dark territory.
To start with the tank is incredibly crusty and dirty since the former owner just emptied the water and all the items inside and left it to dry. I know that you can't use normal cleaning supplies but I'm sure that some of the gunk wont be coming off with a sponge, water, and elbow grease. So, first main question I have is what are some good things to use or tricks to cut through the crud without killing our arms or future fish?
Second thing to overcome is that the filter that the tank, an aqua-tech 30-60 that you find at Wal-Mart, is a little worse for wear and missing the biofilter material and the frames that holds them that would have been in it is missing and my main problem is I'm completely overwhelmed by the options of filter media at my lfs. I'd greatly appreciate being pointed in the right direction in getting this filter up and running or just scrapping it and getting a new one.
Onto the next worry I have. The guy said that the stand and tank came together and it was what he used for it but there are some things that may be just cosmetic but they kinda worry me. Besides needing cleaned up and a new door to the bottom cabinet since the one on it doesn't fit (there's an inch gap and it just looks ugly. )there is no back or bottom panel to the stand. I do'nt know if it was just something the manufacturers left out to save a few bucks or what but it seems odd to me.
That's all the things I can think that I need some guidance on at the moment. I may think of some more things once we actually start tackling this project. I took a few pics of the empty tank that I'll post later and see if you guys see anything wrong that I've missed.
oh also I just wanted to add that we don't have a heck of a lot of money to work with so any tricks that will bypass buying everything new and shiny would be great.
General info on the tank isn't much. We think it's a 49 gallon tank that came with a light hood, a filter, very little gravel, and a stand that is far from perfect. I have some general ideas what needs to be done but for some I'm feeling my way through dark territory.
To start with the tank is incredibly crusty and dirty since the former owner just emptied the water and all the items inside and left it to dry. I know that you can't use normal cleaning supplies but I'm sure that some of the gunk wont be coming off with a sponge, water, and elbow grease. So, first main question I have is what are some good things to use or tricks to cut through the crud without killing our arms or future fish?
Second thing to overcome is that the filter that the tank, an aqua-tech 30-60 that you find at Wal-Mart, is a little worse for wear and missing the biofilter material and the frames that holds them that would have been in it is missing and my main problem is I'm completely overwhelmed by the options of filter media at my lfs. I'd greatly appreciate being pointed in the right direction in getting this filter up and running or just scrapping it and getting a new one.
Onto the next worry I have. The guy said that the stand and tank came together and it was what he used for it but there are some things that may be just cosmetic but they kinda worry me. Besides needing cleaned up and a new door to the bottom cabinet since the one on it doesn't fit (there's an inch gap and it just looks ugly. )there is no back or bottom panel to the stand. I do'nt know if it was just something the manufacturers left out to save a few bucks or what but it seems odd to me.
That's all the things I can think that I need some guidance on at the moment. I may think of some more things once we actually start tackling this project. I took a few pics of the empty tank that I'll post later and see if you guys see anything wrong that I've missed.
oh also I just wanted to add that we don't have a heck of a lot of money to work with so any tricks that will bypass buying everything new and shiny would be great.