Starting up my 55 gal after long break

[nwbradshaw]

I am wanting to start up my 55 gal tank after not having it running for 7 or 8 years. It was hastily taken down during a move, and not cleaned as well as it probably should have been.

I am wondering how to clean it back up? The tank itself has a band of hard crusty algea remains and a build up of salt deposit around the top 6 or so inches.

The Lifereef wet/dry filter has the same along the water line.

How do I go about cleaning this? Can I clean the bio balls in the wet/dry filter or take them out and replace them?

Thanks for the help. I am sure that this is the first of many questions.

[jaiden]

vinegar is safe to use. try that first.

[nwbradshaw]

straight or diluted?
How much rinsing after scrubbing with vinegar is needed?

[ColdFish]

50/50 vinegar and water is what I usually use for cleaning up. Not much rinsing required at all afterwards. Have never tried to clean up a huge build-up though, and not sure if straight vinegar would be ok or not. Seems like it shouldn't be a problem as long as you rinse completely afterwards.

[Lonewolfblue]

You can do 50/50 or straight. I just used straight on a paper towel, took it all off, including the mineral deposits. Had to scrub a little, but was fairly easy. Took an hour to do my 55G.

[tecwzrd]

Instead of the bio-balls you might want to consider getting 60-90 lbs of live rock to handle your bio-filtration via the The "Berlin Method". If not then you may want to replace the bio-balls since they are relatively cheap and probably not worth the time involved to clean them if heavily encrusted.

Quite a lot has changed in this hobby over the last 8 years and I’d recommend reading all the saltwater articles on this site and the articles on liveaquaria.com to get up to speed.

Welcome back to the addiction

[nwbradshaw]

I will have to do some reading as I am not familiar with the "Berlin Method". When I bought the tank and filter set up, it was top of the line, but like anything else it's nothing compared to new technology.

I guess I have some reading to do. Anyone want to put it here in a nut shell? Is it completely unacceptable to consider using the same Lifereef filter? Theres alot of money tied up there.

Thanks - Nick

[tecwzrd]

The lifereef filters are top notch and I wasn’t suggesting ditching the whole thing, just the bio-balls since lr would be more beneficial in keeping your no3 low if you plan on making this tank a reef. You could convert it over to a fuge also.

Still there are a lot of reefers who still use bio-balls with little no3 problems so it’s still not out of the question with proper skimming/maintenance done.

[nwbradshaw]

Can you add the LR to the area where the bio ball usually sit? Or do you change that portion completely?

I am wanting to do a fish only with Live Rock at this point. Would that change the recommendation of LR over bio ball use?

I can definately see that alot has changed since I last did this. Thanks everyone for your input.

[revhtree]

Hi and welcome to AA!!

First off glad you are getting back into SW!

I will add a little here. Clean the tank with some good vinegar that has a high acid count. Then fill the tank up with fresh water and let it sit a few weeks. Examine the seems very well. Since the tank is pretty old you might want to consider replacing the silicon or buying a new tank altogether. I know you dont want to hear that, but it is something to consider.

Also you can just convert your wet/dry into a sump. You can add LR rubble to the area where bio balls were used. They are out dated as they could become a nitrate factory.

What are your plans for this tank? FO, FOWLR, Reef, etc....

WELCOME!

[nwbradshaw]

Thanks REVHTREE,

I am planning a FOWLR. Would the LR rubble be put in the same place as the bio balls were, in the stream of falling water? Doesn't seem like the plastic that holds up the bio balls would hold much weight.

Would this set up with Bio balls be ok for a FOWLR?

Again, Thanks for everyones input.

[revhtree]

Ya I think it would be ok, but if you can go with the LR. What I did was take out the whole holder and fill that section with LR rubble. You can leave the tray in there over the rubble to break the noise of the water up.

I think you would be ok with the bio balls, but If LR is an option I would do that.

[tecwzrd]

Originally Posted by nwbradshaw

Would the LR rubble be put in the same place as the bio balls were, in the stream of falling water?

Typically bio-balls are suspended above the water allowing the water to trickle through them. lr rubble would be far more effective if fully submerged so bacteria can properly build up within the lr and on the outside. (It’s the type of bacteria that builds up inside that is most important since these types help keep your no3 low.) Most use baffles to direct the water flow through the lr rubble and to reduce air bubbles before the return.

If you can convert part of your sump into a lighted refugium it would help with filtration/nutrient exportation as well.

Also lr rubble in the sump alone is not going to be sufficient for bio-filtration. You will need approximately 60-90 lbs of live rock in the main tank to handle your bio-filtration.