75 gal in BAD shape

[loganj]

Went to a customers house today to get started on their SW tank. It's a 75g with about 60-80lbs of LR, 1" CaribSea Seaflor grade sand, a Fluval 304, a Hagen 802 PH, and two 40w lights (1-actinic, 1-5500k).
The tank had a coating of green and red cyano on the glass and hair algae about 2-3" thick on the substrate and LR. Livestock consists of one 3 stripe damsel. Water parameters are as follows
pH: 8.3
NH3: 0
N02: 0
n03: 100+ off scale
P04: .05
Ca: 360
Alk: 2.5 meq/l
Cleaned glass, vacumed hair algae off rock and sand, removed bio media from Fluval, added Purigen pack to Fluval, cleaned and restarted PH, and did about a 60% water change. Here's the plan:
Take all rock out and scrub hair algae off it. Rinse substrate. Replace all water in tank with fresh RO/DI and IO salt. Use Fluval for circulation only...maybe carbon when needed. Add enough Seaflor sand to bring depth to at least 3 1/2-4". Add skimmer...probably Prizm Pro or Seaclone 150...maybe one of the Aqua Remoras if they have a good HOB. Any ideas or suggestions?
This tank will fall into the FOWLR category so I'm not too worried about the lights now. I may recommend going with a CS Smartlite with 10000k and leaving the NO actinic. Also would be interested in any ideas for stocking the tank. Want to keep the bio load low...small, hardy fish. Guess a trio of green chromis will go in for sure. Maybe a coral beauty.
Some kind of clown and maybe a sailfin/lawnmower blenny. Ideas?
Logan J

 

[mulron]

hehe not sure what I can add that you don't already know but...

found a few things on the Fluval304:
A review about water bypassing the media all together.
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/rev-f304.htm

Also its rated for a max of 70gal aquariums per the following links and from what I have always read here the flow is not enough for the tank.

http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=107&PROD_ID=01002100020101
http://www.southpawpets.com/f6.shtml
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/worldpets/fluval304.html


Although I think the added sand and skimmer will probably do the trick; you may want to increase the flow in the tank. /shrug

Now I'm just learning about refuges but a HoB would help the no3 out greatly.

As for hardy fish - they are a little nippy but what about domino damsels or Pseudochromis?

That's all I can think of off hand atm.

EDIT: fixed spelling

 

[loganj]

The Fluval won't be used for filtration...just flow. If it wasn't already there, I'd never use it. I'll probably add a Maxi Jet 1200 as well. I'm not sure about doing a fuge on this tank...I'll only be there about once a month and I don't want to dump too much maintenance on this lady.
Logan j

 

[swishyfishies]

wow what a mess, I think the damsels might be to mean for the other fish. I like the chromis & coral beauty idea. Maybe some hardy percula clowns & cardinals are very hardy. A royal gramma might look good too & maybe some snails to aid in maintanence.

 

[BrianH]

IMHO the Aqua C Remora pro is the best HOT skimmer on the market. If your clients can afford it, that is what I would go with.

Brian

 

[loganj]

Although I think the Pro would be a little much for a 75, I found the regular Aqua C Remora at Marine Depot for $194.00 with the MaxiJet pump and surface skimmer. Anybody know of a better deal? I did find them on sale for $149.00 but that was no surface skimmer and a Rio pump. I wouldn't buy one with a Rio on it.
Logan J

 

[BrianH]

Logan,

I currently have a remora pro on my 50gal reef and I like the performance. IMHO the reqular remora would be a little undersized for a 75 gallon tank. According to the Aqua C website http://www.proteinskimmer.com/specs.htm the remora is rated for tanks up to 85 gallons and the pro for tanks up to 110 gallons. To be sure, I'd definitely go with the remora pro for a tank that size.

Brian

 

[loganj]

I'll have to look into that. I convinced her to spring for the Remora, but I'm not sure she'll be willing to pay the extra for the Pro. The tank will have a low bio load though. Does anyone have a better suggestion for cleaning up the tank? The only way I can see to save what coraline growth is left is to scrub off the hair algae. The only thing left alive in there is the damsel and I can stick him in a bucket while all this is going on. Appreciate any input.
Logan J

 

[loganj]

The tank had a coating of green and red cyano on the glass and hair algae about 2-3" thick on the substrate and LR.
Here's the plan:
Take all rock out and scrub hair algae off it. Rinse substrate. Replace all water in tank with fresh RO/DI and IO salt. Use Fluval for circulation only...maybe carbon when needed. Add enough Seaflor sand to bring depth to at least 3 1/2-4". Add skimmer...probably Prizm Pro or Seaclone 150...maybe one of the Aqua Remoras if they have a good HOB. Any ideas or suggestions?Logan J

Just wanted to bump this one up top. Would like to hear any opinions as to whether this is the best course of action to take to fix this tank. Definitely going with the Remora...Pro if the customer will buy it. If there's a better/easier way to do this that I haven't thought of, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.
Logan J

 

[Hara]

to be honest, I am not familiar with the powerhead, but I would think you might want a little more circulation. If you are not going to go with a fuge, I would say some halimeda would be of great benefit.

 

[reefrunner69]

Take all rock out and scrub hair algae off it.

Yes, do that. you'll need the head start. I would also turn out the lights for a week or so, or just run actinics.

Replace all water in tank with fresh RO/DI and IO salt.

Was about to suggest that

Use Fluval for circulation only...maybe carbon when needed.

Would probably add more circulation, would help cut down on the cyano.

probably Prizm Pro or Seaclone 150...maybe one of the Aqua Remoras if they have a good HOB. Any ideas or suggestions

I too agree the regular remora won't do the job on a 75. I would either go with a large in sump skimmer or the remora pro. You might consider a fuge. Upping the sand is a good idea, maybe add some more rock, if not LR then some nice lace rock as a base rock, any porous rock will do the nitrification as well as denitrification.