I need some encouragement from ya'll - Undergravel story

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Hi Gang,
First off I listened to you all when I set up this tank and found AA, but it was too late. I quickly realized I made a big mistake with going with UG filter from the start. Also, if you are reading this while gathering info on UG filters and are considering using one in a salt water aquarium, please read on, you will see what you will have to eventually do, as I have done.

Here is what I have do so far, please pray for my fish and inverts, as they are going through a lot of stress because of my bone head decision 3 months ago. I set up a 37gal in early August . After getting advice on AA I decided to start preparing a change over to Live Rock /no UG -sand bottom in mid Aug. In the beginning I put in 10 pounds of base rock, then weeks later added 17 pounds more of Live Rock , making 27 pounds so far. I let my tank adjust to that preparing for the removal of the under gravel filter. I then bought more LR and it is curing as I type for the final chapter later. Last week I removed 1/3 of the crushed coral off the UG filter, and allowed for everything to acclimate. I still have a small bio-wheel running and no media in my HOT magnum, just water movement and surface agitation.

Today I took the plunge and pulled 1/2 the water out into a 30 gal tub, put one of the power heads ,with a heater in there and set up a temp tank for my LR and and crabs . I decided it would be more stress on my fish to chase and remove them than to just let them hide in a corner and remain in the tank, so they did..

I then took all UG hardware out and slid all the CC off the UG filter and piled it into the left half of the tank. I then rinsed some dry sand and added about 25 pounds to the right half of the tank.

I put a pleated cartridge into my HOT magnum and began running it to clear the water. After an hour or so I could see well enough to put the LR back in w/o squishing someone and reinstalled a powerhead and a Koralia for water movement.

I have all 6 fish alive at the moment, only one crab is missing, didn't even see him before the start.

My plans are to monitor ammonia every day, do PWC as needed to control ammonia and nitrite levels and hope for the best. This is where you all come in, please shoot me some encouragement and tell me I have done it the right way, or ...that all my fish are going to die and I'm gonna have to start all over,not to mention tell my 6 year old all of her pets died today- either way... the choice is yours

Next week if all goes well and no spike I will scoop out the CC and spread out the sand, and add the last 10# piece of LR in the curing vat, or do you thing that is too soon?


Thanks.

 

[fijiwigi]

Sounds like your doing ok. Just keep up on water paramaters and you should be fine. I am assuming the tank and rocks were already cycled. If it were me I would have put the rocks and some water into the rubbermaid tub. with a few cups of sand. Cleaned the tank out completely, add some new sand, fill up with saltwater, put everything back and watched for a cycle.

 

[elwaine]

Next week if all goes well and no spike I will scoop out the CC and spread out the sand, and add the last 10# piece of LR in the curing vat, or do you thing that is too soon?

Hi Joey,

I'm not sure how long you've cured that LR. In any case, smell it. It should smell fresh and clean, like a shell you pick out of the water at a beach. If it smells bad, put it back in the curing tank.

 

[melosu58]

I think it looks like a pretty good course of action. Keep monitoring the water and hopefully it will be OK. Things are looking encouraging.

 

[austinsdad]

Check the ammonia now I'm thinking. I'm thinking if there's to be a problem,you'd start to see it already. How many hours has it been now?

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Hi Joey,

I'm not sure how long you've cured that LR. In any case, smell it. It should smell fresh and clean, like a shell you pick out of the water at a beach. If it smells bad, put it back in the curing tank.

I got it from an online source about 3 weeks ago . Premium Aquatics- prem fiji, and it smelled good when I got it, only 40 hours in transit at ideal temps. Been changing 100% water every 4 days or so for first 2 weeks, no real ammonia levels have shown yet in any test. Only a trace in one test but not even to the first color above 0ppm.

I bought 40 lbs, 25 for my wifes Aquapod build and 15 for this UG filter conversion.

I will assume 3 1/2 weeks in curing vat w/ 80 degree VERY well circulating water is enough time? Should I put in a pinch of flake food?
thanks,

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Check the ammonia now I'm thinking. I'm thinking if there's to be a problem,you'd start to see it already. How many hours has it been now?

8 hours now. Ammonia 0, PH 8.1 , just buffered, 1.023 , will check for nitrites in about 2 days. So far all is good, only fish acting different is my flame, just a bit shy, after all the rock is arranged different


All live stock is accounted for at this time as well

 

[austinsdad]

Sounds like things are OK after all.

 

[CTD]

You are going to make it

 

[roka64]

It definitely sounds like you are diong it the right way. I would just keep some pre mixed water ready.

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Thanks guys, here I am at 30 hours after the switch. All tank parameters are great and everyone but the flame angel is doing fine. the flame is hiding in a corner and breathing heavily in a panic like look. Not so sure if he is gonna make it, I am hoping he pulls out, as it is the latest addition and on the top of my daughters favorite fish list. His name is Flamey , lets all pray for Flamey

I feel so stupid for going the U/G route... live and learn, unfortunately possibly at the expense of a fish.


joey

 

[intimatecple]

hopefully he will make it and it sounds like you did good!!! good luck moving ahead!!! We all make our own choices and all learn....that is why we are here!!!

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Update here at 2 days now, flame is out in the tank a bit more today and he finally ate a few pieces of frozen brine shrimp, so we are very happy . I will assume it will be ok to start removing the remaining crushed coral a bit at a time, luckily all of the LR is piled up on top of the sand side , so rearranging the tank wont be necessary until all CC is out and one final rock stacking for appearance.
I am planning on taking out about 25% of the remaining CC at a time, wait 4-5 days and take out some more, or is this seem too fast, as I'm not sure how fast the bio system can catch up.

patience here is certainly the plan for success, I am sure.
Joey

 

[Justin_Toronto]

Good job...
Personally I think you're moving too fast, the fish may be alive.. but they've just been put through a great deal of stress and are likely weak. Be patient, give it time before you begin moving out the CC. Remember even removing the CC will stir up a lot of muck which will stress the lil guys. The best way to remove the sand with the least stress of the fish I find is with an aqua-vaccuum. Put it deep enough in the sand and it'll suck up the CC too, without stirring up your sandbed too much.

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Yea, I've been watching closely monitoring the fish and behavior. All fish seems to be normal at this point. I figure it will take 3 weeks to remove the CC, I removed another third today. The CC was using a reverse flow UG filter, so there wasn't a whole lot of debris under there, and fortunely it has only been set up for about 4 months total. Thanks for the warnning, I need poeple to keep me at a snails pace.
I plan on putting the last of the LR in tomorrow, been curing for a month in a vat, been adding flake food for 2 weeks now with no amonia spikes. Figure it is cured at this point.

Sure will be nice when this headace is over.

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Conclusion..... all done. sand bottom is in we're at day 4 after remaining CC removed, amonia 0, nitrates 10, nitrites 0 ,ph 8.2, and clear as a bell. All that is runnin is power head, korilia, and HOT magnum w/ no media inside and bio-wheel rear filter. 45# LR, 1.5-2" sand bed. Looks like I made it through, no losses, just aged me a couple years. DO NOT USE CRUSH CORAL W UNDERGRAVEL FILTERS IN SALT WATER TANKS !, glad I got that out, I feel better. I'm ready to pour me up a black and tan and watch fish. thanks to all who shared advice.

PS: still have heated airated water at the ready for big PWC -just in case i jinxed myself