Advice for changing sand on established tank with sand sifter

[brandon429]

Do a practice rock this morning with those on the rock

Set the rock on the counter, use the knife tip to scrape and remove algae working around the parts you don't want to kill

Rinse off the scraped areas in saltwater

Put peroxide on the scraped areas, then rinse off

Set the rock back in the tank all cleaned up. See how that doesn't hurt attachments because you never scraped them off?

 

[brandon429]

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

Study those 7 rip cleans too

they scraped around the nontargets and removed the attached algae like a dentist removes plaque, without harming the gums if possible.

 

[Tyla knox]

Little tiny anemone guys? Look something like this? If so could be aiptasia and should be removed immediately as they can spread quickly and sting your corals. Infestations are very hard to control.

 

[newbie1995]

we should run a controlled rip clean on your system I'll link your build thread across several work threads.

this is the high point

lift out rocks ahead of time and work a few back to fully fixed and just set them back over the dirty sand. try not to stir any up

but when your rocks are mostly cleaned manually you then do the disassembly cleaning like we did in every job above

take down

sand rinse, install new sand into a totally cleaned out empty glass tank

set the rocks back that you've been detailing + finalize any remaining areas, for totally cleaned rocks back on the new sand


refill with water matching old tank's typical salinity and temp.

put animals back in

take after pics in 24 hours/post

when rinsing sand in sections in tap water, you take samples and put them in a clear glass of water and view at the level so you can see if it's cloudy still

if you truly deal in verified no cloud rinsed substrate and cleaned rocks simply set back on clean sand in 100% new water, the whole thing will skip cycle because the main bacteria still remain attached to the rocks, even after the light peroxide work. the filter bacteria are that strong.

 

[newbie1995]

Hello friends! I apologize it took so long to get to this point, but I did it! I did a full tank overhaul following your above instructions and I have the pictures from 24 hours post cleaning! I did wind up doing all the sand at once which seems like it’s happy with this far. The pink waving hands did end up dying a little before I was able to clean up the tank sadly, but I figure it’s important to get everything all healthy and happy and I can always reintroduce that kind of stuff later!

How does it look?! there are definitely some spots that now looking at them I feel like I could’ve gotten a little bit better, but I really did the best I could and spent a whole day on it with a friend.

 

[newbie1995]

Little tiny anemone guys? Look something like this? If so could be aiptasia and should be removed immediately as they can spread quickly and sting your corals. Infestations are very hard to control.

Sorry I didn’t see this post sooner and please excuse my lack of knowledge. I’m really trying to figure this out the best I can! I did get the tank clean and “little anemone guys” I was referring to survived. They look like this. Do you know what these are!

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Sorry I didn’t see this post sooner and please excuse my lack of knowledge. I’m really trying to figure this out the best I can! I did get the tank clean and “little anemone guys” I was referring to survived. They look like this. Do you know what these are!

Ball nems, harmless

 

[brandon429]

@newbie1995


You did really well, I'm going to be using this in my example threads.

What we see from your job:

decisive, quick action got these results. not testing, I never mentioned for you to get test kits.

you removed a bunch of physical waste clogging up the system; you have now brought many years strong running ability to this tank with that power move.

I have some really good work threads that needed someone with this follow-through ability.

Leaving the waste in the system, doing anything as partial cleaning would have been dangerous. The irony is: reef tank surgery is the safe method.

I put a lot of planning work into these rip clean threads and about 2% post such follow ups, this was a really appreciated job you did above and it will help others.

I'm going to @ show you a thread of rip cleans I was working on the trolls have nearly destroyed, it's in the nuisance algae forum. The reason I'm asking you to join us there is so we can work your tank from here on out, so readers can see the long term outcome of this job you did really well. What a great job, results like these make the efforts worth it.


There is a new way to regenerate old tank syndrome reefs using no testing at all, you did it really well the pics show.

B

 

[newbie1995]

@newbie1995


You did really well, I'm going to be using this in my example threads.

What we learned:

decisive, quick action got these results. not testing, I never mentioned for you to get test kits.

you removed a bunch of physical waste clogging up the system; you have now brought many years strong running ability to this tank with that power move.

I have some really good work threads that needed someone with this follow-through ability.

Leaving the waste in the system, doing anything as partial cleaning would have been dangerous. The irony is: reef tank surgery is the safe method.

I put a lot of planning work into these rip clean threads and about 2% post such follow ups, this was a really appreciated job you did above and it will help others.

I'm going to @ show you a thread of rip cleans I was working on the trolls have nearly destroyed, it's in the nuisance algae forum. The reason I'm asking you to join us there is so we can work your tank from here on out, so readers can see the long term outcome of this job you did really well. What a great job, results like these make the efforts worth it.


There is a new way to regenerate old tank syndrome reefs using no testing at all, you did it really well the pics show.

B

Wow well I’m definitely glad I followed through on what you explained. Everyone looks WAY happier and I don’t feel so nervous anymore! I can tell how much thought you put into this whole process and even it was hard work, I know it’s going to make working on it so much easier from here out!
Thank you!!!!

 

[brandon429]

what happened to the corals from pic one/were u able to clean around them and save them?

 

[Garf]

Hello friends! I apologize it took so long to get to this point, but I did it! I did a full tank overhaul following your above instructions and I have the pictures from 24 hours post cleaning! I did wind up doing all the sand at once which seems like it’s happy with this far. The pink waving hands did end up dying a little before I was able to clean up the tank sadly, but I figure it’s important to get everything all healthy and happy and I can always reintroduce that kind of stuff later!

How does it look?! there are definitely some spots that now looking at them I feel like I could’ve gotten a little bit better, but I really did the best I could and spent a whole day on it with a friend.

Were all those snails always in the tank?

Edit - I'd be putting an urchin in there to keep stuff trimmed.

 

[newbie1995]

Yes! Well, as much knowledge as I have of the tank. When I got the tank from my uncle’s, they were already there. I did add one turbo snail back in December I believe.

And an urchin! Okay that’s good to know they help! I’ve never looked into one before, but I will definitely keep that in mind as I begin adding things in and try and read up on them so I know what I’m getting into! Thank you!

 

[newbie1995]

what happened to the corals from pic one/were u able to clean around them and save them?

Don’t laugh at my lack of knowledge here Brandon because you know I’m a quite ignorant still. Are you referring to the little white bubble do-dad in the front in the first picture? I hate not knowing what anything is I’m so sorry

Honestly everything is pretty much the same things that were in there before. I couldn’t really remember how the rocks went, so everything got a little reorganized. The only thing that was lost before I was able to clean was the waving hands. Even after the big clean, everything is still alive. The bubbly guy from the first pic has had interesting behavior. I used to see these like three distinct bubble parts that came out of it and then one seems to have gone away, one got smaller, and the other one is very large and likes to swell up. I’ll try and get a picture for you tomorrow, but it’s still alive!

Oh goodness, there is however, that very very sad bubble tip from the first pictures still in there. I know he’s probably a lost cause, but he got himself deep in the rock and I don’t think I’ll be able to scoop home out. I know they can nuke your tank, I’m not sure if he’s too small for that, but should I be concerned/ do something?

 

[brandon429]

No it will be ok to leave i think, since it's well- adapted to the tank

 

[brandon429]

hey there good morning. can u post an update pic/ curious of status so far.

 

[brandon429]

hey good afternoon

just checking in

hey do u have any pics?

prediction incoming:

the #1 thing we're looking for is 0% invasion because you've siphoned out some light regrowth already...not one spot allowed to promulgate for round 2 is in effect right ?

 

[newbie1995]

hey good afternoon

just checking in

hey do u have any pics?

prediction incoming:

the #1 thing we're looking for is 0% invasion because you've siphoned out some light regrowth already...not one spot allowed to promulgate for round 2 is in effect right ?

Hi apologies I had the flu and didn’t check in! So after I siphoned out the top layer, cleaned and replaced, did my normal maintenance for the tank, and cleaned up some rocks that I noticed had regrowth and replaced those, I feel like I’m still having going to need to go through and clean again this week. I’ll attach some pictures from today, so most recent tank cleaning would’ve occurred Monday of this week and I plan to tomorrow again.

I’m going to admit reading back through, I believe I missed a step I hope to rectify. I noticed you had mentioned when cleaning the rock to use peroxide I believe it was to prevent algae grow back and maybe I kind of screwed the pooch by missing that. I apologize for not following exactly, I thought I did everything, but I definitely failed in that when I tried to absorb all the information. We will go back to square one tomorrow and get it done the right way.

Will that harm these guys that are attached to the rock though? (3rd picture)

 

[brandon429]

Well done

That closeup of rock shows nothing bad, only good stuff and details and the walls can be easily scraped just get a one sided razor and scrape them down with no current on, go back and siphon up the algae sheets it'll be such an easy guide. That's a sign to lower lighting now, perhaps with blocking strips if the lighting itself can't be turned down.

This is the first of many guidance and gardening adventures the tank will demand as it ages, only now you have a way to make it stay uninvaded.

 

[seahuy]

Hi, i just recently changed my sand from a fine grain to a more course sand because i got tired of sand blowing everywhere. Glad I did. I have a 25gal AIO with some movable rock work, about 3 big ones and a few island. A few corals are glued to rocks and some on frag racks


I got a 30g bin, one of these https://www.homedepot.com/s/30 gal bin?NCNI-5, and transfered my rock over, then started pumping the water over to the bin, halfway through, i'd collect all of the fish and transfered them to the bin. Eventually i just ended up with sand and a little water with some snails.

I scooped up all of my sand into a bucket and left it aside. I put in the new sand, it was live sand from carib sea, and leaving some old sand there to help establish and then i started reversing everything. All done in less than an hr.

As for the old sand with snails, i went to the back and started sifting it with a colander and got all the snails out and put them back in the tank.

All is well.

 

[newbie1995]

Well done

That closeup of rock shows nothing bad, only good stuff and details and the walls can be easily scraped just get a one sided razor and scrape them down with no current on, go back and siphon up the algae sheets it'll be such an easy guide. That's a sign to lower lighting now, perhaps with blocking strips if the lighting itself can't be turned down.

This is the first of many guidance and gardening adventures the tank will demand as it ages, only now you have a way to make it stay uninvaded.

Okay good! I guess I just get nervous anytime I see algae now! I’ll keep it updated as I keep going, trying to show pictures along the way. I will see about blocking out some of the lights today! Just start with like a row to start?

And because I skipped that peroxide step, should I go back to the rocks and do that when I clean the tank next? Should I avoid rocks with the ball nems attached? I feel bad causing everybody so much stress in the tank!