3reef Forums - View Single Post - Help with beginning a conversion to a reef!

jwalsh1 · 04-12-2008, 10:33 AM

Hello!

Ive got a 75 gallon aquarium with a wet dry trickle filter consisting of your everyday materials in the sump itself fed by a HOB overflow. This tank has been running for over 10 years as a South Amercian biotope and contained severums plecos and rainbows.

Apparently last Sunday the entire tank came down with ich. I didnt return home until Monday to find this and found a myrad of secondary infections ranging from fin rot to other problems. I tried as much as I could to save the fish; medications etc etc and all week Ive been incredibly saddened to watch the tank die. This morning the last of the survivors passed.

My goal for many many years was to convert this tank into a reef. The plan being keep the existing fish as long as they were alive and not adding stock. I did not plan on a die off. I had hoped the tank would go on for many more years to come. One of the severums was 8 years old, the other was 5, and they had fry one of which made it and Ive raised him for 1 year, so very sad to see it all go away.

Anyway, considering the disease I had in the tank, I need advice as to assuring that there are no diseases left when I begin construction of the reef. Due to money constraints and the untimely-ness of this, Ill need a few months to save up the money to begin building so I have time. My plan is to empty the tank today and move it to a new spot where it will reside as a reef. What should I do to the tank to make sure its disease free? Drain and dry? Bleach? I have no idea what to do to the tank or the filtration system.

Thanks, and sorry for the long winded-ness.

Jason

04-12-2008, 10:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
jwalsh1 Astrea Snail Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Chicago Suburbs, Il, USA Posts: 34 Karma: 5	Help with beginning a conversion to a reef! Hello! Ive got a 75 gallon aquarium with a wet dry trickle filter consisting of your everyday materials in the sump itself fed by a HOB overflow. This tank has been running for over 10 years as a South Amercian biotope and contained severums plecos and rainbows. Apparently last Sunday the entire tank came down with ich. I didnt return home until Monday to find this and found a myrad of secondary infections ranging from fin rot to other problems. I tried as much as I could to save the fish; medications etc etc and all week Ive been incredibly saddened to watch the tank die. This morning the last of the survivors passed. My goal for many many years was to convert this tank into a reef. The plan being keep the existing fish as long as they were alive and not adding stock. I did not plan on a die off. I had hoped the tank would go on for many more years to come. One of the severums was 8 years old, the other was 5, and they had fry one of which made it and Ive raised him for 1 year, so very sad to see it all go away. Anyway, considering the disease I had in the tank, I need advice as to assuring that there are no diseases left when I begin construction of the reef. Due to money constraints and the untimely-ness of this, Ill need a few months to save up the money to begin building so I have time. My plan is to empty the tank today and move it to a new spot where it will reside as a reef. What should I do to the tank to make sure its disease free? Drain and dry? Bleach? I have no idea what to do to the tank or the filtration system. Thanks, and sorry for the long winded-ness. Jason