Total Tank Clean

[daley]

Sadly I have had to dismanntle my tank due to massive dirt problems
and give all my fish to a friend.

The problem I have now is how to go about resetting my tank back up??

1) should I change all my filter media?

2) Do I need an under gravel filter

and

3)Which are the best filters to buy?

Sorry for all the questions but I am not so experienced.

Many Thanks

 

[DDeHavenII]

I like my HOB filter, no noise and moves alot of water, plus adds oxygen to the tank.

 

[backtotropical]

How big is the tank? I'd go with an external filter if your tank is big enough, if not go with an internal. Not many people use under gravel filtration anymore IMO.

Also if your filter media has been out of the water for more than a couple of hours, you need to start again.

 

[rdd1952]

UGFs are pretty much obsolete now. There are just so much better options that filter better and are much easier to clean and maintain. I prefer external filters. They are dead quiet (at least my Fluvals are) and only need to be cleaned every few months. HOBs are also good but can be a little noisy, especially if the water level gets low so that they water splashes back into the tank.

As far as the media is concerned, any new filter you buy will most likely have media in it. You could still use your old media but it really won't do any good unless you can figure out how to keep the filter running and add ammonia to keep the bacteria fed. If you had a UGF before, most of your beneficial bacteria were in the gravel anyway though.

 

[idlefingers]

What kind of "massive dirt problems" were you having which would warrant closing the tank down?

 

[daley]

What kind of "massive dirt problems" were you having which would warrant closing the tank down?

Sadly My long work hours have led to it not getting the full attention it requires.

I have however learned my lesson and will be doing all I can to keep on top of it the new setup.

I have a Tetratec 1200 external filter yet the waste deposits were quite frankly bad.

 

[backtotropical]

What kind of "massive dirt problems" were you having which would warrant closing the tank down?

Sadly My long work hours have led to it not getting the full attention it requires.

I have however learned my lesson and will be doing all I can to keep on top of it the new setup.

I have a Tetratec 1200 external filter yet the waste deposits were quite frankly bad.

Would cleaning your old setup not have been less work than starting again

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

I have a Tetratec 1200 external filter yet the waste deposits were quite frankly bad.

The job of the mechanical filter is to house the biological filter, and to clean out tiny particle debris in the water. Although your filter will suck up some fish waste, left-over food bits, etc...a large amount of it is going to get stuck in the gravel. That is why doing a weekly gravel vac and water change is so important.

 

[indigo]

good luck on ur 2nd attempt i had a huge problem a few months ago as my tank was set up for me with a thick layer of sand at the bottom and i didn't know how to deal with the mess, it eventually went stagnant.. well let's not even try to describe the smell i would recommend a thin layer of a large pebble gravel, which is what i have gone for this time around, SO much easier to keep clean, i clean one half one week and the other half the other with a gravel vac, doing a water change at the same time, dump in the appropriate dechlor and fill back up with the hose, my tank is 110uk gallon/500 litres and maintenance takes about 45 mins a week.

 

[rdd1952]

Actually, I find sand to be much easier to clean and maintain than gravel. The waste sits right on top so all you have to do is acuum it up rather than having to go down into the gravel to get it. I don't use anything but sand. I have live plants though so the roots keep the sand loose and prevent gas pockets from forming.

 

[daley]

Actually, I find sand to be much easier to clean and maintain than gravel. The waste sits right on top so all you have to do is acuum it up rather than having to go down into the gravel to get it. I don't use anything but sand. I have live plants though so the roots keep the sand loose and prevent gas pockets from forming.

Thanks for all the advice.

Which sand would I Use?

 

[idlefingers]

I use children's playsand. It's cheap, clean (got to be safe for kids) and looks good.

 

[dominicbeha]

2.95 for a big bag from argos if u in the uk

 

[rdd1952]

There are different options on snd. Play sand is inexpensive but a little difficult to clean (get all the fine dust out). It most likely will could your tank for a while. The other end of the spectrum is something like Tahitian Moon Sand. It is a more expensive, black sand but is very easy to clean and won't cloud the water. It settles straight to the bottom. I have it in 2 tanks and love the way it brings out the color of the fish.

 

[madness]

in my tank i use childrens play sand and i find i have small particals floating around is this sand floating around which a fish disturped and hasnt settled or do i have another problem?