Can my current tank be saved?

[FrankJ]

ere is a sad story of a bad pet owner who would like to correct the laziness of his past and re-devote himself to this wonderful hobby.

About 4 years ago I purchased a 65 gallon tank, 20 gallon sump (center overflow which drains into the sump with bio balls and then a spill over to return pump chamber. Brought everything set it with live sand and live rock, add fish, cleaning crew and everything worked fine for a year. The fish did well, the inverts did well, plants spawned from the live rock, we had critters in the sand and even survived an act from a thumb splitter that was causing some troubles (must have come with the live rock). Every 4 to 6 weeks, the there seemed to be a mass die off of plants, the water would go cloudy for a couple of days, and then everything would begin to grow back again. I didn't mess with it too much besides feeding the fish and topping off the water, the tank seemed to do a very good job of maintaining itself. At this point, I figured that keeping salt water fish was easy.

So after about 1 year, we move houses, I couldn't find anyone to move the tank at a reasonable price (really no one at all), tried to do it myself and failed. Due to lack of time, I had to dump the water, sand, rock and livestock. The tank sat in my new garage for about 8 weeks and then we set it up again in the new home.

Cleaned it out, bought new sand and live rock (from the same LFS as the original tank had), filled it up with water and salt and plugged it in. After about two weeks I bought some mail order fish as well as a mail order cleaning crew. The fish seemed to take ok, the cleaning crew died in pretty short order, didn't seem to develop any extra life forms from the live rock or sand.

Now fast forward three years, I really haven't done anything with the tank besides top it off with tap water and feed the fish. The fish are tough little buggers, in the tank there are 5 of them (1 Clownfish, 2 bigger Damsel, 1 smaller Damsel and a Blue/Yellow Dotty (the smallest of the lot) ) About two months ago the main light went out, I didn't get a new light for about 4 weeks, purchased a new three way Coralife fixture, at the same time I decided I needed to clean up my fish act and removed the built up salt creep, cleaned the algae off the glass, stirred up the bottom and decided to test the water. My test kits (Red Sea) are about two years old, the Ammonia was high, but not too bad, the nitrates were off the chart blood red. I did test my tap water, and the Ammonia and Nitrates levels were all very very low.

So since that initial cleanup I have performed the following actions:

1.) Purchased salt from a local big box pet store since my salt levels were low (evap and salt creep) . It was late on a Sunday and all of the LFS were closed. My salt levels are now good.
2.) Purchased and installed a UV filter which I installed in the return section of the sump.
3.) Purchased and installed a TurboFlotor 1000 Blue Protein skimmer which is installed in the sump before the return area (same area that the heater is installed). The protein skimmer is making good bubbles and depositing a murky yellowish type liquid in the collection cup (this has been running for 1 week).
4.) Removed some of the bio balls from the bio tower and replaced it with Kent's Nitrate absorbing media (in a media bag), I also placed another media bag in the over spill to the return area of the sump, to filter water through there as well. This has been in place for 1 week).
5.) Using tap water (I know not the best idea, but I want to be honest about what I have done to solicit good advice) , I have cleaned out the filter sponge at the top of the bio ball tower and the sponge between the bio side of the sump and the return side of the sump.
6.) I am about half a bottle (16 oz) way through AmQuel Ammonia/Chloramine remover (no change in Ammonia test results)
7.) I am on day 7 of AZ-NO3 Nitrate Eliminator (240 ml), no change in Nitrate test results (fish seem to be ok so far)
8.) pH of the water appears to be in a good range (purchased a new test kit for this)
9.) My current lighting schedule is:
10am – 10pm Blue lights on
12noon – 8pm Blue and white lights on
10pm to 10am Moon lights on
10.) According to the stick-on thermometer, the temo is around 79-80 degress
11.) Once a week I have been putting a cap full (5ml I think) of essential elements into the tank
12.) Removed a dime that was sitting in the sump from one of the kids (not sure how long it was in there)

On the way I have the following:

1.) Sand/Gravel vacuum
2.) Two 5 gallon jugs to collect and mix water for water changes
3.) 3 stage RO unit (that I can hook up to a tap or garden hose)
4.) New testing kit (Reef Master)
5.) Foster and Smith (all in one) Ammonia/Phosphous and Carbon filter pads

My plan is to do the following:

1.) Clean up the rest of the Bio balls (and or replace them with LRR) (Clean up the sump in general, there are so bits of stuff in there that shouldn't be)
2.) Vacuum the heck out of the sand bed
3.) Purchase better quality salt from LFS
4.) Perform 5-10 gallon water changes (as many as needed and as quickly as I can make new water)
5.) Just as an FYI … I have also ordered a black background to go in the back of the tank (external)
6.) Clean the main display center overflow as there appears to green / purple algae growing in there

I would like to get to the point to:

0.) Get my water chemistry back into line
1.) Be able to reintroduce a cleaning crew to the tank (Snails, maybe some crabs) I have successfully kept star fish, urchins and sand sifter cucumbers in the past)
2.) Add some more live rock (I like the look) and the fish seem to like hiding and playing around in it
3.) Add one to two more fish
4.) Maybe perhaps move in the direction of easy to care for corals (if I can)

I am open to :

1.) a new sump/fuge if everyone thinks that will help
2.) Adding plants / cheato (might have to be in the main display since the sump is pretty crammed up right now and the current sump does not have a lid or a light
3.) Any suggestions in general

I would like to be able to correct the errors or my ways and do this without having to start all over again.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Jason Mraz]

By all means your tank can be saved. I think one of your problems is comming from the tap water. Once you get the RODI unit this should help out. I work at a water treatment plant here in florida and there are many things that are added to the water to disinfect includeing Chlorine and Ammonia (chlorimine) that you do not want in a healthy fish tank. I have heard that Bioballs are ok in a Fish only system but if you have enough rock 1 - 1.5 lbs per gallon you should not need the bioballs one less thing to clean. I have a 125 gal mixed reef and for filtration I just have a sump with a protine skimmer once and a while I add some chemi pure elite in the sump. I also have a little 5 gal refugium sitting above my tank overflowing into it with a ball of cheato and 5 red mangroves with some sand in it. It is a little small for my system but when I upgraded from the 55 I didnt upgrade the refugium. It is jsut a clear rubbermaid tote that I baught from Target. I have a typhoon extreme RODI unit and I use Red Sea Coral max pro Salt. My nitrates, Phosphate, and ammonia are undetectable.

[leebca]

My suggestion would be to go through this post and do those things you are not doing, stop doing the things you are doing that are not recommended in the post, and then follow the post with regards to generally running the aquarium: Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium