tank cleanup after vacation

wkbrdr03 · #1 01/12/2006, 02:06 PM

well all of my fish and corals survived the 3 weeks, but now my tank looks like hell. I pulled out a lot of the algae but now i dont know what to do. I need my tank looking clean again. Should i put fish and coral in a seperate container for a bit and just scrape everything down, scrub down rocks, mix up sand and then do a big water change?

kfisc · #2 01/12/2006, 02:11 PM

I'd leave them all in place and do a slow, calculated series of water changes over the next week or so, like a couple of five-gallon changes, scraping the algae first, and gently vacuum the detritus off the sand surface without churning it up much. Then I'd just keep the algae scraped and return to regular water changes, especially if your corals are doing well.

wkbrdr03 · #3 01/12/2006, 07:09 PM

any one else? or is that the consensus?

GP · #4 01/13/2006, 03:32 AM

I agree. You don't to disrupt the system by doing something drastic. Make slow gradual changes so as to minimize shock to the system.

JohnHenry · #5 01/13/2006, 04:11 AM

Yep. This happens to my tank once a year when I go on vacation (for 6-8 weeks.) Best bet is to proceed with water changes and control the nutrients you put in, like food. If your system was healthy to begin with, it'll bounce back in a few weeks.