few tank problems, need some help

[jeebus]

x10 turnover via canister/HOB and x6 turn over via wet/dry are the optimal numbers I've always been told by the HFB pros for African cichlids.

I always aim for x10 turnover no matter what type of filtration.

[Darbex]

whats a mag filter? sry, i'm working on getting all the lingo down. any chemical you recommend?

Mag filter is just a type of filter you can pick them up at most fish stores and petsmart

[cichlidchic]

barewith me, i'm new to this (just started back in February...)

turnover, being the size tank?

so 1400gph is what i need to aim for?

[Darbex]

Turnover is how many time the water is cycled per hour. Like 700 GPH (Gallons Per Hour) on a 125G tank would be a turnover of 5.6. IMO for Africans I like a turnover of 6-7. Some like less or more it depends on how much you stock the tank as well.

[cichlidchic]

ok, i was up till almost 2 last night, draining and refilling the 80 gallon. added 1 gallon red apple cidar vinagar. got up this morning, and the film has not changed one bit. it is still a frosted blotchy mess. any other suggestions? plz hurry, my fish are pissed bein in a 20 gallon tub...

[fshfrk]

Drain the tank. get out a razor blade and start scraping. The vineger should have loosened it up. If the tank is in that bad shape you may need to put the fish in somthing bigger like a tote. and clean the tank over a couple of nights.
I always use muratic acid but do this outside or in the garage. 1 gal per 100gal tank size. fill it with water and put a small pump in for circulation. let it soak for a week. Drain and refill multiple times to rinse. air dry. Becareful with it.. read the directions on the bottle.. It will make the tank sparkle and it WILL not hurt the silicone.

[TaTeR ToT]

+1 for muratic acid!
that stuff works wonders!

[cichlidchic]

i called fish gallery, and currently, the tanks been through the following:

filled with water, added 1 gallon red vinegar, let sit over night, scraped with razor, algae scrubber, and mag-float =
negative and bedroom smells of pickles now.

half filled with scalding hot water, razor scraped, and added 1.5 lg tubs of oxyclean =
no fingerprints on right hand, hands still slimey, but smell gone from room

drained, and let dry, razor scraped=
my 2 yr old is learning new vocabulary words that are 4 letters long.... :furious:

currently, sitting on it's long side, with 1 gallon straight vinegar on top. will check in another hour, hoping to god this works, or i'm moving on to muratic acid or glass replacement.