Blowing off rocks

ryeguyy84 · 12/14/2011, 12:57 PM

I had a quick question about blowing off live rock before a water change. I think I have adequate flow in my tank. I have a 29g biocube, with a mj1200 return pump and an mp-10 on almost all the way (3 LEDs down from full speed). When I use a turkey baster to blow the rocks before a wc I blow around a lot of stuff. It white, at first I thought it was sand but it seems smaller. It creates a snowstorm effect in the tank. Anyone have the same experiance.

I do this once a week.

seapug · 12/14/2011, 01:06 PM

It all falls under the general term "detritus"-- algae fragments, fish poop, uneaten food, sediment in the rocks, etc. Very common in newish tanks and subsides somewhat after a year or so if flow is good and the tank is properly maintained.

ryeguyy84 · 12/14/2011, 05:24 PM

Okay the tank is a downgrade of my 50g into a biocube. If I add any more flow I can't keep sand.

Should I keep blowing it off weekly or would more be better.

nanito · 12/14/2011, 05:40 PM

One mp10 almost all the way in a bc29 ??? Really? What kind of corals/fish do you have?

Zappo · 12/14/2011, 06:10 PM

Rather than blowing off your rocks before a wc, try siphoning the stuff out first. Especially in the areas where it builds up the most. You should be able to get most of it out of the tank before you blow off the rocks to lift up the remainder.

ryeguyy84 · 12/15/2011, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nanito

One mp10 almost all the way in a bc29 ??? Really? What kind of corals/fish do you have?

2 clowns and a six line wrasse.

Corals are a few recordia, fuzzy mushroom, frog spawn, birdsnest, assorted zoas, yellow polyp (forgot name), superman monti,pink lemonaid, Hawkins, unknown pink Sps and another unknown brown Sps with green polyps.

No one seems to mind the flow, the clowns actually sleep right next to the mp10 in night mode. Even the frogspawn only gently sways.

j86miu · 12/15/2011, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappo

Rather than blowing off your rocks before a wc, try siphoning the stuff out first. Especially in the areas where it builds up the most. You should be able to get most of it out of the tank before you blow off the rocks to lift up the remainder.

How do you siphon detritus only without sucking up the sandbed? I also heard that stirring up detritus can cause ammonia spikes, is this true?

ryeguyy84 · 12/16/2011, 09:57 AM

I think he means on the rocks, if it's on the sand you can suck it up just get the siphon tube close enough to suck up the detritus while losing a minimal amount of sand.

the problem I have is it seems to land on the rock and you really can't see it until you blast it with a powerhead or a turkey baster.

12/14/2011, 12:57 PM	#1
ryeguyy84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,753	Blowing off rocks I had a quick question about blowing off live rock before a water change. I think I have adequate flow in my tank. I have a 29g biocube, with a mj1200 return pump and an mp-10 on almost all the way (3 LEDs down from full speed). When I use a turkey baster to blow the rocks before a wc I blow around a lot of stuff. It white, at first I thought it was sand but it seems smaller. It creates a snowstorm effect in the tank. Anyone have the same experiance. I do this once a week. __________________ Current tank: 90G mixed reef. Current Tank Info: 90 gallon

12/14/2011, 01:06 PM	#2
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	It all falls under the general term "detritus"-- algae fragments, fish poop, uneaten food, sediment in the rocks, etc. Very common in newish tanks and subsides somewhat after a year or so if flow is good and the tank is properly maintained. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

12/14/2011, 05:24 PM	#3
ryeguyy84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,753	Okay the tank is a downgrade of my 50g into a biocube. If I add any more flow I can't keep sand. Should I keep blowing it off weekly or would more be better. __________________ Current tank: 90G mixed reef. Current Tank Info: 90 gallon

12/14/2011, 05:40 PM	#4
nanito Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vero Beach, FL Posts: 211	One mp10 almost all the way in a bc29 ??? Really? What kind of corals/fish do you have? __________________ I just had a dream, and a 180 gal was my nano tank. Current Tank Info: 36 gal fresh water / 45 gal reef aiptasia dominated

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12/14/2011, 06:10 PM	#5
Zappo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Minnetonka, MN Posts: 582	Rather than blowing off your rocks before a wc, try siphoning the stuff out first. Especially in the areas where it builds up the most. You should be able to get most of it out of the tank before you blow off the rocks to lift up the remainder.

12/16/2011, 09:57 AM	#8
ryeguyy84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,753	I think he means on the rocks, if it's on the sand you can suck it up just get the siphon tube close enough to suck up the detritus while losing a minimal amount of sand. the problem I have is it seems to land on the rock and you really can't see it until you blast it with a powerhead or a turkey baster.