How do you clean your tank?

Riptide10 · 04/27/2006, 08:05 AM

I don't understand. Aren't anemones and corals never supposed to be exposed to air? With the reefs some of you have how do you even change more than 10% of your water at a time without exposing them?

aynoT79 · 04/27/2006, 08:24 AM

Doing a 10% water change does not effect your corals or anemoes unless your corals are stacked up then all you you would do is move the ones down more in the water.. or take them out and place them in water.. As for them never being exposed to air, to transport them from tank to tank they do go in the air, but not for a long period of time, its not gonna hurt them if they go into air just dont leave them sit out, if you have to take them out and put them right back in water...

Riptide10 · 04/27/2006, 08:37 AM

OK so they can be exposed for a few minutes - but you need to not let them dry up? So would keeping them damp w/a spray bottle that has some tank water work OK if you are going to have the water low for 10-15 minutes?

dark_stranger · 04/27/2006, 09:08 AM

Also remember coral may live in tidal areas & therefore will be exposed to air when the tide goes out.

shoddyk · 04/27/2006, 09:08 AM

Have your new water all mixed up and ready so you can drain the old and put the new in asap.

dark_stranger · 04/27/2006, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dark_stranger
Also remember coral may live in tidal areas & therefore will be exposed to air when the tide goes out.

Ignore this comment, was meant for another thread. Stupid me,
Ok, after further reading this is the correct thread. I want my bed.

VoidRaven · 04/27/2006, 09:28 AM

I've had Kenya Trees, Zoas, Mushrooms, and even some Montiporas "in the air" for up to 10 minutes (not intentionally) during cleanings and the occasional fragging with no adverse affects what-so-ever. I would recommend not having corals out of the water for more than a couple minutes at a stretch. It's not as hard as it sounds.

Riptide10 · 04/27/2006, 09:30 AM

Thanks. I'll make sure to splash them or spray them down every 3-5 minutes to make sure they stay damp. It should only take me about 10-15 minutes to refill the tank.

smleee · 04/27/2006, 09:38 AM

Most setups utilize sumps, so even when doing water changes, the display tank water level does not change.

eee

Riptide10 · 04/27/2006, 09:39 AM

No sump. It's just a "tiny" 50g 36"x18"x18" tank.

smleee · 04/27/2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Riptide10
No sump.

A wee bit trickier then...

eee

Sk8r · 04/27/2006, 09:46 AM

Best way is to get a 900 maxi-jet and a half inch diameter hose. Hang the pump just at the waterline to draw out water from your tank, having the salt water ready in another bucket, and then put the pump in that bucket and hose in the tank (again, high up and aimed at the wall) to pump saltwater into the tank. The whole operation is less than 10 minutes: I have a 52, and it's quick---you just need an adequate number of buckets, which you can get either at your lfs (old salt buckets) or at Lowes, in the paint dept. A lot faster than hand-dipping and trying not to knock over corals. If you have inquisitive fish, you may want to put the shield cone over the pump intake.

Riptide10 · 04/27/2006, 09:51 AM

Yeah I'm working on that. I have a 50g bucket that has fresh water. It's back in the kitchen area though so what I need to do is get a good pump, some hose, and then once I just drain off the "bad" water out into the street with my python I can immediately just start pumping the fresh water into the tank.

Automation is a nice thing to have. One thing though is that I have CC for my substrate and it slows things down a bit since I like to get in and vaccum it out from time to time. Therefore it's not always as easy as just draining off some water and takes a bit more care.

techreef · 04/27/2006, 10:25 AM

Re: air exposure, I believe that it's sponges that are the most sensitive to air exposure. The air gets trapped inside their tissue and somehow kills them off, even if they're re-immersed in water following the air exposure. This is why so many sponges die during LR shipping.

VoidRaven · 04/27/2006, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by smleee
A wee bit trickier then...

eee

Not really....I run all my tanks sumpless. Never been an issue. Would I like to have a sump? Yeah, but I'm not going to mess with it until I consolidate all of my tanks into one big one. Then I'll use one of the left over tanks for a sump.

04/27/2006, 08:05 AM	#1
Riptide10 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Billings, MT. Posts: 500	How do you clean your tank? I don't understand. Aren't anemones and corals never supposed to be exposed to air? With the reefs some of you have how do you even change more than 10% of your water at a time without exposing them?

04/27/2006, 08:24 AM	#2
aynoT79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kinston, NC - USA Posts: 51	Doing a 10% water change does not effect your corals or anemoes unless your corals are stacked up then all you you would do is move the ones down more in the water.. or take them out and place them in water.. As for them never being exposed to air, to transport them from tank to tank they do go in the air, but not for a long period of time, its not gonna hurt them if they go into air just dont leave them sit out, if you have to take them out and put them right back in water... __________________ (`'·.¸(`'·.¸¤¸.·'´)¸.·'´) «´¨`·..¤ToNyA¤..·´¨`» (¸.·'´(¸.·'´¤`'·.¸)`'·.¸) Current Tank Info: Beautiful 55 Gallon Salt

04/27/2006, 09:28 AM	#7
VoidRaven 'tis himself Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: York Township, OH Posts: 1,829	I've had Kenya Trees, Zoas, Mushrooms, and even some Montiporas "in the air" for up to 10 minutes (not intentionally) during cleanings and the occasional fragging with no adverse affects what-so-ever. I would recommend not having corals out of the water for more than a couple minutes at a stretch. It's not as hard as it sounds. __________________ "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - The Red Green Show Current Tank Info: 24g BioCube reef

04/27/2006, 09:46 AM	#12
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Best way is to get a 900 maxi-jet and a half inch diameter hose. Hang the pump just at the waterline to draw out water from your tank, having the salt water ready in another bucket, and then put the pump in that bucket and hose in the tank (again, high up and aimed at the wall) to pump saltwater into the tank. The whole operation is less than 10 minutes: I have a 52, and it's quick---you just need an adequate number of buckets, which you can get either at your lfs (old salt buckets) or at Lowes, in the paint dept. A lot faster than hand-dipping and trying not to knock over corals. If you have inquisitive fish, you may want to put the shield cone over the pump intake. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/27/2006, 08:37 AM	#3
Riptide10 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Billings, MT. Posts: 500	OK so they can be exposed for a few minutes - but you need to not let them dry up? So would keeping them damp w/a spray bottle that has some tank water work OK if you are going to have the water low for 10-15 minutes?

04/27/2006, 09:08 AM	#4
dark_stranger Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK, Kent Posts: 393	Also remember coral may live in tidal areas & therefore will be exposed to air when the tide goes out.

04/27/2006, 09:08 AM	#5
shoddyk Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Yuma, Az Posts: 568	Have your new water all mixed up and ready so you can drain the old and put the new in asap.

04/27/2006, 09:30 AM	#8
Riptide10 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Billings, MT. Posts: 500	Thanks. I'll make sure to splash them or spray them down every 3-5 minutes to make sure they stay damp. It should only take me about 10-15 minutes to refill the tank.

04/27/2006, 09:38 AM	#9
smleee Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 1,344	Most setups utilize sumps, so even when doing water changes, the display tank water level does not change. eee

04/27/2006, 09:39 AM	#10
Riptide10 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Billings, MT. Posts: 500	No sump. It's just a "tiny" 50g 36"x18"x18" tank.

04/27/2006, 09:51 AM	#13
Riptide10 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Billings, MT. Posts: 500	Yeah I'm working on that. I have a 50g bucket that has fresh water. It's back in the kitchen area though so what I need to do is get a good pump, some hose, and then once I just drain off the "bad" water out into the street with my python I can immediately just start pumping the fresh water into the tank. Automation is a nice thing to have. One thing though is that I have CC for my substrate and it slows things down a bit since I like to get in and vaccum it out from time to time. Therefore it's not always as easy as just draining off some water and takes a bit more care.

04/27/2006, 10:25 AM	#14
techreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, NJ Posts: 1,046	Re: air exposure, I believe that it's sponges that are the most sensitive to air exposure. The air gets trapped inside their tissue and somehow kills them off, even if they're re-immersed in water following the air exposure. This is why so many sponges die during LR shipping.