Cleaning the overflow chamber

Jerms01 · 11/07/2013, 08:23 AM

Hey All,
I have had my 75 gallon drilled tank up with over flow for roughly 10 months now. I have both bubble algae and aiptasia not to excess but it is there. The emerald crabs are doing a pretty good job with the bubble algae at least in the DT.

I was looking in my overflow chamber for a lost fish the other day and noticed the entire chamber is littered with both aiptasia and bubble algae. Was thinking of draining my sump partition that the over flow drains too and scrubbing the hell out of the overflow chamber so that everything falls into the enty sump partition. Then I could suck all the junk of the that out of the sump partition with my wetvac and really clean that section of the sump out.

Just curious if this should become a regular part of my maintenance and what everyone else does with their overflow chambers?

Look forward to hearing your responses.

Thank you,
Jeremy

patsfan1130 · 11/07/2013, 10:02 AM

I just tackled this problem on my 90g this past weekend. The entire system had the worst bubble algae problem I have seen in 20 years. I drained and cleaned the entire tank/sump as well as replaced all of my LR. The overflow had me a bit stumped. I ended up draining the overflow of water, scrubbed the heck out of it with a long handle algae scrubber, cleaned it out with a ton of paper towel on a step stool. Finally I plugged it and poured it a couple of bottles of full strength hydrogen peroxide and proceeded to scrub the inside with the algae scrubber again.

thegrun · 11/07/2013, 11:22 AM

I usually siphon mine out every other water change and give it a good wipe down. Stick a sock filer temporally on your drain line if you don't run one all the time and it will catch everything you don't siphon out.

GrimReefer555 · 11/07/2013, 11:31 AM

Something to think about... When you **** off the aiptasia, they release spores. If you do so while scraping them out, and don't rinse and clean the chamber very thoroughly, you may make your problem worse upon reintroducing water, at which point you could release them into your DT.

oscarinw · 11/07/2013, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrimReefer555

Something to think about... When you **** off the aiptasia, they release spores. If you do so while scraping them out, and don't rinse and clean the chamber very thoroughly, you may make your problem worse upon reintroducing water, at which point you could release them into your DT.

It is my understanding that aiptasia do not reproduce via spores but planulae. The difference here is that in order to do that you should have a 'pregnant' female ready to release the planulae into the water column. Now, if they in fact do that when stressed, I would assume they could also do that under no stress denying that way the danger on mechanical removal.
However, aiptasia can also multiply asexually via 'fractioning' their body and I don't think you run any risk of that by removing them via a scrub in the overflow. So I guess my summary is that I respectfully disagree with the above comment and would not discourage scrubbing the overflow if you want to remove the aiptasia.

GrimReefer555 · 11/07/2013, 12:46 PM

No worries, I definitely don't claim to be extremely knowledgable on the issue, but was just under the impression they released something and reproduced when stressed. And the reason I say spores, is that I've seen their reproduction referred to as using spores in posts on here, which obviously doesn't make it correct... If he has that many, aren't there good odds some are ready to reproduce, and if the planulae are released, and he doesn't clean well, could that not result in a DT outbreak?

GrimReefer555 · 11/07/2013, 12:49 PM

Also, if he's scraping them off, how would he not run the risk of fractioning? That seems very likely to me. Like I said, not the authority, just trying to learn and help at the same time.

oscarinw · 11/07/2013, 01:32 PM

You are definitely right, the possibility exists and I didn't mean my comment in a confrontational way but just to offer another opinion.
Best to do would be to dispose of all the water involved in the removal of the aiptasia.

GrimReefer555 · 11/07/2013, 02:39 PM

Didn't take it that way at all, was trying to make sure you didn't think that of me. :-)

Jerms01 · 11/07/2013, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrimReefer555

Something to think about... When you **** off the aiptasia, they release spores. If you do so while scraping them out, and don't rinse and clean the chamber very thoroughly, you may make your problem worse upon reintroducing water, at which point you could release them into your DT.

Understood. I will be very sure to scrub and rinse both the overflow chamber along with the sump partition (several times) before reintroducing tank water to those sections.

Jerms01 · 11/08/2013, 09:57 AM

Although I was just looking at the Majano Wand (http://www.marinedepot.com/Majano_Wa...FIMIMW-vi.html).

Looks like this could be a MUCH funner way of killing the Aiptasia

hehe!

11/07/2013, 08:23 AM	#1
Jerms01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Ahwatukee, AZ Posts: 199	Cleaning the overflow chamber Hey All, I have had my 75 gallon drilled tank up with over flow for roughly 10 months now. I have both bubble algae and aiptasia not to excess but it is there. The emerald crabs are doing a pretty good job with the bubble algae at least in the DT. I was looking in my overflow chamber for a lost fish the other day and noticed the entire chamber is littered with both aiptasia and bubble algae. Was thinking of draining my sump partition that the over flow drains too and scrubbing the hell out of the overflow chamber so that everything falls into the enty sump partition. Then I could suck all the junk of the that out of the sump partition with my wetvac and really clean that section of the sump out. Just curious if this should become a regular part of my maintenance and what everyone else does with their overflow chambers? Look forward to hearing your responses. Thank you, Jeremy __________________ 75g Mixed Reef w/ 30 Gallon DIY Sump/Fuge - 3 x 48" Ecoxotic Panorama Marine LED (1 Actinic and 2 Combos) - Bubble Magnus NAC 3+ Protein Skimmer - PhosBan Reactor 150

11/07/2013, 10:02 AM	#2
patsfan1130 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Woburn, Ma Posts: 2,010	I just tackled this problem on my 90g this past weekend. The entire system had the worst bubble algae problem I have seen in 20 years. I drained and cleaned the entire tank/sump as well as replaced all of my LR. The overflow had me a bit stumped. I ended up draining the overflow of water, scrubbed the heck out of it with a long handle algae scrubber, cleaned it out with a ton of paper towel on a step stool. Finally I plugged it and poured it a couple of bottles of full strength hydrogen peroxide and proceeded to scrub the inside with the algae scrubber again. __________________ My cat's breath smells like cat food Member of the Boston Reefers Society Current Tank Info: 75g lps, 90g sps, 120g mixed, 180 nem tank, 300g reef, 600g up & coming reef

11/08/2013, 09:57 AM	#11
Jerms01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Ahwatukee, AZ Posts: 199	Although I was just looking at the Majano Wand (http://www.marinedepot.com/Majano_Wa...FIMIMW-vi.html). Looks like this could be a MUCH funner way of killing the Aiptasia hehe! __________________ 75g Mixed Reef w/ 30 Gallon DIY Sump/Fuge - 3 x 48" Ecoxotic Panorama Marine LED (1 Actinic and 2 Combos) - Bubble Magnus NAC 3+ Protein Skimmer - PhosBan Reactor 150

11/07/2013, 11:22 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I usually siphon mine out every other water change and give it a good wipe down. Stick a sock filer temporally on your drain line if you don't run one all the time and it will catch everything you don't siphon out.

11/07/2013, 11:31 AM	#4
GrimReefer555 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 213	Something to think about... When you **** off the aiptasia, they release spores. If you do so while scraping them out, and don't rinse and clean the chamber very thoroughly, you may make your problem worse upon reintroducing water, at which point you could release them into your DT.

11/07/2013, 12:46 PM	#6
GrimReefer555 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 213	No worries, I definitely don't claim to be extremely knowledgable on the issue, but was just under the impression they released something and reproduced when stressed. And the reason I say spores, is that I've seen their reproduction referred to as using spores in posts on here, which obviously doesn't make it correct... If he has that many, aren't there good odds some are ready to reproduce, and if the planulae are released, and he doesn't clean well, could that not result in a DT outbreak?

11/07/2013, 12:49 PM	#7
GrimReefer555 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 213	Also, if he's scraping them off, how would he not run the risk of fractioning? That seems very likely to me. Like I said, not the authority, just trying to learn and help at the same time.

11/07/2013, 01:32 PM	#8
oscarinw Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 1,091	You are definitely right, the possibility exists and I didn't mean my comment in a confrontational way but just to offer another opinion. Best to do would be to dispose of all the water involved in the removal of the aiptasia.

11/07/2013, 02:39 PM	#9
GrimReefer555 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 213	Didn't take it that way at all, was trying to make sure you didn't think that of me. :-)