Do you blow off your rocks as part of maintenance?

[Aquaman102]

Is incorporating blowing off the rocks part of the tank cleaning maintenance that you do? I did that yesterday and was surprised at the amount of detritus coming out of the rocks. I thought I had plenty of flow in the tank.

I also really wonder how much of the detritus is going down the overflow into the filter sock.

Is doing this "rock cleaning" something that should be done regularly?

 

[Jon Fishman]

I do. I have probably enough flow for 3 tanks and I still find the rocks get pretty nasty thanks to my heavy-handed feeding and aggressive lighting

 

[revhtree]

This will make a good question of the day!

I don't but I should!

 

[vetteguy53081]

occasionally , yes and surprising how much sediment is released !

 

[CC13]

Is incorporating blowing off the rocks part of the tank cleaning maintenance that you do? I did that yesterday and was surprised at the amount of detritus coming out of the rocks. I thought I had plenty of flow in the tank.

I also really wonder how much of the detritus is going down the overflow into the filter sock.

Is doing this "rock cleaning" something that should be done regularly?

I do this. I also run micro-bubbles for 20 min before and after in the main display to help clear and carry as much detritus into the sump before I perform a water change. You should see how clear the water is afterwards.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Yes, I do it every 3-5 days along with stirring up the sand bed. I typically crank up the flow on my powerheads and blow the rocks off with a turkey baster to make sure everything gets into the overflow. Over time you'll start to figure out which spots in the rock work collect the most detritus.

I'm not sure how necessary it is given I have a pretty healthy population of collonista snails and micro brittle stars that can get into the small cracks in the rock work to clean up detritus, but I think in the long run leaving that detritus to build up can lead to issues down the road.

 

[steallife904]

I do during a water change about every other month, same with sandbed. I have a maxijet powerhead I use to mix saltwater that I put in tank and use to blow out the rocks. It is always crazy how much comes out.

 

[Boston reefer]

Turkey baster for the win! Once you see the detritus it blows off the rocks it’s hard to not want to do it religiously.

 

[stanleo]

I do a different rock at every water change. It's part of my routine. So each rock gets blown off every six to eight weeks or so.

 

[Silent]

If you want an automated type of turkey baster use can use the waterproof water flosser and take the bottom off and it gets around corals very well.
Water Flosser Professional Cordless Dental Oral Irrigator - Portable and Rechargeable IPX7 Waterproof 3 Modes Water Flosser with Cleanable Water Tank for Home and Travel, Braces & Bridges Care
$40 and actually good for removing bugs from frags while dipping.

 

[jlts21]

If you want an automated type of turkey baster use can use the waterproof water flosser and take the bottom off and it gets around corals very well.
Water Flosser Professional Cordless Dental Oral Irrigator - Portable and Rechargeable IPX7 Waterproof 3 Modes Water Flosser with Cleanable Water Tank for Home and Travel, Braces & Bridges Care
$40

That is genius! I never thought about using one of those

 

[S2G]

I have a powerhead I use for this and it's the only time I run my socks. You'd be surprised how much crap accumulates.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I do it with turkey baster every water change.

 

[SDK]

This is a critical piece of maintenance over the long term. I blow my rocks out monthly...

 

[ca1ore]

Nope, never have .... plenty of flow and a few detritivores (mainly a chevron tang) makes it unnecessary. No buildup chez moi.

 

[mymarinedream]

I always blast mine with turkey baster. I run a filter sock so it all gets collected. Loads of crap comes out. Even high flow has some dead spots. Do it at water change time.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I do this before water changes.

Btw do you all have barnacle clusters? I recently hit the inside of my barnacle cluster with a turkey baster and holy &$#@ I couldn't believe all the junk that came out.

 

[Rjramos]

Before every water change I do this. First I turn off main pump and all circulation. Blow all rocks with a maxi jet 900 attached to 3/8” hose. Then I siphon out as much detritus as I can. Some corals may release mucous. Siphon that too.

 

[Martyd]

2 -3 times per week. I stir up the sand bed too, but usually once per week.

 

[SmittenKitten]

Such a brilliant idea! I just ordered one! I have been using the baster and was thinking there must be a better way! Thanks for sharing!!