Don't forget to blow off your rock work! How often do you do it, and what do you use?

[Daniel@R2R]

Cleaning the detritus off of your rock work is an important part of your reef maintenance. Some people use a turkey baster, and others use a small powerhead. This needs to be done with some frequency, but I've seen this done on every schedule from nightly to almost never. I'd say it should be done at least once a month or so. What do you guys think? What's your routine? How often do you clean your rocks, and what do you use?

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Cleaning the detritus off of your rock work is an important part of your reef maintenance. Some people use a turkey baster, and others use a small powerhead. This needs to be done with some frequency, but I've seen this done on every schedule from nightly to almost never. I'd say it should be done at least once a month or so. What do you guys think? What's your routine? How often do you clean your rocks, and what do you use?

About twice weekly. Was battling a dinoflagellate outbreak and have it mostly under control, but it's easy to blow it off the rocks and into the filter sock.

Helps keep the rock from looking dingy as well, and the corals, clams, and sponges appreciate a chance to eat what they want from the detritus.

 

[blaxsun]

I definitely need to do it every month and probably closer to every 1-2 weeks, just because my Quoy's parrotfish ejects this nice fine white substrate everywhere.

Parrotfish Pros: Constantly adds while Hawaiian beach sand.
Parrotfish Cons: Deposits said sand wherever he feels like it.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Well, I do not do it as much as I should probably. I run a "clean tide" for my pumps at night that helps with this. However, I also do it when I do a water change.

The big issues is the cyano battle and a constant cleaning of the rocks. I just finished a clean out on my 210g and hope to get it under control better. I think my control of the algae was great, but now cyano is up. Always a balancing act.

I should probably do more than I do.

 

[EricR]

Turkey baster before water change (when I remember).
Water change schedule is every 2 weeks or so, ideally.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I find it really important early on and do it every few days early on . But as the tank matures not so often. I use a turkey baster mostly, but have used a power head befire

 

[DeniseAndy]

Oh, forgot, use a turkey baster when by hand for water changes. Wish they made them easier to squeeze after 10 minutes. I think that is just my hand getting tired though.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Once a week w/ water changes... well, maybe less when life gets in the way, or I get lazy.

 

[Wasabiroot]

This is one of those things I always forget to do and then when I finally get around to it am revolted with how much detritus can actually be settled. I do like do it to my zoas and gsp though. Come to think of it....I am due for a water change...

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I just crank up the Nero 5's to max speed for about 30 minutes every so often. It gets the trash detritus into the water column and hopefully through the overflow.

 

[Dburr1014]

Turkey baster once or twice a month.

 

[RichReef]

Film algae on my sand alerts me to clean the sump bottom, clean the bottom of my ATS, and blow off my rock.

At 8 am I put a wooden air diffuser in front of my powerhead and blow off the rock with a baster turning my tank into a huge skimmer. It brings all the gunk to the surface and down the overflow it goes. the only drawback is a drop in PH while this is going on. I also run a Magnum Canister Filter with the polisher element all day long. I keep returning to blow off the rock and lightly stir the sand until after dinner.

About every 7-8 weeks.

I think the livestock is used to it now. They don't freak out anymore and the coral returns to normal with in an hour.

 

[Hydrored]

PMUP zip tied to a long scraper handle does all the hard work on a rare occasion. That’s why I like bare bottom, can really crank the flow

 

[The_Skrimp]

I blow mine off once every four days or so with a turkey baster. I usually do it at night just before the lights go out and add hydrogen peroxide.

 

[Waynerock]

I blow it really good with baster a couple times a week and usually every two weeks bubble scrub while turkey basting. Bubble scrubbing really helps take all the floating crap up to the surface and down the return.

 

[shakacuz]

haven’t done it once in the year this tank has been up. but, i should and will be doing it more readily..

 

[tkeiffer2]

Cleaning the detritus off of your rock work is an important part of your reef maintenance. Some people use a turkey baster, and others use a small powerhead. This needs to be done with some frequency, but I've seen this done on every schedule from nightly to almost never. I'd say it should be done at least once a month or so. What do you guys think? What's your routine? How often do you clean your rocks, and what do you use?

Once a week I use a turkey baster although my cleanup crew does a nice job of keeping it in check

 

[CoralReefTalk]

I use to use a turkey baster weekly before water changes when I had my 75g. Now with my 125 I haven't really been doing it until, lately I have been getting back into the routine because diatoms and algae etc on the rocks.

I've used a small brush like a toothbrush to scrub stuff away.

 

[Alexwlwsn]

Maybe about 2 times a week with a long turkey baster. Once with my water change and another shortly before replacing my filter floss. I also blast the sand a little since I'm still dealing with diatoms as my tank's about 3mos old.

 

[tharbin]

I use a turkey baster or coral target feeder two or three times a week.