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

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Every other day or so Here and there w the 30” feeder my Melanarus makes a mess of the substrate at times.

 

[WVNed]

Maxijet 1200 with a piece of 1/2 in CPVC pipe stuck on it. I only do this if it is needed.

 

[zheka757]

I get rocks out once a month and pressure wash the crap out of them!
....lol just kidding, in 5 years never touched them, that's the job for hermit crabs and 8 tangs I got in my tank

 

[Karen00]

I have a turkey baster for stuff like that but right now I'm dealing with some algae that I have been using a toothbrush to get off every few days.

 

[Freenow54]

Thanks for the reminder. My established tank is covered with mushrooms, and have no issues now. My new tank has some in it. I just caught my Tang eating cyano am concerned should I be? I found the turkey baster is to difficult to do without dispersing it around the tank, so I have a drill pump and reduced it to a quarter inch tube, and it sucks it right out.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

I have never done that... Am I in trouble? In all seriousness, that's a job for my snails and emerald crabs.

 

[Dakota_reef]

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?

I've always used a powerhead while I'm pumping fresh salt mix in during a water change, but it's definitely needed considering all the detritus that can get trapped in the rock. Then I let the cloudy water dissipate and clean my filter sock/filter.

 

[Koh23]

Well almost newer....

Good water flow, fish, etc.....

Its not a bad thing, but i dont like to stress corals that are on that rock.....

 

[wheels 45]

I do it every 2 weeks or so. My 32 gallon biocube builds up green algae and coralline algae quite a bit. So every week or so i give the glass a good scrub. I have been running the tank since 2016ish. I used to use a plain old algae scraper and a scraper with a handle, but my fish would bite me when I put my hand in. So finally I bought a metal blade attachment it, Best thing I ever did. Now my hands don't get wet and the fish don't bite me

 

[LPChrisB]

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?

More lately now that I have the algae under control. I know that sound backwards, as cleaning the rock helps keep the algae from growing, but I had vermetids. In my experience stirring all that up helps the vermetids thrive. Doing nothing starves them out. So now I do it about monthly but usually only target 1 or 2 areas where I notice gha trying to grow.

 

[tjhventura]

Once a week with water change. Maybe every two weeks. I use a turkey baster and blast off rocks before water change

 

[4davegill]

I use a 1" soft hose that fits over one of my return outlets. The other end on a small baster. Very easy and small setup.

 

[Julbra]

Was doing it every couple of days when the tank was new. Now never. Critters in the rocks do a great job, especially amphipods at night.

 

[ReefRxSWFL]

2-3 times per week with a Tunze powerhead

 

[GeoCK]

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.

Can you please explain what bubble scrubbing is?

 

[Vance825]

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?

I don't clean off the detritus nearly enough. When I do clean it I use a Wal-Mart Super Soak Saber Pump Squirter. Works great and has more power and volume than a turkey baster. Some times it does do a backward refill squirt while refilling so be careful; when the whole thing is submerged in the tank.

 

[Mark Gray]

Guess I am lazy lol. Can't remember the last time I cleaned the rocks, I let the snails hermit pods and fish do it. I don't change much water either. I did change some last month.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

I blow out the rocks once a month than vacuum the sand bed followed up with 10% water change and swap out the socks. (socks changed every Saturday)

I use the long tube feeder, great for small crevices along with a pass or two from wave makers.

 

[Waynerock]

Can you please explain what bubble scrubbing is?

I use a wood air stone and put it against the inlet of my return and basically turn my tank into a giant skimmer for about 20 min. It will really help you grab the gunk you blew up with the turkey baster. My socks get nasty when I do this it works very well and have never had any negative issues.

 

[Roger D]

I use a syphon I made with a 2' piece of pex on a clear vinyl tube to a separate filter in the sump then it sucks it out as you go.