Removing Algae and debris after cleaning

[jonelder68]

Was wondering if anyone has tried using a canister filter or a RO canister and a pump with filter floss for removing algae and grime after cleaning? Currently battling the uglies and low nutrients. Don’t want to really perform frequent water changes while cleaning. So recirculating water while removing the algae would be nice. Also I find scraping and trying to siphon out the algae is a bit challenging doing both. While also removing too much water. It’s taking me 20-30 minutes each cleaning. Just wondering if I’m overlooking a reason on why either wouldn’t work? Possible clogging up too fast? I would love to find a good method for scraping the rocks and glass without having to rush. Currently just trying to net it all but doesn’t seem to catch much as the tank will still be blowing it all around for hours after.

 

[Kooma]

Buy a pin cushion urchin and a tunze glass cleaner. The two will have your tank sparkling in a few weeks.

Toss on some GFO while your at it to lower phos.

 

[jonelder68]

Buy a pin cushion urchin and a tunze glass cleaner. The two will have your tank sparkling in a few weeks.

Toss on some GFO while your at it to lower phos.

I’m using a tuner glass scraper. I’m fighting through the uglies right now Dino’s etc. it should hopefully clear up soon. Nitrates and phosphate both undetectable so GFO wouldn’t be helpfully I wouldn’t think.

I have brown snot algae (chrysophytes I believe?) that once scraped breaks up into micro pieces and turns tank into an algae cloud.

 

[ronsonb]

Do you have a sump? If you do then what I did was bought metal straws, ziptied a small plastic scrubbing brush to the metal straws where the bristles hung just past the edge of the straw then connected that to a hose. Run the end of the hose into the filter sock and scrub away. Key is matching return pump to the flow of the hose or sump could fill up.

 

[jonelder68]

Do you have a sump? If you do then what I did was bought metal straws, ziptied a small plastic scrubbing brush to the metal straws where the bristles hung just past the edge of the straw then connected that to a hose. Run the end of the hose into the filter sock and scrub away. Key is matching return pump to the flow of the hose or sump could fill up.

Basement sump so ya not real practical for me.

 

[PapaFishRocks]

I had an old Ehiem canister that I used for that. Filled with floss. Return water back to the tank. Works great.

 

[jonelder68]

I had an old Ehiem canister that I used for that. Filled with floss. Return water back to the tank. Works great.

Perfect just what I was hoping to hear. Did it suck up algae and debris without any issues?

 

[jonelder68]

Perfect just what I was hoping to hear. Did it suck up algae and debris without any issues?

Mainly I was worried it might clog up after a bit?

 

[ronaldo34]

What would you guys use for a 29 nano reef that and some algae problems and sand problems aswell

 

[jonelder68]

What would you guys use for a 29 nano reef that and some algae problems and sand problems aswell

Mixed variety of snails and crabs. Plus manually removing. I use long tweezers and a tooth brush to scrub rocks.

 

[ronaldo34]

Mixed variety of snails and crabs. Plus manually removing. I use long tweezers and a tooth brush to scrub rocks.

My rocks are not as bad mainly my back wall and my sand

 

[PapaFishRocks]

Mainly I was worried it might clog up after a bit?

Works very well. Especially for bubble algae. I use a long tongs to dislodge it and suck it right up.

I do have to be careful to not suck up small snails.

On the intake, I have 1/2” quick connections, with a valve. On the end of the tube, I have a small piece of hose. I found it helped me “scrub” small areas of hair algae off the rocks.

Downside, gotta clean it out after every use, or it gets nasty smelling.

 

[jonelder68]

Works very well. Especially for bubble algae. I use a long tongs to dislodge it and suck it right up.

I do have to be careful to not suck up small snails.

On the intake, I have 1/2” quick connections, with a valve. On the end of the tube, I have a small piece of hose. I found it helped me “scrub” small areas of hair algae off the rocks.

Downside, gotta clean it out after every use, or it gets nasty smelling.

Perfect, thanks

 

[Johnd651]

I got your hygger vac recently... it's nice cause i can pump the water right back in through a filter sock

 

[JohnNYC8]

Was wondering if anyone has tried using a canister filter or a RO canister and a pump with filter floss for removing algae and grime after cleaning? Currently battling the uglies and low nutrients. Don’t want to really perform frequent water changes while cleaning. So recirculating water while removing the algae would be nice. Also I find scraping and trying to siphon out the algae is a bit challenging doing both. While also removing too much water. It’s taking me 20-30 minutes each cleaning. Just wondering if I’m overlooking a reason on why either wouldn’t work? Possible clogging up too fast? I would love to find a good method for scraping the rocks and glass without having to rush. Currently just trying to net it all but doesn’t seem to catch much as the tank will still be blowing it all around for hours after.

Check out the Marineland Magnum 200 Polishing Internal Canister Filter. It's less than $60 and it will do exactly what you're looking for. I had the same issue with my 26 gallon tank for big cleanup days. The tank would be empty if I kept the siphon in for as long as I needed it to be in there.

I learned about it from Rich Ross's MACNA talk on algae. The whole thing is a must-watch but here's the relevant section:

 

[VintageReefer]

I had an old Ehiem canister that I used for that. Filled with floss. Return water back to the tank. Works great.

Great idea

Just yesterday I did my semiannual task of “blast the detritus out of each and every hole / pore of my live rock”

My rock nooks and crannies were cleaned. The tank became a detritus cloud. Should have taken my spare eheim and done exactly this.

 

[Louis Z]

I use a cheap power head . I added a pvc attachment to input side to end in a pvc tube that will fit in the open end of marineland micron filter and then wrapped the cheap blue ac filter floss material around the micron filter with rubber bands . Less than 50. After, I throw the floss and clean the micron filter with diluted Clorox

 

[jonelder68]

Check out the Marineland Magnum 200 Polishing Internal Canister Filter. It's less than $60 and it will do exactly what you're looking for. I had the same issue with my 26 gallon tank for big cleanup days. The tank would be empty if I kept the siphon in for as long as I needed it to be in there.

I learned about it from Rich Ross's MACNA talk on algae. The whole thing is a must-watch but here's the relevant section:

Just picked one up at petco. I’ll let everyone know how it works out.

 

[jonelder68]

The marineland 200 magnum definitely works! I did a heavy cleaning today. Tank covered in uglies. I removed over 3.5lbs of brown snot :astonished-face: through scraping/picking and catching debris with a fish net. The small flakes of debris have been getting sucked up by the filter. I’m going to let it run over night and will take pictures of what it caught tomorrow after I remove it. I might grab another one. I think it would do best with 1 per 2 ft of tank length if you’re wanting within an hour or two cleaned/perfect water. I’m at the extreme end of filtering with the uglies so a normal cleaning in the future 1 would probably do for my 60 breeder tank though.

 

[jonelder68]

Well here’s the results after cleaning, catching what algae I could with fish net, then letting the marineland 200 magnum do its thing over night…

A bit alarming I’d say! . Imma clean the filter and let it fully dry then will probably let it run in the sump/refugium chamber for a while until the uglies have passed.