Scrub-A-Dub-Dub: How often do you clean your rocks?

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

I don't know about you, but of all the things that need to be cleaned in my reef, I'm not usually thinking about cleaning rocks. For some, it's a routine part of tank maintenance; for others, it's not a thought at all. It can look like simply blowing the debris off with a turkey baster during feeding or a rigorous scrubbing during a water change. Where do you fall?

How often do you clean your rocks?

 

[shakacuz]

that's the CUC's job.

 

[BryanM]

I chose never, but reality is it is almost never.

If I see some sort of algae that I can blow off with a turkey baster, I usually do that... but it is quite infrequent.

CUC for the win.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I blow off detritus on the rocks every few days. The CUC actually make the detritus, it’s snail and urchin poop.

 

[Paul B]

I do that a few times a year. I am actually doing it right now with my DIY diatom filter.



I also stir up my gravel because I run a reverse Undergravel filter and it gets full of detritus and I don't want it to clog.

 

[Dburr1014]

I clean mine;

A) When they look like they need it

B) when I get reminded by a thread such as this

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I clean mine;

A) When they look like they need it

B) when I get reminded by a thread such as this

This thread also has reminded me that I should probably clean my rocks, haha.

 

[mrpontiac80]

I voted weekly but mostly because the last few months I’ve been dealing with some cyano. I use a turkey baster and it is amazing how much detritus is blown out also.

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

I blow my rocks everyday. Free coral food.

 

[ScottF]

To quote Than from Tidal Gardens, "Don't waste time doing a snails job".

 

[vlangel]

Probably a few Xs a year.

 

[ColorMeGone]

I never do and if I did the whole thing would collapse. Not one rock glued down. 

 

[IceNein]

Thanks for reminding me I haven't blown off detritus lately. That's all I think you need to do if you have an adequate CUC.

 

[Justdrew]

I voted weekly but that is only turkey baster. CUC can't get that out.

 

[mjszos]

I never do a full cleaning, but I do blast a section of rock almost daily as well as stir up an arbitrary portion of the sand bed.

Free coral food as far as I’m concerned.

 

[edsbeaker]

My power heads and CUC take care of it.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I turkey baster blast my rocks frequently, almost nightly.

 

[Brian W]

When I first started my tank with dry rock I would scrub the rock with a toothbrush to get the algae off. Fast forward 3 years later and the majority of the rock is covered in coralline. I had an urchin in my dt but I had to put it in the sump as I noticed white patches where it was eating the coralline. I do not scrub my rock now. I have tangs thst keep any algae at bay.