15 months in - maintenance questions

[jimeluiz]

Happy to report all is going well after 15 months into the hobby. (We need a 'knock-on-wood' smiley)

I've been grateful that the hole in my pocket that was new and needed purchases has been sewn shut for some time. But now at 15 months I think it is time to do some maintenance. I fear the financial slow drip.

Can I hear from others about appropriate maintenance at this point? I have literally done nothing but add and change water, run carbon, clean glass and rinse out the skimmer cup. I've 'cleaned out' the sump twice, wiping out settled crud and washing away those poor little sponges. That's it.

My two pumps - one on the skimmer and the return pump are covered (on the outside at least) with little critter skeletons. Am I supposed to dismantle these pumps and clean them out? Or can I just dunk them in white vinegar and let them run a while? I fear my hessitant DIY skills if I have to unscrew anything. Reassure me.

Should I be taking apart the return tubing and cleaning out the slippery slime in there or just leave it be? I'm not experiencing any problems... perhaps I have less flow than I did, but everything seems fine in the tank flow-wise.

And the lights. At this point I've heard I should be changing out the VHO tubes because they just plain have a lifespan and they have run it at this point. So I'm not getting the output I did a year ago. But again -- no visible problems...

So whaddayathink? Time to open my wallet - and roll up my sleeves? Can I hear what you think is essential and what is a good idea?

Thanks folks.

jim

[mps9506]

Souds great
I would suggest soaking the pumps in some vinegar just to get rid of any calcium buildup and prevent any possible seizing probs in the future.
And yes, replace the vho tubes I recomend once a year for URI tubes, some folks replace every 6-8 months. I wouldn't worry about cleaning out the plumbing, it's stable, let it be.
Mike

[Maxx]

Mike has ya covered great! Might also want to soak the skimmer pump impeller in vinager as well.
Nick

[BoomerD]

Definitely soak the pumps in vinegar, but you'd be wise to take them apart and clean the impeller, impeller well, and impeller housing, to remove any built up gunk in there, and to prolong the life of the impeller. I know several people who routinely replace the impellers on a yearly basis, because it makes sense to them, that the impellers wear a bit on the gunk that gets drawn through the pump. I guess the small cost is cheap piece of mind.
Definitely, after that amount of time, the VHO's are over due for replacement. While you & I can't see the change, your corals can. Best is to change them out 1 per week, until they're all done. Too many at once and the new intensity can harm the corals.

[mps9506]

I recomend changing one every few months. Seems cheaper on the wallet to replace one $24 bulb every 3 months than all at once
Just my funny math
Mike

[BoomerD]

I agree with changing them out on a staggered basis as for NORMAL maintenance, but these are already way out of date, so they ALL need to be changed out asap. Doing one weekly or even bi-monthly would be healthiest for the animals.

[jimeluiz]

Great tip on the tubes. Without it I would have just switched them all at once. Gotta keep thinking husbandry...

Neil - if I start unscrewing the pump - will it be easily apparent how to put it back together? I'd hate to close it up only to find I had an extra piece!

[VINA DEL MAR]

Great advices guys!I'll like to add to the list too.How about checking your electrical outlets,plugs,and wires connections?
So many pleople had got problems with electrical fires usually losing just about everything in their tanks.

VINA