**~~DOW- Tank Maintenance~~**

[Cosmic]

Hello again!
Time once more for the [size=huge]Discussion of The Week[/size]!
This weeks Discussion is focusing on [size=huge]Tank Maintenance[/size]. This includes everything from doing water changes to disassembling your Powerheads. How often do you do it? How bad is it? What else might you do to keep your tank clean?

Now's YOUR chance to let the "experts" know how it should done!

I'll pipe in a bit later, but I want to first see what everyone ELSE is doing

So Have at it! And don't forget to join us for the chat session for the DOW, every Weds at 9M Est on the MIRC Xnet Servers, #reefsanctuary be the room!

[jks1]

well ill go first. Daily i check PH and temp (both monitors). I usually do this at feeding time where i also take a quick inventory of inhabitants. I also make sure all of the PH's, skimmer, and pumps are running, and empty the skimmer cup if needed. I usually swipe the front glass if it needs it now too.

Weekly i test for Alk SG, and Ca, clean my skimmer collection cup and wipe off the glass of my lighting system.

Monthly- or there abouts i change 10% water, and take a thorough look at all PHs and pumps and mechanical equip.

I dose 2 part additive. It takes three days to go through 2 gallons of make up in my 29g so i mix three days worth of additive with the water and drip it in (about 100ml/hr).

Thats all i can think of now, im sure ive missed something.

[tankgirl]

I'd like to find out what household things people have found to use to clean stuff!

Is there a solution to salt creep? Especially around electric plugs.

Do other people clean their sumps and how often?

What could I use to clean the venturi on an skimmer?

As for me,

daily: I check pH and salinity and check to see if the skimmer need emptying and to make sure all the systems are running and clean the tank walls with an algae scraper. I look carefully at everything in the tank, make sure all the fish and corals look happy and healthy, and that they're all still there.

every other day: I check Ca and alk because I recently set up a Ca reactor and don't trust it yet. I also use a turkey baster to blow detritus off the corals.

Weekly: I clean all light bulbs, change the micron sock (& filter material in the overflow) and hose them off with the sprayer - cold water, then put them thru 3 rinse & spin cycles in the washing machine.

Every 10 days: I do a 10% water change, really clean the inside of the tank walls, clean the collection cup and column in the skimmer, harvest macroalgae and test everything (Mg, Phosphates, Nitrates, etc.

Every month: I swap out the charcoal in a filter bag.

That's all I can remember right now.

[dgasmd]

Here is my routine:

Daily:
My equipment is in the garage, so when I leave for work and when I come back I do a 3-5 sec visual check of things to make sure everything is working properly. In the AM I spend another 3 minutes to flush the skimmer (I run mine very dry with a very tall columm, so I turn the valve to make the water level inside raise to the top of the riser tube flushing all the extra dry stuff then back to where it was). It literally takes 3 minutes. I also feed the fish once per day.

Every 3 days:
I pass the magnet and clean the skimmer's tower. I also either refill the water change holding container of refill the top off container.

Weekly:
I change 50 g of water. Blow off detritus build up from the rocks.

Biweekly:
Harvest macroalage. About half a bucket of IO worth of it. As of late, not that much since the phosban has put a stop to all the macroalgae.

Monthly:
Not much different.

Bi monthly:
refill the kalk reactor. Change the phosban.

Every 3-4 months:
I take the canopy down (takes 3 people) and scrape the coralline off the glass (takes me then 8-10 solid uninterrupted hours!!) since by now I can't see what is inside the tank I also flush the Ca reactor's line to make sure sand is not building up in the valve cutting down the effluent. Change the prefilters for my RO/DI filter.

Yearly:
Change MH bulbs, UV filter bulbs, and RO membrane.

[sharks]

TG take a small amount of RO and nuke it. Then slowly pour into the venturi to clean it. Works well. I also took a large gage wire and stripped it back a little. Then take a hammer and flatten the end. Works as a great poker.

Daily:
Check all fish and corals health and growth.
Rinse overflow sponges.
Prune any unwanted algae
Check the overall systems pumps, skimmer, and water levels.
Dose kalk each night

Every other day:
Feed fish
Test water for PH, Alk, Ca, & Mg.
Break out the baster.

Weekly:
Water change 25G’s.
Check salinity.
Replace filter pads in the sump.
Mix more Kalk.
Clean glass as needed.

Every other week:
Remove caulerpa from the REF (half of it about 2Lbs)
Clean glass tops.
Feed vert food. (Tahitian blend)

Monthly:
Clean skimmer.
Vacuum sump clean (if needed)
Clean all pumps and power heads.

Yearly:
All bulbs get replaced.


I’m sure I overlooked a bunch of things but that is all I can think of at the moment.
S

[HAP]

Most of you have posted things that come from exp far far greater than mine. The one thing I have learned to do daily is observe. I look at everything to see what the state is. I don't mean doing tests (although I have digital temp and pH) but, just look at my inhabitants and the system to ensure its sound.

[wooddood]

hap i agree with you,i pretty much do the same.but im learning from you all everyday.thanks dave.

[tankgirl]

Great info, all!!

Sharks, thanks, those are great tips!!!

forgot to mention, I feed my fish twice a day, and never feed my corals.

[jimeluiz]

Daily I try to clean the skimmer cup and run the glass cleaner across the glass. But sometimes I skip both of these tasks and do them every other day. I check the temp. Dose with B-ionic system. Feed in the evening. Sometimes also a piece of seaweed during the day. Top off with 4-5 quarts DI water. Feed corals twice/week.

Weekly I baster-poof-off everything and change 5 gal water. Sometimes in the process I vaccuum the sand surface. Clean the filter sock and the little sponge on the skimmer return. Do all parameter tests. Sometimes add Calcium, sometimes add Iodine.

I have cleaned the sump out once, after the first two months of operation. LOTS of dusty sediment. Since then I have been putting off another such cleaning. I'm slouching toward getting a canister filter to 'vaccuum' out my sump so I can clean up the crud without having to break the whole thing down (and kill my huge colony of tiny sponges populating the sump.)

Question: I have 3/4 inch flex tubing bringing water back to the tank from the sump. Algae is growing on the inside and undoubtedly slowing the flow. How often should I change out that tubing? Is the drag all that much? Waddayathink?

Tank is not yet 6 months old, so no lighting change out.

[Cosmic]

My maintenance procedures vary according to what really needs done at that given time, but certain things get done on a ritualistic-style basis.

Water changes are Numero Uno in my book, with a 10% weekly water change being essential IMO. As Anthony Calfo likes to say, Dilution is the Solution to Pollution.

Once a month I also run a Magnum 350 as a Particulate filter when doing a water change. When I run this filter, I also take the time to blow out the rocks if needed, and generally get the tank looking like a typhoon came through. Stir it all up into the water column and remove as much as possible. I'll let the Mag350 run overnight sometimes, but usually only until the tank is clear again. It's only purpose in my practices is Particulate removal. If the water is clear, then it's done it's job.
Before I remove it, I also use it to siphon the detritus buildup in my initial sump chamber. After a month of use, there gets to be a substantial amount of free waste sitting in the bottom, so I suck it up with the Mag while it's out.

Other than that, I also rinse all sponges and filter socks after doing the water change weekly.

I prune the algae from my refugium as needed, or as often as I remember to do it. Same goes for the skimmer, although I try to remember to check it at least every other day. At the same time I check the reactor's effluent and bubble rates to make sure all is good there.

I always try to take a few minutes each day to watch the tank, and see what is taking place. I use this time more as a "water test" than anything else. As TG said, I look at the fish, the corals, note algae growth, coralline growth, etc. Just make sure things are working like they should. If something then seems out of whack, I start by checking the most likely culprit with a "real" water test.

The fish get fed once every other day or so, sometimes once a week. My selection of fish are mainly algal grazers though, so they have most everything they need already provided for them. I just supplement the diet as I see fit
The Lionfish gets fed twice a week religiously however (different tank).

Bulbs get changed at an embarrasing rate (I'm not going there!), and PH's get replaced more often than cleaned, due to a wavemaker chowing the impellars

If the Algae gets REAL bad (yes, it has before), then I break out a toothbrush and bucket of water, removing each badly affected rock and scrubbing as needed. Fortunately this is a once or twice in a lifetime (So Far!!) ordeal

I would also consider fragging part of the maintenance in my tank, as it's the only way I can make room for more stuff. I frag down at least a few things each month, but it's also more on an "as-needed" basis.

I don't add any supplements other than Kalkwasser, and it gets replaced 5.5 Gallons at a time over a 4 or 5 day period at a very slow drip. The water changes and Ca Reactor handle all other elemental replenishment.

I know I might seem a little lax in my maintenance practices, but the biggest and most important part of my routine is the weekly water changes. Seeing this done in my shop's tanks for 20+ years now, I definitely see major benefits when it comes to fish health, disease resistance, and overall coloration of the fish.
Everyone's results may vary, but this is what works best for me

Cos

[Montanareefer]

Let's see I check SG and run no other tests!

Go by how my inhabitants look in the tank.

Clean pumps and skimmer when I think they are needed.

Feed fish and tank about 2-3 days apart.

That's it!!

[jimeluiz]

What kind of maintenance should I be doing on my pumps and powerhead? Just guessing, I have been pulling them, cleaning off the outside and placing them in DI water for a while, just to 'flush them out' but I have no real information suggesting this is the thing to do -- I just figured it would not hurt. Is there something I should be doing? Please don't suggest I take anything apart... that could be trouble!

[Pro_builder]

I clean the algae off the tank front glass every 5 or 6 days.
Clean skimmer pump, and return pump, clean float valve, and nilsen reactor once a month.
I use a Flugal brush set for cleaning the spray bar holes about every other month or as needed.
that is about it.

[Travis]

Dang, you guys have me feeling guilty. I'm off to the LFS to buy some saltwater.

Over the last several months, I have gone from religiously testing to religiously observing and depending on that. Maybe not the best habit, but I feel comfortable taking a good look at my tank and knowing what is going on. If I see some cyano/dinos I test my nitrate and PO4 and start watching the skimmer output, if my LPS aren't extending as normal I test my alk/CA.

If things generally don't look great, I check pH and salinity and change my carbon bags.

Other than that, about 10-15% every 2 weeks-month, clean the skimmer cup when it gets full, and drip kalk every night.

I scrape the glass whenever I want to take some pics.

T

[NaH2O]

Daily, I check to be sure my tank isn't broken. Once it has water in it, I will include other maintenance procedures to my regimen.