Cleaning gravel

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StarGazer1960

Member
Hi all
How do you guys clean your substrata?
I have 1.5-2 inches aragonite
I have one of those tube thingys with a hose attatched to it but my rock only allows about 2 inches clearance along the sides
The reef goes right along the middle of the tank which is 12 inches wide
I used to have a diatom filter that worked great, could I get one and stir things up a bit?
Im afraid I have been too generous with the munchies, hence the cyano:bigbounce
Nitrates still under 5 but the algae and cyano might be converting them
Thx
 
newreefguy

newreefguy

Member
They sell the "python" in smaller diameters if im not mistaken...
But the smaller the diameter the faster the flow (more sand/rock in your bucket)
A lot of people on here use a turkey baster (spelling) to clean live rock... or a good clean up crew with yellow headed sleeper gobies to stir the sand... nasirium (spelling) snails also achieve the desired effect.
 
StevieT

StevieT

RS Sponsor
CUC, flow. You don't want to touch your sand much or suck it in a reef tank. It is totally different from freshwater. When I do a water change I only remove the water. When the tank was younger I blasted the rocks with a turkey baster.
 
StevieT

StevieT

RS Sponsor
How old is your tank?
Are you testing for phosphates?
What is your CUC like?
How often are you feeding?

Just sucking the algae and detritus doesn't fix the problem.
 
S

StarGazer1960

Member
also i have what looks like small circular patches of what looks like algae on my filter, aint easy to scrape off, its a black filter so i dont know what color it is except i had a few spots on the glass and they are green, ive been adding calcium for the boys so it might be green coraline
 
S

StarGazer1960

Member
StevieT said:
How old is your tank?
Are you testing for phosphates?
What is your CUC like?
How often are you feeding?

Just sucking the algae and detritus doesn't fix the problem.
Click to expand...

3 months, origonal 3 year old tank leaked, 30 gal to a 55
all aged rock transfered
no phosphates, i have Fluval phosphate remover in the filter
CUC ??????????????
one shrimp cube a night, a little veg flake, havent fed seaweed in a while
 
S

StarGazer1960

Member
StevieT said:
Are you running a canister filter?

No snails, hermits etc in a 55 gallon tank?
Click to expand...

a dozen hermits some good size, 4 moon snails, (golf ball size)
1 small cinnamin clown, small royal gramma, bicolor angel, blue damsel, regal tang 2.5 inches(yeah I know but he got that big in the 30 and he loves it in the 55)
in 4 years never had ick (knock knock knock on wood)
 
StevieT

StevieT

RS Sponsor
nas. snails. Also look into turbo snails and certh snails for algae. Again just sucking up the sand doesn't fix the overall problem
 
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