Detritus removal

[Darkstar04]

My tank has been set up for two years, about 1 year with corals. Mixed reef with admittedly... low flow.

Every now and then I have to move rocks for one reason or another, and it kicks up all sorts of detritus. It cakes some of the rocks really badly, and there are piles of it on the sand under some of my rockscape.

I can't figure out how to get rid of it.... other than maybe to stir it all up and use a filter sock on a temporary closed loop pump.

How do most people deal with this stuff?

 

[sabbath]

Sounds like you need more flow in your DT. Also a turkey baster works good to blow the rocks and to get at hard to reach areas. Do that once a week or so.
The flow in my DT is about 35 times the tank size per hour. That is close for me, with a mixed reef.

 

[Thinslis]

Flow is key to keeping this stuff off the bottom. Once it reaches the bottom though you need to stir it back up and get it into the water collum for removal. Back to flow again.

 

[Darkstar04]

Where is it going to go if it stays off the bottom... think my CPR Bak-Pak II can manage it?

 

[cabbage2003]

thats the eventual goal. once your skimmer gets all of what you have now by repeating this stirring up and greater flow will finally equal at some point and your skimmer will level out with your tank. not needing the stirrings of the sand as often, or at all.

 

[jimicasper]

agree more flow

 

[Eric55]

Get a Python and vacuum it up once a month like I do. You'll be amazed at the crap, literally, that goes up the tube as a brown cloud.