Maintenance question for you BB SPS reefers

G

ghever

In Memoriam
I was just wondering how you guys clean your tank, what is the maintenance schedule like, what do you do?

Any of you have automated water changes? I am planning on one in my new system, and trying to figure out if I should drain water from the main tank when doing water changes or just get it from the sump.

Also, since it a bb tank, I suppose the beauty of that is you can go with a powerheadand just blow detritus that gets trapped in little nooks and crannies and once you blow it out of there, the flow through your system will hopefully get it to the overflow.

Last... any benefit of keeping a DSB in the sump? Macroalgae?

I read that a lot of the BB guys will forgo the fuge and just get an extra bigger skimmer.

Appreciate the help

G
 
Below is what I do for my SPS BB...

* Always keep in mind that circumstances and budget constraints impact what anyone is able to do...

My system consists of a BB 120 display, BB 40 breeder sump, BB 10 gal refugium.

> NO macro, NO sand bed anywhere <

For my particular BB setup, macro and sand would be places for detritus to collect, thus preventing 2 things from happening - (1) removal by the skimmer, and (2) manual removal (via siphoning and tank cleanings during water changes).

I change approx 35-40 gallons once per month (lots of times it goes 6+ weeks).

To do this, I shut off the system - my system is tuned to fill the sump to within 1" from the top of the sump, but not overflow the sump - I remove the equipement from the sump, drain the sump - equipment and sump are cleaned with white vinegar - reinstall sump + equipment - fill with RO/DI + Tropic Marin Pro salt - mix, heat, bring up salinity for 2-3 hours - turn system on.

Once in a while I take out half the reef - corals and live rock - and scrub the rock, blast it clean - replace rock and corals - I now do this much less as the rock is becoming reeeeeally nice after 3 years running and scrubbing....

My display has enourmous flow - especially along/pointed at the bottom, so most detritus that is not skimmed settles on the bottom of the sump.

Now....if you have the $$$ automation is where it's at - my system is in my 7th grade classroom, however I have visited some serious BB systems that are equipped with huge fiberglass mixing tanks - with a couple turns of some very $$$ valves, the old water goes bye bye and the new rushed in...

Here is a recent pic of mine:

49365mini-full_tank.jpg
 
well heres what i have and what i do.

180BB display, 40G sump, 30G BB frag.

i try to do weekly water changes but sometimes let it go to 10-14days.
the water change consists of sucking the detritus that settles in the poopy corner, a small spot in the display where all the detritus settles, usually take out about 10-15 gal from the display, depends on if i try sucking any nook and crannys on the rocks clean.
then i go to the sump and frag tank and siphon out all the detritus from there. usually i try to get 25-30g siphoned out each week.

i mix saltwater for the next week the same time i drain the pre mixed container, this way the water has aged for a week and all levels are good .

every other day i clean the collection cup and neck.

cleanign the glass is a bi monthly chore, i can go a month in between cleanings and the glass still isnt really bad, just lots of coraline growth on it.

well thats all i do for the tank, feed heavy everyday and check equipment for any problems every morning prior to work.

seems to be working great so far.

also there is no sand anywhere in the system , nor is there and macro algea, just a BIG skimmer

Tim
 
The key is to make sure that nutrients have no place to settle in your system so mud is out. My skimmer pulls 3-4 gallons per day. I get a little pile that I vacuum once per week and I also vacuum the sump once per week. The key is making sure you have enough flow to get detritus to your skimmer and enough skimmer to remove the nutrients that your putting in.
 
90 gallon BB Setup, 20 gallon sumo, 20 gallon BB refugium w/Chaeto. All water changes are from my 20 gallon Refugium where all the detritus settles. The only clean up crew I have is a dozen or so hermit crabs, tons of pods, mysid shrimp and starfish.

Maintenace includes pruning Chaeto and rinsing it then removing all the water (but a gallon or so for the miscellaneous shrimp and pods).

I highly recommend NOT using a remote DSB in your fuge. It will be undersized for your total water volume and cause more harm than good... I tried it, and all it did was keep my Nitrates elevated to around 80 ppm.

Later,

Jim
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7434106#post7434106 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Patio
Do you have LR in your sump?
Click to expand...

No I don't, and I only keep about 200lbs in a 280 display.
 
This is what I do:

75G Main Display---30 G Sump---1/3 of the sump is a refugium of sorts(only chaeto, no sand). * I keep the chaeto because I have found that it only grows if I have any nitrates in my water. If I have no nitrates it never grows.

Once a week, I turkey baste every nook and cranny on my live rock.(Usually Friday, sometimes Saturday) When I do this there is usally a bunch of stuff that comes out even though I have a tremendous amount of flow(2 Tunze 6000, 3 Seio 820's, 1 Seio 620, and a Closed Loop run by a Mak 4). I usually do this right before the lights go out, thus providing a feeding frezy for my SPS.
Then on the following day, I do an 8/9 Gallon Water change.
Another thing I believe that has helped a lot is running a filter sock 24/7(changing every 2 days) It keeps my water a lot cleaner and particle free.
I have a Deltec MCE600 as my skimmer running as wet a setting as possible.
 
Re: Maintenance question for you BB SPS reefers

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7431717#post7431717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ghever

Also, since it a bb tank, I suppose the beauty of that is you can go with a powerheadand just blow detritus that gets trapped in little nooks and crannies and once you blow it out of there, the flow through your system will hopefully get it to the overflow.


G
Click to expand...

Although it is true that you can simply use a powerhead or turkey baster to clean up the tank, you shouldn't set the tank up with this plan in mind. Since all of the detritus that is sitting around in your tank is just fowling the water, you don't water it to sit and rot in your tank. You want the flow to get everything to the skimmer. If your flow lets stuff accumulate, then you will have lesser water quality, and be a slave to the turkey baster.

Set your rock up with very few contact points to the starboard. Find a way to get massive flow under your rocks. Keep in mind that no practicle amount of flow will make up for poor rock stacks. I have 150x turnover in my tank, but I still have one place where the rocks let stuff settle. My mistake has costs me hours of turkey basting. Do it right from the start.




Brad
 
Re: Re: Maintenance question for you BB SPS reefers

Re: Re: Maintenance question for you BB SPS reefers

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7435664#post7435664 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dascharisma


Set your rock up with very few contact points to the starboard. Find a way to get massive flow under your rocks. Keep in mind that no practicle amount of flow will make up for poor rock stacks. I have 150x turnover in my tank, but I still have one place where the rocks let stuff settle. My mistake has costs me hours of turkey basting. Do it right from the start.




Brad
Click to expand...

Thats great advice!
 
Re: Re: Re: Maintenance question for you BB SPS reefers

Re: Re: Re: Maintenance question for you BB SPS reefers

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7435741#post7435741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REEF-DADDY
Thats great advice!
Click to expand...

so would you recommend using tonga branch to lift up all my rock off the bottom?

What other tricks do you guys recommend?

I think I will have a ton of flow at the bottom... my CL t outputs will be right at the bottom and pumping out around 1800gph each... I plan on adding a tunze 6100...maybe 2 6100s... or a 6100 and 6080 to add some more flow...maybe the icecap vortech once they are well tested in the consumer's hands.

G
 
thanks REEF DADDY....looks like maybe I need to get me some shelf rock as well...

I am planning on incorporating a couple of pillars as well... I am going to drill a 1/4in hole in the fiberglass where the pillars will be, put the 1/4in fiberglass rod in the hole, then drill some LR with a 1/4in drill bit and stack the rocks to create a pillar.... this should minimize rock contact with the ground as well.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7435928#post7435928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ghever
thanks REEF DADDY....looks like maybe I need to get me some shelf rock as well...

I am planning on incorporating a couple of pillars as well... I am going to drill a 1/4in hole in the fiberglass where the pillars will be, put the 1/4in fiberglass rod in the hole, then drill some LR with a 1/4in drill bit and stack the rocks to create a pillar.... this should minimize rock contact with the ground as well.
Click to expand...

I think you have it. :) The the shelf pieces are agrocrete. Agrocrete is perfect for tanks with specific design needs like ours. Wether it be selves, pillars or just that one last perfect piece.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7435980#post7435980 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rutz81
reef-daddy: very clean, neat setup
Click to expand...

Thank you! Clean is really the key word for these tanks. Actually as of this week I consider the tank done. Painting the back was the last piece. I have 2 colonies coming from fraggle reef tomorrow and then stocking is complete as well. Now its in mother natures hands for my 1" frags to grow into the monster TOTM style colonies I see everywhere.
 
Re: agrocrete

Re: agrocrete

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7435999#post7435999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ghever
agrocrete as in you made it yourself, or can you buy it like that?

G
Click to expand...

I made it 5 parts crushed coral 1 part portland and I rolled it out like a pizza. check out www.garf.org
 
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