Preventing live rock time bomb
- Thread starter iwishtofish
- Start date
iwishtofish
Active member
serpentman, thanks for the advice. I'll have to be creative with the powerheads I have to try to create random flow.
I think I might try mixing carbon and GFO in my TLF reactor - If someone tells me that's a bad idea, I guess I'll get a second reactor.
bolo7735, I appreciate the heads-up on feeding. One of several mistakes I made with my first tank, I'm sure!
Daniel Reef
New member
I read another thread a day or two ago where someone recommending not mixing GFO and carbon because the different media require different flows. I don't have any personal experience with that, though.
Daniel Reef
New member
Here's the thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1758956
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1758956
iwishtofish
Active member
iwishtofish
Active member
I'm resurrecting this thread because I'm curious to see if anyone in the meantime has had trouble with keeping detritus out of particularly "porous" dry rock. I'm so concerned about it that I'm considering selling this rock, and starting with rock that has a lot less holes. I'm really skeptical that even a tsunami in the tank would keep crap out of this rock...
Anyone have an opinion based on experience with dry rock?
Anyone have an opinion based on experience with dry rock?
RVANANO
SWAGON
The newer vortechs have nutrient export mode. Which rapidly speeds up and slows down the pump from 0-100% intensity really quick. This is supposed be done prior to water changes to help stir everything up.
I haven't used tried this with mine yet as I believe you need 2 for it to work properly. I only have one MP40ES. I use the turkey baster method as well. I even use it to stir up the detritus in my sand once a month to prevent a major buildup of waste. Then I run my skimmer a little wet for a few hours afterwards.
In addition, I placed my rock more in the middle of the tank (front-back) in order to allow more flow and less dead spots.
I haven't used tried this with mine yet as I believe you need 2 for it to work properly. I only have one MP40ES. I use the turkey baster method as well. I even use it to stir up the detritus in my sand once a month to prevent a major buildup of waste. Then I run my skimmer a little wet for a few hours afterwards.
In addition, I placed my rock more in the middle of the tank (front-back) in order to allow more flow and less dead spots.
Uncle Salty 05
New member
I learned a long time ago that no mater how much flow you have that right before a water change it is good to take a big powerhead in the 700 GPH range and blast everthing from every possible angle.
Then shut off all pumps and let things settle, then siphon it all out as you do your WC.
Then shut off all pumps and let things settle, then siphon it all out as you do your WC.
turbosek
New member
I have 2 MP 40s....one on each end. I also added 2 MP10s on the lower back of the tank to keep stuff off the bottom/back. They run at 50% to keep from blowing sand away. I also drilled my rock and ran acrylic rods to make aqua scape. This allowed me to have very few "points of contact" for the rock on the sand...allows more flow on the bottom.
iwishtofish
Active member
DJ, no wave timer. Tank is not yet running. Just going to be maybe two older K4s and one or two older K3s in a 75-gallon.
RVANANO, I'd love to get a Vortech someday. Can't yet see that day.
Uncle Salty, if I keep this rock, I'll almost certainly have to do the powerhead-blasting trick. I'm just concerned it might aggravate the heck out of my corals.
turbosek, I'll try to arrange the rock wisely. Thanks for the tip. As for Vortech, see above!
(I've spent most of my available $$).
Anyone have any problems with this specific rock, long-term, that can't be easily remedied with the above suggestions?
RVANANO, I'd love to get a Vortech someday. Can't yet see that day.
Uncle Salty, if I keep this rock, I'll almost certainly have to do the powerhead-blasting trick. I'm just concerned it might aggravate the heck out of my corals.
turbosek, I'll try to arrange the rock wisely. Thanks for the tip. As for Vortech, see above!
(I've spent most of my available $$).Anyone have any problems with this specific rock, long-term, that can't be easily remedied with the above suggestions?
SushiGirl
Premium Member
I always just used a mini 404 before a water change. Works like a charm.
DJ, no wave timer. Tank is not yet running. Just going to be maybe two older K4s and one or two older K3s in a 75-gallon.
RVANANO, I'd love to get a Vortech someday. Can't yet see that day.
Uncle Salty, if I keep this rock, I'll almost certainly have to do the powerhead-blasting trick. I'm just concerned it might aggravate the heck out of my corals.
turbosek, I'll try to arrange the rock wisely. Thanks for the tip. As for Vortech, see above!
Anyone have any problems with this specific rock, long-term, that can't be easily remedied with the above suggestions?
Wave timers do help. One of the biggest flow issues I've encountered is when the system powerheads run continuously. The problem with that is sediment gets pushed into the rock and can't escape. Laminar flow pushes the crud deep into the crevices of the rock and literally holds it in there. The only real passive solution to this is to create brief periods of 'no' flow to allow the sediment to billow up out of the rock and re-enter the bulk water where it can swept into the intake of your filter. To test this simply turn off all water pumping mechanisms simultaneously and wait a minute, or two. The natural bouyancy of the flocculants will allow them to release from the rock a little at a time. When the pumps kick back on the sediment is blown all over becoming both food and filter fodder.
DJ
iwishtofish
Active member
DJ, I've never heard it put that way - makes perfect sense. It sounds like I would have to buy new powerheads to achieve that effect, though. All I have in stock are older Koralia 3s and 4s. I don't believe they are controllable.
The holes in my rock go deep, and often you can see light at the other end of a hole. I may try getting a long drill bit and drilling through the rock at different angles; the goal would be to create "bottomless pits," so the detritus can't accumulate as much.
Thanks for your tip!
RyanSweatt2004
New member
Choosing a good random flow pattern with food power heads and a wave maker will take care of detritus buildup on the sand, for those deep holes and crevices do like I did and spend a couple bucks on a cheap turkey baster at your local walmart. Its perfect for storming the tank by blowing out all the detritus that settles on and inside the rock. I do it just before my weekly water change and doesn't cost more than a couple dollars.
SaraB
Coral Killer
I have very similar rock to yours and it won't be used in the next tank as so much of everything settles in those holes. If you keep it, you'll need to take a powerhead or a turkey baster and blast out the settled items a couple times a month. I have a 268G tank with 2 surges, 2 MP40's and a 6100 Tunze and I still have issues
iwishtofish
Active member
Thanks, everyone, for the recent comments.
SaraB, I appreciate your candid warning. Don't like to hear it, but appreciate it!
SaraB, I appreciate your candid warning. Don't like to hear it, but appreciate it!
sirbiggstixx
New member
may sound crazy..but i run two modded 600 maxijets in a 30 gallon..i have the same brs rock as well..i really like..coraline looks good on it and coral frags are easy to work with in them..but personally as long as you set it up to wear you can siphon as much around the rocks and also blow everything with a baster you will be fine..and i would use both k4s and also add the k3 maybe shooting off the back glass kicking stuff up to be skimmed..good luck..
