streams with deco rock

[coolkidtr]

Hi Roger, just wondering how often the streams would need cleaning once hidden in the deco rock. I plan on keep the deco rock as high as possible so I can easily pull out the stream for cleaning. How do you clean the streams when you see them buried in the rock work? My new reef is 96*30*30 with an exernal overflow on th 30" side. Would a wave box work at the opposite end of the overflow or would it make too much noise? Would yourecommend the wavebox extension? My new tank will be a room divider so I planned on building the rock work in the corners and placing the 6100 streams in deco rock at the top pointing towards the front glass from each corner. I really wanted to add a wavebox. Where else would you recommend me adding any other streams other then the two 6100's in the corner?
Thanks
Tony

 

[rvitko]

Burying Streams in rockwork is a really bad idea. I suspect that is most of the ones that come in jammed into a solid rock by calcium. They need cleaning every 3 months if your calcium is above about 420ppm at a KH of 12+. Their are many variables here so adding magnesium and strontium supplements, high pH and high KH also play a role. If you don't use magnesium and strontium supplements, keep a KH of 10-12 at a calcium of 380 to 400 ppm (the same as NSW) you can go 6 months without problems but I have given up trying to convince people that 500ppm is not natural or desirable. At a KH of 12 you have already increased the bioavailability, NSW is 8, their is no need to go berserk on the other supplements. On a tank of that size one wavebox would not give a very big wave. The one side overflow will likely result in more noise though. In general when you pass 320 gallons we recommend an extension but many have found they are satisfied with the effect of one wavebox. The noise can be greatly reduced by using a durso pipe and almost eliminated if you cap the overflow with some of that egg crate mattress foam. It is a high density extruded foam they sell as a mattress topper. In my experience it doesn't grow any nasties when kept wet.

 

[coolkidtr]

Thanks Roger.