tank cleaning - bad???

[m3rcury]

Hi,

So, about a month and a half ago I went on vacation for about 3 weeks. While I was gone, I had a local aquarium service company come over to check on things. While they did a great job, it was still 3 weeks without any attention and no sump ( I put everything on the back of the tank and drained the sump because I didn't trust the HoB overflow). So, it seems that a number of critters died - several hermit crabs, at least 1 large snail, etc. I'm just now discovering these things because my nitrates are high and I'm trying to bring them down.

While inspecting the tank, I'm seeing there is a LOT of detrius in the rockwork where there is little flow as well as covering the rocks themselves. There are also snail shells and other things that indicate dead organisms back in the rock work. My point is that there are a number of sources of nitrates that I can't easily get to.

This brings me to my question. I was considering taking my corals out of the tank, siphoning the sandbed, and generally giving the tank a good cleaning. However, someone told me this would be a terrible idea. So, I have several questions:

1) why is this a bad idea?
2) what should i do about the large amounts of detrius on the sand bed?
3) will the clean up crew take care of dead snails? if not, how worried should i be if i can't get to them?
4) aside from sump going again, macro algea, PUR-GEN, and good skimming, can i do anything else to lower nitrates and pollutants?


Thanks for your help.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Leave the bed alone except for the very top. However, you can remove the LR and give it a good shake out in a tub of tank temp SW to clean that. A powerhead to blow stuff off it in the tub also helps.

 

[rustybucket145]

Yeah, I would say blow it off or stir it up and let your skimmer remove it.

AND...... Drill a dang hole in your tank so you don't have to worry about the HOB overflow...

 

[papagimp]

If you were to syphon or "gravel vac" the sandbed, you'd be pulling out all the beneficial bacteria that we need in the sandbeds. Along with the chance of stirring up more nitrate causing detritus. As for the large amount of detritus on the sandbed right now, get a better sand sifting crew, some nassarius snails and whatnot. More flow in the tank. To lower the nitrates, well, besides what you already listed, just do a couple decent water changes for now and get that macro going again. Just a little FYI for ya, my tank stays pretty darn optimal as far as water quality goes, two days with my sump turned off and my tank is covered in cyno, diatoms, and misc. algae popping up. Along with very high nitrate and phosophate levels. Are tanks develop a nice little equilibrium as they mature. Turning a fuge off, or cutting the tank off from the macro algae will disturb this balance and potentially cause all sorts of havoc. Not to mention the change in flow from no return pump going.

Since you have such a small tank, depending upon the number of dead snails in question, I would try my hardest to get em out. Even if it means removing some rock/corals in the process. Better safe than sorry if you ask me. If you have enough bristleworms and other hitchikers in there, they may take care of it for you, but that would be a gamble I personally would not want to take.

 

[WaterKeeper]

I agree Adam. My own rule of thumb is never disturb the bed below the first ¼" of the top.

 

[m3rcury]

wow, thanks for the excellent tips.

the other question is: if i remove the LR to get the detrius off, most of the pieces have coral attached - some SPS and some softies. I assume this won't be a problem as long as I am extremely careful about matching water temp/salinity/etc between the bucket i use to rinse it off and the main tank?

i have a magnum HoB canister filter that i've used in the past as a water polisher and to suck up particulate when i start disturbing things. i figured i would take my LR out, rinse it off, try to CAREFULLy siphon off some of the detrius on the top of the sand, and then use the canister filter to pull out all the stuff i stir up in the process to keep it from just re-settling back in the tank.

btw - you are right that shutting my sump down really screwed things up. everything was in a beautiful balance before i left and now i feel like i'm fighting an uphill battle to get things back in equilibrium. i should definitely drill the tank, but that's a pretty big job on a tank that is already up and running. maybe i could use this as an excuse to get that new 120 gallon i've been eyeing

thanks again for all of the help

 

[WaterKeeper]

Sounds like a plan. :thumbsup: