Tank Cleaning?

[Scooterman]

How often do you clean your tank? Is there a system you use to determine when it needs it or do you just jump in and do it when it gets too bad? ainkiller: :deadhorse:

 

[mcoomer]

Can you still see your fish? If so you're good for at least another month.

 

[mojoreef]

:becky: mcommer isnt that they way it really is. I have been keeping tanks for decades and I am no better then when I first started when it comes to cleaning. Always leave it until it gets so bad and then do a biggen. Right now I have so much corraline of my glass I can barely see into the damm thing.

Mojo

 

[Krish]

I cleaned atleast once a week and never missed a beat. If I'm feeling good sometimes twice a week. Typically it consited of a 10-15% water change, carbon every 2 weeks, phosban media evert 2 months and never clean any sponges because I don't use them. Not even on my pumps.

 

[Scooterman]

I'm fixing to get an small cube tank, I think I can do about 80% WC once a month and keep it clean, think that will work?

 

[dtd87]

I do a weekly 15% wc, and clean out the skimmer. I've sluffed lately though because I can't stand for to long. But I usually do a weekly cleaning.

 

[Krish]

Another thing is I run bare bottom tanks with tons of flow so that is part of my maintenance without getting my hands wet. You keep everything in suspension to be filtered out and a lot less to do during water changes. I know for me, I didn't have much vaccuming to do at all. I'd get usually just one spot where the detritus would settle that I could vaccum up, but apart from that, the floor of the tank stayed clean so a water change was basically sucking old water out and putting new water in.

 

[DonW]

I cleaned atleast once a week and never missed a beat. If I'm feeling good sometimes twice a week. Typically it consited of a 10-15% water change, carbon every 2 weeks, phosban media evert 2 months and never clean any sponges because I don't use them. Not even on my pumps.

Yes but you have ocd. Clean it only when company is comming over that way in the mean time all the algae on the glass is just more nutrient export.

Don

 

[Krish]

Yes but you have ocd. Clean it only when company is comming over that way in the mean time all the algae on the glass is just more nutrient export.

Don

Aren't you the same guy that use to change 100% of your water over the course of a week?

 

[CarlaW]

:becky: mcommer isnt that they way it really is. I have been keeping tanks for decades and I am no better then when I first started when it comes to cleaning. Always leave it until it gets so bad and then do a biggen. Right now I have so much corraline of my glass I can barely see into the damm thing.

Mojo

Amen Brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Usually takes me about an hour to get to the point where the coralline is gone, then I get to the glass cleaners.

 

[Scooterman]

Amen Brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Usually takes me about an hour to get to the point where the coralline is gone, then I get to the glass cleaners.

Charlie what do you use to get the coralline off the glass?

 

[CarlaW]

razor blades

 

[ReefLogic]

:deadhorse:

I am sorry for this off topic post here but that emoticon is awesome.

 

[mfinn]

How often do you clean your tank? Is there a system you use to determine when it needs it or do you just jump in and do it when it gets too bad? ainkiller: :deadhorse:

I do my water changes every 2 weeks without fail. Almost always on Sunday's.
Been doing it that often for 20 years+.
I do have to clean the front glass usually once a week.

 

[Krish]

Been doing it that often for 20 years+.

So you really are as old as you say Martin??


What about sumps??? How often do you guys get in there and given them a cleaning or do you just close the cabinet doors and out of sight out of mind till you have a problem? I got in there every week as well. Alot of waste settled in the bottom of mine because I don't like filter socks etc so I just get in there and clean it out as well.

 

[mfinn]

So you really are as old as you say Martin??


What about sumps??? How often do you guys get in there and given them a cleaning or do you just close the cabinet doors and out of sight out of mind till you have a problem? I got in there every week as well. Alot of waste settled in the bottom of mine because I don't like filter socks etc so I just get in there and clean it out as well.

Got the grey hair/beard thing down pretty well.:mmph::crutch:


When I do my water changes, I vaccum out the sump where I can.

 

[CarlaW]

So you really are as old as you say Martin??


What about sumps??? How often do you guys get in there and given them a cleaning or do you just close the cabinet doors and out of sight out of mind till you have a problem? I got in there every week as well. Alot of waste settled in the bottom of mine because I don't like filter socks etc so I just get in there and clean it out as well.

We are sposed to clean the sump too????

Damn, now you are asking a bunch

 

[mojoreef]

Oh man, I am feeling guilty now :scared: . Ok cleaning was once every six months or so and just putting on a sock and then cranking up the 8500gph pump to stir things up so the sock could catch it. On the water changes....well....... the longest I ever went with out one was about 6 years?? :faint:

But to be honest I have never been a fan of them, I perfered the skim it, burn it, nuke it kind of method to keeping the water clean.

Mojo

 

[CarlaW]

OK............................... I don't feel so bad now:bounce::bounce:

 

[ReefLogic]

wait....are we supposed to clean our tanks too? Geez....all joking aside I follow Don's mentality here....only really clean when people are coming over....as for water changes.....I went, on several occasions, 6 months or more without one. Seems like my reef did better the less I did changes. I dunno...