Removing detritus?

[justanotherfishhead]

Just curious if and how you try to remove detritus from your main tank? I've read that you should use a powerhead or turkey baster to try to blast detritus off your rocks during water changes - anyone do this? Or try to siphon it out as you change the water? Or if you have good flow and clean up crew you shouldn't have to do anything other than clean it from the sump?

 

[wontonflip]

I think sen stirs his sand a small portion at a time during water changes. An area just small enough that it won't cause any spikes. Eventually, all of the sand is clean as long as you keep up with the stirring.

 

[Bifferwine]

You should have good flow and a good CUC so that detritus build up is minimal in the first place. But in addition to that, using a turkey baster to suspend detritus while you do a water change is also a good way to suck some of the gunk out of the system.

 

[justanotherfishhead]

I think I will start doing that during my weekly water change. Thanks:)

 

[yote]

Use the baster to get the crud suspended just in front of you siphon so that you the majority of it out of the tank.
If your getting quiet a bit of detritus,add more flow to the tank.

 

[justanotherfishhead]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice as usual. Today I blew off all the rocks I could and stirred half the sand bed. There wasn't that much stuff so I think I have plenty of flow (I have four strong powerheads in the tank) and I've had this tank running only about 4 months.

I don't use a siphon from the main tank, I find it easier to just use a small bucket to empty the sump for my water changes. I have filter pads in the sump that catch all the detritus and I clean them out every week.

 

[FishyReef]

I had a really big problem with detritus on the bottom of my tank. However, after adding a few conch snails my tank bottom is so much better! I think its a combo between a decent number of detritovours in your cuc, good flow, and sand sifters.

 

[yote]

I had a really big problem with detritus on the bottom of my tank. However, after adding a few conch snails my tank bottom is so much better! I think its a combo between a decent number of detritovours in your cuc, good flow, and sand sifters.

Precisely.

 

[justanotherfishhead]

I got some more super tongan nassarius snails and I think they are supposed to eat detritus. I was thinking about the conchs too, and will pick up one or two of those when my LFS gets some.

 

[FishyReef]

I'd get 3 for your tank. I have 2 in my 90 and am thinking of adding 1 more.