Turkey Baster

[vito is hooked]

Battleing NITRATES First time useing turkey Baster on my live rock, WOW! What a mess! I cant believe my NITRATES are not any higher than 20! My Question is..How often should i do this, and once most of it is gone should my NITRATES drop a little? By the way..THANKS CAP.

[dileggi]

The nitrates should definitely drop as the matter is removed from the actual water column. Water changes will help a lot too to lower them.

As far as how often to do it, I'm not sure. What I normally do, and I have no idea if I'm right, is I do it once a week and then wait for all the "floaters" in the water to dissapate and then clean the filters out. If it looks like I need to do it more than once a week, then I'll do it as needed. But, as a rule of thumb, I go with once a week to play safe.

Also, maybe you can direct a power head towards the rocks? This may help to keep the stuff from settling on there.

[vito is hooked]

Great! I"ll wait till the dust clears(so to speak) do it again, clean overflow sponge and pre filter sponge. Redirect and add small power head. The NITRATE SAGA continues! THANKS Ohh, and add one more water change per week.

[Neptune420]

Is your LR fully cured? WHat is your bioload? With a good clean up crew and sufficient skimming, you should'nt need to do that.

[vito is hooked]

Added 7 more lbs live rock (full of coraline alge) about 7 weeks ago, Bio load..(L) blue hippo, (L) yellow tang, (L) French angel, Royal Grammer, Mandrin Goby, (7) Cleaner Shrimp, (2) Fire shrimp,(1) Coral Bandit, (1) Anemmone Crab, (1) Emerald Crab, (2) Sallys, (1) Spider Crab, (30) Blue Herms, (50) snails (all different kinds)...I tend to over feed a bit with brine shrimp cause its my mandrin Gobys main diet (some copepods....Just finished my REF waiting for Cheato and PODS (600) to be delivered tomorrow) Once Pods are here i can start weening HER off the brine, then no more over feeding. By the way, i have to over feed a little because of the 3 pigs who eat everything, and i use a feeding too! Main Goal right now is lowering NITRATES below 20. I got a small sea clone 100 skimmer clean cup every 3 or 4 days.

[seapug]

I do it daily for the first month or so when I first set up a tank and once every week or two on my mature tanks. Just be sure to rinse out/replace any sponges or mechanical filtration media after you do it. You'll notice there'll be less debris over time.

[an411]

I think I am going to try this I have never done the turkey baster on the live rock to clean out some of those areas makes sense though. This won't affect my fish that are in there will it

[vito is hooked]

My fish hid for about 10 seconds then my angel started picking at my forearm he is not afraid of nothing

[an411]

I am scared to see what is going to come off my rocks I feel like I should of done this a long time ago

[capn_hylinur]

I use the turkey baster once a week--very lightly on the sand bed and on the live rock.
If possible run a filter sock in your sump if you can and crank up the skimmer as much as you can when you do this and for about 24 hours after.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by dileggi
The nitrates should definitely drop as the matter is removed from the actual water column. Water changes will help a lot too to lower them.

As far as how often to do it, I'm not sure. What I normally do, and I have no idea if I'm right, is I do it once a week and then wait for all the "floaters" in the water to dissapate and then clean the filters out. If it looks like I need to do it more than once a week, then I'll do it as needed. But, as a rule of thumb, I go with once a week to play safe.

Also, maybe you can direct a power head towards the rocks? This may help to keep the stuff from settling on there.

actually once of month or so it is good to direct the power head behind the reef rock also--alot gets trapped down behind between the rock and the glass- usually where current can't reach

----as to current 20-40 times your tank volume---I would suggest using Korilias because they are turbulent flow so you get more of a broad fanning out of the blast rather then a straight narrow blast from power heads
this also makes them easy to direct a flow across the substrate without a snow storm

[vito is hooked]

Dont feel bad dude, i just did it for the first time in 1yr! All it can do is help! Take your time, little bit at a time. I just cleaned my sponges......WOW.....VITO 1.....NITRATES....19!

[vito is hooked]

Thanks CAP, I will keep an eye on my NITRATES along with my AMMONIA. NO change yet, ammonia 0 nitrates 20, but looking a little bit lighter. Going to order another Korilias, put in 2 small power heads for now.

[dileggi]

Originally posted by vito is hooked
Thanks CAP, I will keep an eye on my NITRATES along with my AMMONIA. NO change yet, ammonia 0 nitrates 20, but looking a little bit lighter. Going to order another Korilias, put in 2 small power heads for now.

Someone else may have a better or even tell if it's needed. I always keep a bottle of Amquel handy in case of any spikes from doing this. Obviously, I think the Amquel only neutralizes the toxins to make them non-toxic, but I always use it just in case. Although, I was told that it shouldn't affect any readings because even though you're stirring it up into the water column, the detrius on the rock is already in the water column and won't affect the nitrogen cycle. I was told the only "stirring" that would affect the nitrogen cycle was disturbing the sand bed.

Can anyone verify this?

----as to current 20-40 times your tank volume---I would suggest using Korilias because they are turbulent flow so you get more of a broad fanning out of the blast rather then a straight narrow blast from power heads

In addition to my power head from my sump, I've added 1 Koralia1.

I believe that with the Koralia1 and my power head from my sump, my total flow is 716. I know alot depends on what you're adding, but do you think more flow is needed?

[seapug]

Stirring the sandbed can cause problems if it's really deep (like 6"+) and you disturb the deep anaerobic zones and release hyrodgen sulfide. I have a 2-3 inch sandbed and take the baster to it once every so often with no problems. It's generally not much of a concern if you are only turning the top inch or so.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by dileggi
Someone else may have a better or even tell if it's needed. I always keep a bottle of Amquel handy in case of any spikes from doing this. Obviously, I think the Amquel only neutralizes the toxins to make them non-toxic, but I always use it just in case. Although, I was told that it shouldn't affect any readings because even though you're stirring it up into the water column, the detrius on the rock is already in the water column and won't affect the nitrogen cycle. I was told the only "stirring" that would affect the nitrogen cycle was disturbing the sand bed.

Can anyone verify this?

That is correct--the prime reason for lightly basting the rock and substrate is to get phosphates, nitrates, dissolved organics etc etc--back into the water column where ithey can be filtered out------this robs algae of their possible food sources.
If the live rock is doing its job it should not cause a spike of any sort.

[addicted4life]

I've always wanted more flow, can you really have too much ? If you have detrius on your sand/live rock you prob. need more flow. I started out with a red sea wavemaker with 4 maxi jets in a 75g. Then I upgraded to my 180G and have struggled to get enough flow. I finally got it where I want it. More is better when it comes to flow. IMO

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by addicted4life
I've always wanted more flow, can you really have too much ? If you have detrius on your sand/live rock you prob. need more flow. I started out with a red sea wavemaker with 4 maxi jets in a 75g. Then I upgraded to my 180G and have struggled to get enough flow. I finally got it where I want it. More is better when it comes to flow. IMO

More is better when it comes to flow in the tank--the limitation being the corals that you want to keep--lps like between 20 and 40 times the tank gal per hour. SPs keepers like alot more then that.
Where limitations of flow come are through the sump. The flow rates through a sump need only be 5-10 times the volume of the total water column per hour and or match the output of the skimmer--other wise unskimmed water is being returned to the main tank

[tmz]

Originally posted by seapug
I do it daily for the first month or so when I first set up a tank and once every week or two on my mature tanks. Just be sure to rinse out/replace any sponges or mechanical filtration media after you do it. You'll notice there'll be less debris over time.

My practice is similar.

[vito is hooked]

Thanks Big help