BB detritus Q...

[fishboy19]

Is there anyway to siphon the detritus from the tank without having to do constant water changes? I do water changes once a week anyway, I just went BB and my rocks are losing detritus like crazy...but I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to afford the continuous salt/water change cost. Can I use a filter sock or something to just catch the detritus and return the same water to the tank?

Thanks everyone!

-Matthew

[jsweir]

Lots of us use a sock - just change it right away so it doesn't help it dissolve in the water.

[FastFish720]

Yes you can use a filter sock, siphon everything into bucket with the sock on the end. Then dump back in the water.

[jsweir]

I leave the sock in my sump, that way you don't have to do the bucket method.

[fishboy19]

Thanks everyone!

Where and what type of filter sock should I get?

-Matthew

[jsweir]

These are the ones I get.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=EA1351

[Leviathan]

Originally posted by jsweir
I leave the sock in my sump, that way you don't have to do the bucket method.

LOL,

Just when you think your the only one doing something!

Its easy to do it like this, I siphon like this at least once a week.

Also every two weeks I do a W/C and siphon.

I have been BB for a few months now, there is not near as much detritus now week to week, as there was in the beginning.

Chris

[minus_13]

You know, when I first started up my BB tank, I only had a 900 gallon return running for circulation. Then I got two SEIO 1500s for my 90, let the return run as a spray bar, and I got detritus in the sump, and not even a pinch in the main display. So for a while, I would just turn off the return, suck out all the water and detritus from the sump with a shop vac (I love my shop vac) and that would be my water change.

Then, I went and bought ten of those filter socks from marine depot. I put that on the overflow and I can change it out as often as I like. No more detritus... anywhere. I really don't do water changes now. Wet skimming does the water change for me. I just keep an eye on my salinity and adjust accordingly.

My point is, if you have detritus in your main display with a BB system, you either have a very large tank, too little flow, or your rockwork is not ideally situated.

[Bomber]

Matthew, how are you siphoning?

I use a 1/2" vinyl hose that I stuck about 12" of rigid PVC on the end of it. I vacuum a spot --- pinch the hose - move on to another spot.

My tank is 10ft long and I barely use 3-4 gals and that's the whole thing, sump and all.

[fishboy19]

hmm, I was using a power head in the middle of two pieces of vinyl tubing...I was hoping the suction would pull some of the detritus out from under the rocks...but it pulls 5 gallons in no time...now that everyone is explaining these VERY SIMPLE AND OBVIOUS ideas....I feel really dumb! lol (no insult meant by the caps, just to emphasize that I should have been able to figure that stuff out myself lol)

-Matthew

[surfy]

I run a filter sock in my sump to catch everything from the drain.
When ever I have a chance, I use a powerhead to blow off the rocks and push any leftover sand and detritus sitting on the bottom to one corner.
I then use 1/2" hose to siphon it out into a bucket. I then carefully dump the water in the bucket into my overflow box (it's external) to strain out whatever makes it out of the bucket. This way I don't have to exchange the siphoned water with new evertime I need to siphon crud out.
After the water clears I exchange filter socks.

I do this once a week and a 20% water change every two weeks.

Whenever I do my water changes I siphon out my overflow box (I use durso stand pipes) and my sump.

[just dave]

Look at the Tidewater felt bag holder . You could hang this in your sump and siphon into it or use it for your drains or do both.

[mikester]

I use these filter socks:

http://www.filterbag.com/items/PONG100P3P.html

To hold them in the sump, I picked up a plastic measuring cup from the dollar store and cut out the bottom. The filter sock goes through the cup and the plastic ring fits snugly against the bottom of the measuring cup, and then I hang it on the side of the sump using the handle.

[aquajon]

would cooking the live rock,, help eliminate the build ups?
i just went bare bottom this past weekend and pulled all the rock out and have it in 2 big tubs with 4 power heads moving water around and on the bottom of both tubs there is lots of accumlation.... my fish seem to like all my corals sitting up high on a one level rack....