Easiest way to clean tank

[twychopen]

I have some algae that is building up on my sand, I need to get something that stirs the sand up, but what is the easiest way to clean the sand without sand blowing all over my corals?

[Big_Pun]

where exactly in ur sadbed is, in front of tank side? what kind of algae?? how long has the tank is been setup?

[jrodriguez]

TRUE. I wish i new that too. i dnt remember a time that i even just slightly touching the sand, and not see any come up.

[twychopen]

on the top. Idk what kind it is.

[corruption]

Use a typical substrate/gravel filter, as like every other aspect of the hobby -- and use a turkey baster or similar to clean up afterwards. I've even gone so far as to use a small utility pump (small mini-jet of some sort) to blast everything clean after a water change.

-Justin

[carlinsa]

on the top. Idk what kind it is.



good thing cause if it were on the bottom of the sand you would have never seen it. and since you IDK the type maybe you could go as far as telling us a color or a DESCRIPTION of it casue that would help us out a lot to help you out. it could be caused from several things a dead spot( a area of water that gets very little to no flow), depending how long tank is set up could be from newly cycled tank.

like justin said turkey baster it out. if its on your rocks too use the pump to try to blow it off or a toothbrush to scrub it off.

[twychopen]

good thing cause if it were on the bottom of the sand you would have never seen it. and since you IDK the type maybe you could go as far as telling us a color or a DESCRIPTION of it casue that would help us out a lot to help you out. it could be caused from several things a dead spot( a area of water that gets very little to no flow), depending how long tank is set up could be from newly cycled tank.

like justin said turkey baster it out. if its on your rocks too use the pump to try to blow it off or a toothbrush to scrub it off.

I got a picture :) I am pretty positive that it is from dead spots but the return just blows so much water out! I can't point it directly at the ground or the sand gets sprayed everywhere constantly!

[corruption]

Looks like cyano... suck out as much as you can with a gravel filter, blow off the excess with a turkey baster, and clean up the sand from rock/coral with the same turkey baster. You'll want to add some more flow in there somewhere -- the problem with laminar flow is it really affects things in a straight line. Once you add some variation in there, you'll have to balance the speed and/or angles of everything to not cause so much chaos to get a sandstorm, but you'll find the balance... when you can see detritus and such having a difficult time findinig a place to rest in the tank, thats when you're where you want to be.

-Justin

[Big_Pun]

yup you need more water flow spread around the tank also looks like your tank is cycling is it a new setup, again things we need to know to help
1:amount of time tank has been setup
2:how old/type of lights
3:bioload
4: what equipment are you using pumps skimmers stuff like that
with we can give you better answers

[twychopen]

it has been 3 months, just a bunch of zoas/palys mushrooms and 4 small fish 1 shrimp.

Odysea 250w MH w vho actinics
Coralife super skimmer
GFO/CARBON reactor

[corruption]

Add some Koralias/Seios/Tunze Nano Streams/a Vortech pump in there -- you need more flow than your return and skimmer. At 3 months -- you're definitely still going through tank cycling... while the nitrogen cycle may have run its initial course, the tank is still maturing chemically and biologically -- there will be a lot of wax and wane for the next 6 months. Just keep up on the maintenance, and add some flow in there. I recommend a Vortech -- you've already got a sweet ADA tank, keep it as minimal as possible :)

Edit: Unrelated -- but what did the Amano Designs tank run you? I didn't know they were readily available stateside -- they sure are gorgeous. :)

-Justin

[Big_Pun]

ok easy fix add some more or divide up you return with locline, and above all sit back and "wait", your tank is cycling still so it will get uglier before it gets better. do reg water changes as it matures and then you can cut back a lil. but be patient all or tanks went thru this, so your ok

[corruption]

I'd still add more flow than you've got -- if you're only dealing with a return pump, a skimmer, and a reactor, you've not got nearly enough movement in your tank.. As long as the flow isn't straight-line laminar, you pretty much can't have too much movement in your tank -- within reason, of course. Koralias, Seios, Tunze Streams, and Vortechs will all give a nice wide, non-laminar flow pattern, that will cause a lot of random currents throughout the tank -- and will help to break up the flow from your other returning items as well.

The idea most people usually shoot for is as much turnover as the entire tank can stand, without blowing the substrate into the water column. The balance is usually pretty easy to find.

-Justin

[twychopen]

Edit: Unrelated -- but what did the Amano Designs tank run you? I didn't know they were readily available stateside -- they sure are gorgeous. :)

-Justin

There are only 2 places to get them in the US. San Diego and lucky for me Houston! it was 300.
http://www.adgshop.com/

[twychopen]

I'd still add more flow than you've got -- if you're only dealing with a return pump, a skimmer, and a reactor, you've not got nearly enough movement in your tank.. As long as the flow isn't straight-line laminar, you pretty much can't have too much movement in your tank -- within reason, of course. Koralias, Seios, Tunze Streams, and Vortechs will all give a nice wide, non-laminar flow pattern, that will cause a lot of random currents throughout the tank -- and will help to break up the flow from your other returning items as well.

The idea most people usually shoot for is as much turnover as the entire tank can stand, without blowing the substrate into the water column. The balance is usually pretty easy to find.

-Justin

Yeah I have 2 1/2" locline return "jets" coming in the pump. My pump is running around 350 gph so that is divided by 2 in 2 1/2" lines. It is pretty linear :/ I have them shooting off the glass but there isn't nearly enough current.

[Daniel]

What you have and what I saw was cyano starting on the substrate. More flow should help it alot. If you need something to stir the sand fighting conches are cute and do a great job.

[corruption]

That will be a constant source of cyano problems, even after the natural cycles take place within the tank. Depending how expensive and invasive in the tank you want to get, there's a huge range of options for movement of water. Assuming this is going in your ADA tank, I would really look at the Vortech MP10/MP20 -- would likely be all you really need to complete flow within the tank.. An MP10 would probably do the job, given the volume of the 75p, but an MP20 would probably be better suited. They're pricey, I know -- but they're pretty amazing little bits of hardware :)

-Justin

[twychopen]

is there something that eats that off the ground?

[corruption]

Not really -- a goby, a conch (make sure its reef safe!) and nassarius/cerith snails will help turn the sand bed, but they won't make the problem go away. The issue is that your tank is aging still, and will be for some time -- and on top of that, your flow is inadequate for your needs. Increase the flow before worrying about something that will eat it -- you need to do this anyway.

Edit: Cyano is not palatable to pretty much anything -- your chances of finding something that willfully consumes it are next to nil. Control is your only option -- and control is the key. You can never completely beat Cyanobacteria -- its not an algae, its a bacteria that is incredibly invasive and found in all walks of life -- not just aquariums.

-Justin

[copperband]

Also is you do well on keeping nitrates and low as possible the cyano will start to slow down because cyano feeds on nitrates so by keeping the nitrates down it will help
as for something to turn the sand i would recommend a sand sifting starfish

[twychopen]

Assuming this is going in your ADA tank, I would really look at the Vortech MP10/MP20 -- would likely be all you really need to complete flow within the tank.. An MP10 would probably do the job, given the volume of the 75p, but an MP20 would probably be better suited. They're pricey, I know -- but they're pretty amazing little bits of hardware :)

-Justin

Why would you recommend these and not a cheaper version? Is the quality that much better or just for the looks?

[corruption]

Simply put: there is no cheaper version of the Vortech. I was a non-believer as well -- until I got my first pump. If you're not familiar with the Vortech product line, read up on them... they're not just pumps... they're wave generation devices, with infinite adjustability on speed, pulse length, randomness, etc. There is not a product on the market that compares to them. You can do just fine going with the cheaper solution, don't get me wrong -- but it will take more pumps and more invasion in the tank to get what you want. If you have to add, say, 3 pumps to your tank -- you're already halfway to the purchase cost of an MP10.

Look up the product line, and some videos of what they can do -- you'll be impressed :)

Edit: as a clarification to my initial statement -- the other propeller pumps on the market do a great job of providing non-laminar flow, but there is not a single one that can achieve what the Vortech line can, with as little power draw as it can. The aesthetics of the pumps is much nicer for a show-type display, but their abilities and range is FAR more than this alone.

-Justin

[twychopen]

I have an open top tank, won't the waves crash out of the tank!?

[corruption]

Only if you tune it that high -- you're missing a big point here -- infinite adjustability. You can (and people do) run MP10's in 10 gallon aquariums -- they can be adjusted that low.

Also -- wave generation is not the only thing these do... you can run constant flow, you have 2 variable and random modes of operation, and 2 variable pulse modes for wave generation... you can do a LOT with one pump -- you're not stuck with one concept, by any means.

-Justin

[Daniel]

Why would you recommend these and not a cheaper version? Is the quality that much better or just for the looks?

If you want to spend the kind of money on a vortech for all the bells and whistles thats cool. But you could get away with just using a Korelia 2 or 3 for 45 bucks or so.

Daniel

[corruption]

It was pointed out that there are cheaper options than the Vortech -- but as a final point to this, I'll just say it as simple as I can think of...

Once you have true random current generation in your tank, you'll NEVER want to go back.

:)

-Justin

[twychopen]

Simply put: there is no cheaper version of the Vortech. I was a non-believer as well -- until I got my first pump. If you're not familiar with the Vortech product line, read up on them... they're not just pumps... they're wave generation devices, with infinite adjustability on speed, pulse length, randomness, etc. There is not a product on the market that compares to them. You can do just fine going with the cheaper solution, don't get me wrong -- but it will take more pumps and more invasion in the tank to get what you want. If you have to add, say, 3 pumps to your tank -- you're already halfway to the purchase cost of an MP10.

Look up the product line, and some videos of what they can do -- you'll be impressed :)

Edit: as a clarification to my initial statement -- the other propeller pumps on the market do a great job of providing non-laminar flow, but there is not a single one that can achieve what the Vortech line can, with as little power draw as it can. The aesthetics of the pumps is much nicer for a show-type display, but their abilities and range is FAR more than this alone.

-Justin

Where is the cheapest or best place to get the Vortech pumps?

[corruption]

They're price locked anywhere they're advertised -- you won't find the items for less than $195 (MP10), $280 (MP20) or $419 (MP40w) advertised anywhere. There are occasional vendors who will sell them for cheaper than this -- perhaps someone else will chime in with information as it relates to this. I don't know any vendors who will do this, so have no recommendations in that realm :)

They are worth every penny of the purchase price, even at full MSRP, IMO... Between the Tunze Wavebox, and Vortech pumps -- there's no need for me to ever get extremely invasive with pumps in a tank again :)

-Justin