Maintenance ?

[Nonuser]

Questions regarding maintenance:

Do you clean your sump? if so how often? if not why?

How frequently do you change your filter socks?


How frequently do you clean your skimmer?

How frequently do you Do water changes and percentage of tank volume?

How frequently do you test water parameters?

if you use media, do you clean and how?

 

[Quartapound]

No sump cleaning usually, because of the filter sock. I don't replace filter socks often enough, BRS just had a good video about how often was necessary to lower nitrates.
Probably do mine once a week. Huge socks so they dont clog and easy to turn inside out for cleaning.

Totally depends on bioload for the skimmer... I dream of making a skimmer neck cleaner and a skimmate reservoir and forgetting about it completely. I clean the cup maybe twice a week.

Testing depends on how the tank is doing. Once I have things dialed in I'll let it go for a month or so. Last problem I had was my Ca doser line was losing it's siphon, and wouldn't reach the tank before the timer stopped. This resulted in CA levels dropping and Alk levels going super high because it wasn't being consumed (because the Ca was too low). Got to 10.8 before I caught it.

I try to test once every 2 weeks.

Currently setting up a huge chaeto growing area with grow LEDS to suck nutrients from the water.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[Nonuser]

I saw the BRS video as well and twice a week is optimal based on their tests for Filter socks.

I have kind of refugium and wondered about cleaning and also have ceramic media and they could possible leech nitrates if not cleaned enough, I assume.

I have a new Skimmer because of the old one had to be torn down every week and cleaned or it would stop working.

Chaetos are impossible for me to grow, I have other macro algae growing in the refugium but cheatos just disappear. I have a light on the sump for 12 hours a day using a Innovative Marine 18 Watt Skkye Light Clamp LED Light. I have good flow in the sump.

 

[Letsdiscus]

Do you clean your sump? if so how often? if not why?- I shop vac once in 2 weeks. Got to get down starting to do it again on my new 70 gallon..

How frequently do you change your filter socks?- stopped using them since its a hassel to keep them clean


How frequently do you clean your skimmer?- neck cleaning once a week. full skimmmer including pump once in 6months with vinegar soak

How frequently do you Do water changes and percentage of tank volume?- depends on bio load. i am more liberal in feeding my fishes so try to do it once in 2-3 weeks around 10 gallons. current shop vac is only 5 gallons so have to repeat the iterations. would eventually buy a 10 -12 gallon vac to do the job.

How frequently do you test water parameters?- since neptune doser in place one year now, have been lazy to check weekly... but mostly once in 15 days. as long as corals look happy. i however have to be on top of my magnesium dosing as i do this manually still for lack of additional doser pump.

if you use media, do you clean and how?- just started using the 4 inc Marine pure block which sits in my refugium in the sump. plan to plumb the spectrapure carbon n gfo reactor soon once i find some time..

hope this helps...

 

[Nonuser]

Do you clean your sump? if so how often? if not why?- I shop vac once in 2 weeks. Got to get down starting to do it again on my new 70 gallon..

How frequently do you change your filter socks?- stopped using them since its a hassel to keep them clean


How frequently do you clean your skimmer?- neck cleaning once a week. full skimmmer including pump once in 6months with vinegar soak

How frequently do you Do water changes and percentage of tank volume?- depends on bio load. i am more liberal in feeding my fishes so try to do it once in 2-3 weeks around 10 gallons. current shop vac is only 5 gallons so have to repeat the iterations. would eventually buy a 10 -12 gallon vac to do the job.

How frequently do you test water parameters?- since neptune doser in place one year now, have been lazy to check weekly... but mostly once in 15 days. as long as corals look happy. i however have to be on top of my magnesium dosing as i do this manually still for lack of additional doser pump.

if you use media, do you clean and how?- just started using the 4 inc Marine pure block which sits in my refugium in the sump. plan to plumb the spectrapure carbon n gfo reactor soon once i find some time..

hope this helps...

Great reply

 

[EricTMah]

Do you clean your sump? if so how often? if not why?
One every 6 months to a year. I use filter socks all the time and the sump doesn't really get dirty

How frequently do you change your filter socks?
Once a week


How frequently do you clean your skimmer?
Once a week

How frequently do you Do water changes and percentage of tank volume?
Once a week. About 5% wc

How frequently do you test water parameters?
Whenever i suspect something isn't right. Last time was over 6 months ago

if you use media, do you clean and how?
Carbon changed every two weeks. Use a fuge and mangroves to take care of the rest

 

[Nonuser]

ATO containers does everyone have them covered or open. I cleaned mine last week a 7 gallon cube tank and it had a slime film. It open so I figure dust and stuff get in the water.

 

[Letsdiscus]

ATO containers does everyone have them covered or open. I cleaned mine last week a 7 gallon cube tank and it had a slime film. It open so I figure dust and stuff get in the water.

Just cover with some plastic coated perforated sheet. U get those in Home depot.. will help from dust, light from underneath your tank stand and also save on evaporation..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EricTMah]

I run my ato covered

S8

 

[Josh]

Ive heard of people putting a small airline and do a bubbler inside to keep things moving to cut down on the slime and growth you get. Not sure how well that works just seen a few DIY ATO's that have air lines in them to keep the water from getting stale. Others use small powerheads on timers as well.

 

[Kman]

The bubbler would only work if you don't add kalk for top up water. The CO2 in the air will make the kalk fall out of solution and make it unusable. Even then I have never added moment to my top up water when i didn't add kalk to it.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Questions regarding maintenance:

Do you clean your sump? if so how often? if not why?

How frequently do you change your filter socks?


How frequently do you clean your skimmer?

How frequently do you Do water changes and percentage of tank volume?

How frequently do you test water parameters?

if you use media, do you clean and how?

sump: never clean
Filter socks: when they overflow
Skimmer: Cup when I empty it, rest of it never
Water changes: 5 gal a day every day, 150gal total volume
Testing: Havevn't for years, but know what I need to do to maintain stable params.
Media: GFO and Carbon, changed out once a month.

 

[Nonuser]

Frequency of replacing heaters? Two under watt ones or just one proper wattage.

Great answers, thanks

 

[EricTMah]

Frequency of replacing heaters? Two under watt ones or just one proper wattage.

Great answers, thanks

I replace them as they burn out. I run 3 X 300w heaters in 220 total water volume controller by my apex