Blasting LR with PH or baster ?

[earlybird]

How often do you blast your rocks in your tank with a powerhead or with a turkey baster? How much does it cloud up your water?
I'm trying to get a resonable idea on how much detritus is building up in my tank and if I should be doing it more. I use a turkey baster and it clowds up my water for about 15 mins or so. I do it before a filter change about twice/week.

 

[perfectdark]

I usually blow my LR off with my PH about every other water change..Thats like every 2 weeks. And yea it clouds my water up for about 15 mins to a half hour.

 

[earlybird]

I'm wondering if I have excessive detritus build up in my tank. I couldn't imagine going every two weeks. Either that or I have some deader spots than others. I don't over feed though only what equals about 1/2 cube every other day.

 

[perfectdark]

For how many fish? I feed every 3 days and I alternate between flake food and frozen. When i feed frozen its about 3, 1/16" slices off the side of the cube of formula 1. THen I chop into bite size cubes, thats enough for 4 fish to feed on for about a minute. Frozen IMO has a much larger impact on your bioload so I only feed mine it like once a week. Well the store bought stuff anyway. The other times its flake, cyclops for corals and variety and my fish get some of that too. I do get quite a bit of gunk when i blow off the LR but not soo much it clouds my tank for hours. Maybe I'll increase it to every water change see if I notice a difference.

 

[earlybird]

I turn off my pumps when I feed my two false percs and shrimp. I pretty much spot feed with a syringe and nothing hits the ground that I can tell. I feed cyclops at least once/week and I can't be sure of what isn't eaten but I don't think I'm overfeeding it. Just dip the frozen bar in once or twice. I have zero phosphates, and 0-5 nitrates, and I have no algae except for 2 small bubble algae that have been there for a few months now. I haven't done anything with them b/c they aren't getting any bigger and they are difficult to reach.

 

[ags]

Never. I have never heard of doing this a part of regular maintenence. What is the benefit?

 

[earlybird]

To help any detritus that has settle on the bottom get back into the water column and into suspension so that the filters can pick it up.

 

[perfectdark]

Well as long as your trates are in check IMO sounds like everything is cool.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Well as long as your trates are in check IMO sounds like everything is cool.
I think so too but concerned about the accumulation getting in the way of coraline growth. I'm probably in the clear.