I wonder if my live rock tank is doing more harm than good

[cam78]

Ok, so thinking about it I'm wondering if this could turn bad. My 120 display drains from my upstairs into the basement which I have a large sump, a 55 gallon refugium and a 30 gallon live rock tank. In my live rock tank there is approximately 50-75 lbs. of live rock rubble. On top of the rubble I have larger pieces of live rock. This tank is fed by a Mag 18 which eventually overflows back into my sump which is filtered by a filter bag and the skimmer.
With the flow of the Mag 18 and a Tunze 1080 (I think) I am wondering if the lack of flow in the bottom portion of the live rock tank could be building up bad nutrients and/or Nitrates. The other day when doing a water change I blew a powerhead all through the live rock and noticed a decent amount of debris flying around. I then sucked it out utilizing the water change.
Think this an indication I need more flow inthe live rock tank? The flow on the top portion of the surface is fine. Maybe though the rubble is too small for waterflow to go through it. Think this might be a disaster waiting to happen? Thoughts, ideas, or any suggestions are welcomed. I do move the Tunze powerhead around from time to time just to get a different flow.

 

[spanko]

IMO yes if detritus is accumulating to the point you say it is then without a way to remove the resulting nitrate from the water volume this is a concern. Additional flow to keep detritus suspended and available to be removed via other mechanical filtration is definitely needed here if you do not plan to change the system drastically. What you have described is in my mind no different than using biomedia as filtration with the exception of a lack of method to "clean" the media., (read rocks here)

 

[reefraff]

I'd clean the rubble and make sure you are drawing the water into the rock tank downstream from the skimmer if you aren't already. If it were mine I would tear it apart and set it up with a reverse undergravel filter so water will circulate up though the rubble. I'd also throw some of those electric blue hermit crabs in there. Maybe you get lucky and they breed LOL!

 

[cam78]

What if I prop up the live rock using egg crate on stilts maybe. then have powerhead flow go underneath and back up?

 

[flower]

I had a simular problem...I had a spray bar vertically so it blew across all the rock in the back of my tank.
You could try this:
I'm sure with how handy you are you could attach a spray bar to your power heads..that way you have flow throughot instead of just a jet stream.
You might also remove the rubble rock and only have larger pieces of rock in the tank. This way you elimiate the Crusched Coral effect, and will have a nice waterflow streaming through the rocks using the spray bar.
It's only an idea, I'm just trying to help.

 

[cam78]

If I take the rubble out is there anything else I could do with it? Ideas?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by CAM78 http:///forum/thread/383680/i-wonder-if-my-live-rock-tank-is-doing-more-harm-than-good#post_3357607
If I take the rubble out is there anything else I could do with it? Ideas?

Foam rock wall material....Or create someting for the tank using the rubble rock and foam..If it's just in the way you can send it to me.

 

[spanko]

Rock rubble pile is a great place for copepods to live and procreate. Really small pcs. in piles.

 

[2quills]

Hey, CAM. I forget...does the rock tank have sand in it or no? Perhaps you can add a filter sock to the drain water coming into the rock tank as well as a power head or two. The mag feeds the rock tank first and then drains to the fuge and on to the sump, correct?

 

[cam78]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/383680/i-wonder-if-my-live-rock-tank-is-doing-more-harm-than-good#post_3357679
Hey, CAM. I forget...does the rock tank have sand in it or no? Perhaps you can add a filter sock to the drain water coming into the rock tank as well as a power head or two. The mag feeds the rock tank first and then drains to the fuge and on to the sump, correct?
The mag feeds from the sump to a refuge and Live rock tank. It is a split line. Then it drains through a filter sock back into the sump where the skimmer is located as well. What are your thoughts quills?
Oh yeah, No sand in the rock tank.

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by spanko http:///forum/thread/383680/i-wonder-if-my-live-rock-tank-is-doing-more-harm-than-good#post_3357545
IMO yes if detritus is accumulating to the point you say it is then without a way to remove the resulting nitrate from the water volume this is a concern. Additional flow to keep detritus suspended and available to be removed via other mechanical filtration is definitely needed here if you do not plan to change the system drastically. What you have described is in my mind no different than using biomedia as filtration with the exception of a lack of method to "clean" the media., (read rocks here)
Agree with Henry!!!!! If your going to dump raw DT water into the LR tank, why not put a filter sock on the drain line to filter it out before it hits the LR???

 

[cam78]

Well its not really raw display water. This water is pumped from the sump which is water dumped from the display into a filter sock. The LR tank also dumps into the sump which is ALSO filtered with a filter sock. The skimmer is also drawing water out of the sump. So in essence the water going into the LR tank is filtered. Then filtered again when it dumps back into sump
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/383680/i-wonder-if-my-live-rock-tank-is-doing-more-harm-than-good#post_3358074
Quote:
Originally Posted by spanko http:///forum/thread/383680/i-wonder-if-my-live-rock-tank-is-doing-more-harm-than-good#post_3357545
IMO yes if detritus is accumulating to the point you say it is then without a way to remove the resulting nitrate from the water volume this is a concern. Additional flow to keep detritus suspended and available to be removed via other mechanical filtration is definitely needed here if you do not plan to change the system drastically. What you have described is in my mind no different than using biomedia as filtration with the exception of a lack of method to "clean" the media., (read rocks here)
Agree with Henry!!!!! If your going to dump raw DT water into the LR tank, why not put a filter sock on the drain line to filter it out before it hits the LR???