turkey baster rock cleaning

[cajonez]

Recently my nitrates have started to creep up on me so I was doing some research on ways to get them down. I read somewhere to use a turkey baster and blow the built up detritus off the LR. I assume the point of this would be to get it into the water column and then filter/skim it out. I figured I would give it a try and after I did I wondered if it would actually do any good or just further distribute the same waste around.
Does anyone do this? Thoughts?

 

[gio28]

i've done this before. i usually did a WC right after to remove some of the gunk floating around. i would suggest more flow if detritus is building up on your LR.

 

[jaodissa]

I do this on the rocks and sand in the areas that get lower flow every time I feed the fish. I dont know if I really need to but why not my hands are already wet the basters in the water..

 

[spanko]

Anything that will help to get detritus into the water column just before a water change or in general so it goes out the overflow into the mechanical filtration for removal is a good thing. Also detritus is good coral food so when it is suspended the coral also get some. Remember it is one thing to remove nitrate from the system, it is also a better thing to remove detritus before it has a chance to break down and become ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.

 

[chub]

I use a baster to clean rock and some areas of sand, But I dont have a filter just a skimmer, Should I add a filter? I do have 10g one its small for my 55g.

 

[jaodissa]

I was not going to put a filter on my 40 gallon but figured that any extra help filtering I could get why pass up on. I would guess esp. with a smaller gallon tank you would also want as much filter as possible in case something happens.

 

[cajonez]

My 2 powerheads + return from filter give me about 1450gph in my 55g. I don't think that flow rate is my problem. I just got lazy with my maintenance since my params were good for so long. Then I noticed a patch of hair algea and knew I had a problem. As long as I can stop them from getting worse I will be able to slowly bring them down.

 

[browniebuck]

I am sure that most of us are assuming this, but I will put it out there to save someone....make sure that the turkey baster is only used for the aquarium...don't wash it, just rinse it out after use. If you were to wash it, you could end up putting small amounts of soap into your aquarium. I bought one specifically for my aquariums...

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by browniebuck
http:///forum/post/3150800
I am sure that most of us are assuming this, but I will put it out there to save someone....make sure that the turkey baster is only used for the aquarium...don't wash it, just rinse it out after use. If you were to wash it, you could end up putting small amounts of soap into your aquarium. I bought one specifically for my aquariums...

 

[flower]

I have a book that recommends doing the turkey baster blast...according to the book .. in the ocean there are storms that causes big turbulence underwater, it stirs stuff up off the rocks. Using a turkey baster does the same thing. It recommended donig this once a month.

 

[spanko]

To really keep it clean do it at every water change.
JMO

 

[shrimpy brains]

I do similar, only I use a small powerhead. Just before wc, I scrape/clean glass, then drop in ph and aim it at each side of each rock. Then proceed with wc. What I don't get out, as Spanko said, feeds corals!!