What is your tank maintenance routine?

snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
What's your routine?
Daily - I feed the fish and observe the tank/corals... make sure the lights are on and that nothing is "off". I have also been dosing .5oz of calcium and alkalinity every day.
Weekly - water change on Sunday if I think about it - about 20%. Wash the filters and top off the RO ATO reservoir.
Monthly - Full range test all the water parameters, clean off pumps - make sure the phosban reactor is running and prune the chaeto and halimeda. Change the carbon media
Three months - replace the fuge lights.
Six months - Change phosban media (yeah, I know it says every 3.) Total tank assessment. 50% water change... gravel vac top 1" of sand.
Year - Replace light bulbs and any other equipment that needs to be replaced.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
HUH?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391599/not-happy-with-my-tank#post_3473798
I don't know of too many people who are truly happy with their tanks, but I am unhappy.
I am having problems with it and I can not figure it out.
1. Microbubbles are entering the display tank somehow through my return plumbing and I can not figure out where.
2. I don't like my current fish, but my wife doesn't want to exchange them.
3. Practically every coral I have put in there has died or done poorly.
4. The lighting spectrum sucks. Its too blue and makes it look washed out to me.
5. Brown algae is starting to form on everything because of my neglect as well as lack of water changes and increased feeding to save my montipora which is now completely bleached.
No nitrates, no phosphates, alk and ca are a little low. Temp hovers around 81-82. I use instant ocean salt and did a water change two weeks ago. I use rodi water. Blah blah blah. Ask me anything. I think it might be something that inadvertently gotten into the tank somehow.
I'm about to throw in the towel on this one and upgrade to a 55g with metal halides. I'm jus sick of my corals not thriving.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Here's my routine:

  • Feed the seahorses every other day and give the leftovers to my DT

  • Do water changes and maintain filters when my hands heal. This happens every 3 weeks approximately. I do a good cleaning of the glass during this time.

  • Empty skimmer cup every 3-4 days.
    Clean skimmer once a month.
    Once a week do a good feeding of DT.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Okay, I will play along.
Here is what I do:
Feed each day, DT and QT (when housing a new addition). I do a fish count each day and check all pumps, skimmer, and ATO are working properly.
Clean the glass 3-4 times per week.
Empty the skimmer cup every 4-5 days, then clean the cup every other time.
Weekly water changes (15g) about 10% total water volume (Aquavitro Salinity). I have had to do every other day 50% WC's on the QT.
Change out the filter floss in media box 1 time per week (its kinda like a filter sock but contained in a box that the drain line goes to). I am thinking I may need to change out 2x per week. I use batting from the fabric store cut to length of the box, 2 sheets folded over each other.
Change out Carbon and GFO 1 time per month... I need to get better at this. I may just use a dry erase marker and put the date changed on the BRS dual reactors.
Every couple of months I will soak the powerheads in vinegar run for a half a day and then clean out real good. I should add the skimmer to the list as well. It has been 6+ months and I have not cleaned the whole thing.
I took my algae scrubber off line a few weeks ago and replaced with Cheato, but I have not had to prune that yet.
Well there is my routines. I am interested to see what everyone else does to see if I can pick up any "best practices".
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
well my tank is still mostly empty so there isnt much to do with it right now but it goes something like this
check skimmer everyday- clean as needed
feed fish daily
check algae screen daily- clean as needed
inspect my corals for any signs of stress (aka observe tank)
change water bi-weekly 30%
spot siphon any cyano I can every couple days.
test randomly dose anything that may be needed. so far nothing in this incarnation of the tank except some alk.
clean glass on lights once a week
clean powerhead screens as needed
scrape glass every 2-3 days
wipe down outside of tank daily.
wish there was more to do on the tank at the moment.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
I was just seeing a contradiction in what you posted in the other thread"....Brown algae is starting to form on everything because of my neglect as well as lack of water changes" and what you posted in this thread about what your maintenance schedule is.
Here is mine.
AM Dose 1 ml of vodka vinegar mixture. 10 mils each of B-Ionic 2 part calcium and alkalinity supplement. Feed the coral Coral Frenzy. Check skimmer cup empty as required. Change filter floss.
PM Dose 1 ml of vodka vinegar mixture. Feed fish and coral rotating between frozen, flake, pellet foods.
Weekly 20% water change. Refill ATO reservoir with distilled water. Clean glass (this is actually a twice per week chore) Dose with Prodibio nano reef pack.
Monthly clean sump return pump, skimmer, and wet side of powerhead. Stir about the top 1/4 inch or so of substrate. Perform calcium, alkalinity and magnesium test and dose as needed.
Once in a while decide I don't like the current scape and change it up, frag some coral, remove some fish and get different ones.
Once since the tank has been up since January of 2007, move it so we can get net paint carpet and furniture and kill off a beautiful Flame Angelfish!!
 
S

siptang

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391727/what-is-your-tank-maintenance-routine#post_3475667
What's your routine?
Daily - I feed the fish and observe the tank/corals... make sure the lights are on and that nothing is "off". I have also been dosing .5oz of calcium and alkalinity every day.
Same here minus on cal and alk. I do Kalk instead.
Weekly - water change on Sunday if I think about it - about 20%. Wash the filters and top off the RO ATO reservoir.
Bi weekly of 25g wash filters, socks clean everything and fill up ATO, replace carbon, dust off chaeto and mangroves
Monthly - Full range test all the water parameters, clean off pumps - make sure the phosban reactor is running and prune the chaeto and halimeda. Change the carbon media change pho-guard media as well as carbon.
Three months - replace the fuge lights.
Six months - Change phosban media (yeah, I know it says every 3.) Total tank assessment. 50% water change... gravel vac top 1" of sand.
Year - Replace light bulbs and any other equipment that needs to be replaced.
I change by bulbs every 8-9 months.
 
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