Apparatus For Blowing Off Rocks

WVReefJunkie

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What setups are out there for blowing off or out your liverock, and detritus off corals. I would assume a small pump should work, but I would like to have some sort of long nozzle to reach down into a twenty eight inch deep tank. Any thoughts?
 
my 110 is similarly deep - a turkey baster gets down in there though without going elbow deep, and one of my powerheads is easy to move around on its magnet - so for me, its some combination of those 2.
 
Turkey baster gets the job done and is cheap enough. Don't want to make a simple task difficult
 
I blow off detritus, sand and particles off coral and rock by using a 24" scraper. I fan it back and forth quickly to create a short burst wave and the sand comes right off. That way, I also don't get my hands into the water and also use this as a snail flipper.

 
They make long feeding tube things sorta like a turkey baster that could work. I use them to feed my corals
 
Great info, I was thinking of taking a maxijet and connecting some tubing to a turkey baster. I should be able to put the pump kust below the surface of the water and blow the rocks out. I was thinking of adding this to my weekly maintenance.
 
I use a turkey baster and a tunze powerhead when lazy. I always wear elbow long gloves when working in the tank.
 
I'm planning to have a quick disconnect on my manifold and a 10 ft section of silicon hose with a nozzle at the end.

Upon connecting, I will just open the valve and move the nozzle around both tank and sump to blast all the detritus into suspension for easy export. Perpahs follow with air injection into the pump after puttin' everything into water column.
 
I have used this extensively in the past but on a large tank this gets old quickly and I think stresses fish.

I could see how it would be a pain in a larger tank. I only have a JB 45 so its managemable. What if you connected a cheap, small powerhead to an acrylic rod? Just thinking off the top of my head.
 
I could see how it would be a pain in a larger tank. I only have a JB 45 so its managemable. What if you connected a cheap, small powerhead to an acrylic rod? Just thinking off the top of my head.

Absolutely. I do sometimes use a koralia in hand but I want a nozzle for more control around the coral/rocks instead of blasting everything shut.

Either way, you're right a powerhead is another great option.
 
Absolutely. I do sometimes use a koralia in hand but I want a nozzle for more control around the coral/rocks instead of blasting everything shut.

Either way, you're right a powerhead is another great option.

Now you have me thinking- what if someone could custom 3D print a nozzle to direct the flow from the powerhead? I know people print 3D nem guards and flow diverters.
 
@wenlius' post reminded me that I sometimes use a long nylon spatula (don't tell the family!) from the kitchen drawer. Turkey blaster gets in the nooks and crannies better, and is less likely to knock something over, but the wave action and agitation a pancake flipper can generate is hard to beat.
I can pull out my turkey baster or flipper, do the job, and put them away before I could finish plugging in a pump with a wand - YMMV.
 
Now you have me thinking- what if someone could custom 3D print a nozzle to direct the flow from the powerhead? I know people print 3D nem guards and flow diverters.


I use this pump connn ectoderm to this feeder with a flexible pipe

 

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