Cleaning BB tank question

[ScottR]

I recently started a new BB tank and moved some livestock and rock over from an existing tank. I have sand in my other tank so I always vacuumed it. But how do I clean the bed of the tank in a BB? I have tiny bits of sand that hitchhiked over and the usual mess that you’d find in a tank. But I like to keep it as clean as possible. How do you go about cleaning the bottom?

 

[Jvesche20]

Following. I have a bb on my frag tank and it likes to collect algae all over. Like to see what others say

 

[ScottR]

Do you have rock in yours? I think with rock, it just makes it twice as hard to clean. I’m wondering if it can be siphoned off or not.

 

[happyhourhero]

I just have enough flow so nothing really settles and if it does, I siphon it out with a water change.

 

[Jvesche20]

Do you have rock in yours? I think with rock, it just makes it twice as hard to clean. I’m wondering if it can be siphoned off or not.

Yes I do. I have rock and frag rack. I only have a Little Rock so my fish has a place to hide. I tried to scrape the algae and it’s a pain cause I gotta get down on the bottom

 

[KrisReef]

I let the algae grow on the bottom. Eventually, it can/will get covered with coralline and if a frag falls on it then it will encrust quickly. It might take a year, but I like the look when a tank has a crustose bottom.
Cleaning; I'd blast it with a powerhead to put the sand & dirt into the water where it will go into the overflow (and a sock) or push the gunk into a corner where you can siphon it out.

To keep your hands out of the tank, get a long fiberglass handled scraper. I like the plastic blades, but people use metal blades on glass and they work pretty good but with any scraper you need to be careful. If you don't want a long handle, then credit cards and old hotel keys work pretty well. I trust you have used a Magic Eraser pad. GL

Oh,and the tank looks nice!

 

[cracker]

I use a store bought scrubber on a stick I think I got it at a petco or such It's just a blue scrubber pad on a long plastic handle. Works Ok, I move what corals I have to one side & scrub then repeat on the other. Point the power heads down to keep the gunk suspended Then siphon what I can during a water change . I'm always amazed at how much crud I get !

KrisReef's use of a power head is great this would really blast the crud out from under & in the rock.

 

[Cory]

I made a vaccume that i zip tie a filter sock to. When its full i turn it off and replace the bag again. I use my main return pump and scrub and suck the bottom. Its made from a shop vac attachment and some abs pipe.

 

[Jvesche20]

I let the algae grow on the bottom. Eventually, it can/will get covered with coralline and if a frag falls on it then it will encrust quickly. It might take a year, but I like the look when a tank has a crustose bottom.
Cleaning; I'd blast it with a powerhead to put the sand & dirt into the water where it will go into the overflow (and a sock) or push the gunk into a corner where you can siphon it out.

To keep your hands out of the tank, get a long fiberglass handled scraper. I like the plastic blades, but people use metal blades on glass and they work pretty good but with any scraper you need to be careful. If you don't want a long handle, then credit cards and old hotel keys work pretty well. I trust you have used a Magic Eraser pad. GL

Oh,and the tank looks nice!

So will coralline take over algae? I have algae on the back glass on my DT. I made it impossible to get behind now my tank so it’s super hard to clean the glass. I have coralline but little. It’s starting to grow on one of my rocks. Spreads pretty fast but not sure if it will grow over the algae

 

[ScottR]

So will coralline take over algae? I have algae on the back glass on my DT. I made it impossible to get behind now my tank so it’s super hard to clean the glass. I have coralline but little. It’s starting to grow on one of my rocks. Spreads pretty fast but not sure if it will grow over the algae

Yes, coralline will encrust eventually (if you’re lucky). Coralline uses calcium much like corals do. So if you’re parameters are in check, you should get good growth. The only type of algae I’ve hand on coralline was the hair type which my CUC took care of.

Btw. Thanks for all the responses