Cleaning/Maintenance Tricks

redfishbluefish · Jan 18, 2015

We all know about Mag cleaners for glass, and soaking powerheads and pumps in vinegar, but what other things do you do that help in cleaning/maintaining your tank stuff that is not typical. I'll start with two simple things I use.

The top thing is a garden support stick made of metal that is covered with a green plastic. I use this to clean the breather tubes on my Glass-Holes overflow. These tubes clog up with (my guess) carbonate and salt deposits and causes the overflow to gurgle. About every six months I run this "ram rod" up and down the tube to knock off the deposits.

The second thing is simply a very small piece of rag tied to a piece of string. This is used to clean out 3/8" to 1/2" tubing. The worst is the tubing I have running from my skimmer to the skimmate container. That gets so bad it has clogged up. I actually use the ram rod and this string thing to push and pull the little rag back and forth.

So what little things do you do to keep your tank stuff clean and maintained?

phillrodrigo · Jan 18, 2015

I have a 5 inch razor to scrape glass works amazing on coralline. It's a glass scraper I got from home cheapo but it uses real razor blades so it's very sharp. I hate all the aquarium scrapers they are all junk. Another thing that I do differently than most is I use a smaller siphon than what is recommended for my 75. I use the one for a 20 gallon that has a oval attachment to get under rock. I first bought the one ment for my tank and it didn't work that great the water in the bucket looked clear plus alot of sand it's also to fast. With the smaller one the water in the bucket looks a lot dirtier and seems to pick up a lot more derititus. It's alittle slower but it gives you the time to do a good job.

redfishbluefish · Jan 18, 2015

Here's another maintenance tip that just hit me. I have a pool in the backyard and have "lubed" the rubber parts for over 30 years with Leslies's Pool and Spa Lube.

You can NOT use petroleum based lubes on rubber.....such as Vasoline......it will cause it to swell and eventually fail.

I first had freshwater tanks and used this on all rubber parts. Realize I had rubber stuff that was over 30 years old and still soft and pliable. When I started saltwater in 2006/2007, I continued to use this on all rubber stuff. It is the best bang for the buck....I think it's now about $7 for a tube. Note Plumber's Grease will do the same thing but considerably more expensive.

Rob Top1 · Jan 18, 2015

Trickle down water changes
65 gallons for from my predator tank goes down the drain
65 gallons from my softy tank to the predator tank
65 gallons from the sps tank to the softy
And 65 newly mixed gallons into the sps tank.
Not always 65 gallons each step of the way, I may need to siphon junk out instead of just exchange water but the idea is still the same.

Maximo · Jan 19, 2015

Rob Top1 said:
Trickle down water changes
65 gallons for from my predator tank goes down the drain
65 gallons from my softy tank to the predator tank
65 gallons from the sps tank to the softy
And 65 newly mixed gallons into the sps tank.
Not always 65 gallons each step of the way, I may need to siphon junk out instead of just exchange water but the idea is still the same.

This is a recipe for disaster! If something goes wrong in one tank your basically spreading it into all your other tanks! I'm surprised your predator tank hasn't caught anything yet! All the water you are putting in is going to have bacteria die back! Tick tick tick.........

Rob Top1 · Jan 19, 2015

Maximo said:
This is a recipe for disaster! If something goes wrong in one tank your basically spreading it into all your other tanks! I'm surprised your predator tank hasn't caught anything yet! All the water you are putting in is going to have bacteria die back! Tick tick tick.........

I would disagree for several reasons.
First as I understand the bacteria in our systems only a very small amount is free floating and even less so in a system with proper UV sterilization as the predator system has . The vast majority is fixed to rock sand bed and other hard surfaces.
Second I check a handful of parameters to insure each "down step" the water going in is the same or better than the water coming out.
Third most tick tick tick time bombs go off much sooner than five years. For at least five years this method has worked. The only issues I have had in my predator tank has been a grouper attacking a shark the grouper found himself a new home the next day and the loss of a 15yr old Lionfish, could have been simply his time.
Finally if something is wrong in one tank, I wouldn't use that water in the other. While I am no expert I do have 18+ years of aquarium keeping to fall back on in my observations of each sysyem
While I do appreciate your concern my practical experience doing this for many years would indicate it is unfounded.

Triggreef · Jan 20, 2015

Maximo said:
This is a recipe for disaster! If something goes wrong in one tank your basically spreading it into all your other tanks! I'm surprised your predator tank hasn't caught anything yet! All the water you are putting in is going to have bacteria die back! Tick tick tick.........

I also disagree. I have a similar routine as well. I quarantine all fish pretty well, and bacteria is the last thing I would worry about. In fact if anything it's more bio diversity. But then I also add bacteria off the shelf and swear by microbactor7 and its usefulness in eradicating cyano.

Maximo · Jan 20, 2015

You can disagree all you want! All I was saying is if you have an issue with anything that you don't catch in time you will spread it to all of yor tanks! I didn't say that this doesn't work but it is a higher risk than taking care of the tanks individually! You would be better off tying them all into one system!

Rob Top1 · Jan 20, 2015

Maximo said:
You can disagree all you want! All I was saying is if you have an issue with anything that you don't catch in time you will spread it to all of yor tanks! I didn't say that this doesn't work but it is a higher risk than taking care of the tanks individually! You would be better off tying them all into one system!

A central system would mean the high waste load of the predator tank is mixed with the low nutrient level of the sps system. That seems worse than the off chance that I miss something and a problem is moved form o e system to the other.

revhtree · Jan 20, 2015

Cool thread!

Maximo · Jan 20, 2015

Rob Top1 said:
A central system would mean the high waste load of the predator tank is mixed with the low nutrient level of the sps system. That seems worse than the off chance that I miss something and a problem is moved form o e system to the other.

Sps do better with nitrate in the water column! Like I said it "can work" you can increase or decrease flow through each individual tank. I have seen many systems with multiple tanks to house different species maintaining different parameters ( ie nitrate an phosphate)the predator tank would thus be in better overall quality by being diluted with better qualiy water! If the system is healthy and your predator tank wasn't overloaded or over fed there would be no problems! It is a little more advanced technique but can achieve greater results and less time lost dealing with each tank individually! Just because you have only fish doesn't mean they should swim in a terrible quality tank! These fish come from the same water as the corals do, lets not forget that!

Rob Top1 · Jan 21, 2015

Maximo said:
Sps do better with nitrate in the water column! Like I said it "can work" you can increase or decrease flow through each individual tank. I have seen many systems with multiple tanks to house different species maintaining different parameters ( ie nitrate an phosphate)the predator tank would thus be in better overall quality by being diluted with better qualiy water! If the system is healthy and your predator tank wasn't overloaded or over fed there would be no problems! It is a little more advanced technique but can achieve greater results and less time lost dealing with each tank individually! Just because you have only fish doesn't mean they should swim in a terrible quality tank! These fish come from the same water as the corals do, lets not forget that!

Well...you haven't seen my predator tank so can't say its over stocked nor have you seen my test results. No3 in the P tank is kept at or below 10, SPS at 1. We disagree on this and can debate it in another thread but er have allowed this to get way off topic. Sorry redfishbluefish

Maximo · Jan 21, 2015

Rob Top1 said:
Well...you haven't seen my predator tank so can't say its over stocked nor have you seen my test results. No3 in the P tank is kept at or below 10, SPS at 1. We disagree on this and can debate it in another thread but er have allowed this to get way off topic. Sorry redfishbluefish

I said your method can work! That is not disagreeing with you! Clearly you are offended! You are taking things to literally as I'm keeping them generalized! There's nothing to apologize about here it is all useful information and that is the entire meaning I the forum! I could have not explained myself making you think you have the only method that works! What works for you doesn't work for everyone! I am not trying to argue I am just trying to get people thinking a little different to spike some creativity! Please don't take advice like it is offensive! You say you disagree but don't provide any info to back it up!

revhtree · Jan 21, 2015

I use a clamp when I am performing a water change to hold the water line in the tank so it doesn't come flopping out and pouring water everywhere.

redfishbluefish · Jan 21, 2015

revhtree said:
I use a clamp when I am performing a water change to hold the water line in the tank so it doesn't come flopping out and pouring water everywhere.

Rev, great minds must think alike. I too use clamps, but mine are more fish-appropriate.

My wife found these in one of her shopping episodes. They are actually sold to hold a towel on the back of a patio/beach chair.

revhtree · Jan 21, 2015

LOL! Nice!

cdness · Jan 21, 2015

I use a mag float to hold my line in the water for water changes... Same for acclimation lines.

I use a toothbrush for scrubbing off rocks and overflow teeth.

A toothpick works great for cleaning out the air holes on my mega-flow drains. It also works to clear out the anti-siphon holes on the return plumbing.

Turkey baster to blow off the rocks...