Okay, so this isn’t exactly the time of year when we start thinking about cleaning our tanks up- you know - the whole “Spring Cleaning†mentality…I mean, it’s not even Christmas yet…Nonetheless, I’ve been talking with a lot of reefers lately that, for whatever reason, are looking to do overhauls on their tanks. I’m not sure what that’s all about. “Reef Season†is in full swing, all of the cool coral is coming in, new gear is available…
Ah, maybe that’s it? We are realizing that we can’t afford all of the new toys, having just spent big bucks on the holiday gifts and all, so we figure it’s better to improve what we have! Could be, right? So anyways, it got me thinking of the things that we all need to do once in a while to freshen up our systems…some of these can not only help you create a better system, they can help you enjoy your hobby more. Staring at my own tank, I immediately make a list of dozens of things that I need to work on...Hey, I thought that this hobby was supposed to be relaxing, right?
Here are just a few things you should consider looking at when considering a "refresh" for your reef:
Clean up the plumbing. Huh? You mean, re-work the plumbing? No! I mean, literally clean it! When calcium, tube worms, etc. build up on the inside of plumbing, you get a diminished water flow; so much so that you will really notice the difference when you get around to cleaning it. How do you do this? You need to obtain a nice cleaning brush made just for this purpose, and carefully push it into you plumbing, taking care to “wipe†the sidewalls of the pipes as thoroughly as possible.
"I noticed that my flow has slowed down a bit..."
Get rid of the old food. Yeah, Thanksgiving is all about leftovers...However, your fish are not so fortunate. Some of that fish food (frozen, dried, or “freshâ€) tends to dry out, collect “freezer burnâ€, or otherwise degrade in both quality and nutritional value over time. Do your fishy friends a favor and replace some of that old food with a fresh supply. Yeah, it sometimes is economical to stock up, but if you are keeping months and months of food on reserve, I never really saw the advantage…I have always found it more practical to keep a smaller supply on hand- say a month, or maybe 6 weeks worth.
Take inventory of your gadgets…Okay, if you’re like me, you’ll save like EVERYTHING you’ve ever used in your aquarium…What hardcore aquarium hobbyists doesn’t have a supply of old air pumps, heaters, plumbing parts, etc. accumulating in a box somewhere? And it’s hard to get rid of these things as you ponder all sorts of scenarios where you might need them or repurpose them one day…That’s me. Granted, you never know when you might need a spare ball valve. However, do you really think that you’ll need the diaphragm repair kit from that air driven pump that you haven’t used since 1987? I know that you’re holding out for the return of air-driven protein skimmers, but maybe it’s time to let go.
You need to let go....
How about re-assessing your need for essentials, like towels? Yeah, mundane, but one of the best things to have in your “go bag†for emergency spills, etc. Yeah, you need a healthy supply, so you can always create a need in the household to get new towels just so that you have an emergency towel supply on hand! I mean, i NEVER spill…but you just might…
The reefer's best friend...yup!
Clean out your water mixing containers. Yeah, it seems like a no-brainer, but we never seem to get around to this. Use some RO water and an algae scrub pad to thoroughly clean your water storage and saltwater mixing containers on a regular basis. The scale of calcium, algae, etc. that builds up in these containers in a relatively short period of time is quite impressive, and can have some impact on water chemistry, so cleaning these containers out regularly is a rational necessity, IMHO.
Tame your stand. Huh? Yeah, you know what I’m getting at. Almost every reefer has all sorts of stuff hidden inside the stand- old cups, paper towels, test kits, plumbing parts, etc. These things are just getting in the way. While you’re at it, you might as well scrub or shop vac out the area- it will remove dust, salt creep, spider webs, etc, and keep the area around your important equipment clean. What’s that you’re saying- you have all of your equipment in the basement? Lucky, but you still need to keep the area around it clean. I have seen more than one basement sump area that was, well- shall we say- in need of “freshening up….â€
Clean up pumps. Yeah, external pumps tend to accumulate dirt, dust, and salt creep, all of which can ultimately affect their life expectency and performance. So it’s a good idea to regularly inspect and wipe down the fan area, couplings, and base of the pump to keep them free from this stuff. Use the time to check the condition of the electrical cords as well, as these things sometimes need replacing.
Salt creep...not so good..Pic by melev.
OMG, I could go on and on and on..probably 4700 different things you can do to "freshen" your reef, right? Still less expensive than starting over...well, usually. I'll bet you have a few additions to this list...In fact, I am certain that you do...
It's never too early in the year to freshen stuff up a bit!
Okay, back to the daily grind of bringing you some killer livestock! BTW, I must ask once in a while...Do you guys want me to post pics of stuff we add throughout the week? You know I tend to just give you stuff to read as opposed to "Look at these 12 crazy corals we just added!"-type posts, but once in a while, I suppose I can put up a few inventory pics and maybe a few comments...Blatant capitalism is okay once in a while, I guess...whatever.
Anyhow, look for a cool announcement here in the next few days about something pretty cool...As well as some amazing new things coming your way over the next few weeks!
With that, I wish you a pleasant day, a great weekend...And a happy Holiday Season..
Catch you next week...in the meantime,
Stay Wet!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Ah, maybe that’s it? We are realizing that we can’t afford all of the new toys, having just spent big bucks on the holiday gifts and all, so we figure it’s better to improve what we have! Could be, right? So anyways, it got me thinking of the things that we all need to do once in a while to freshen up our systems…some of these can not only help you create a better system, they can help you enjoy your hobby more. Staring at my own tank, I immediately make a list of dozens of things that I need to work on...Hey, I thought that this hobby was supposed to be relaxing, right?
Here are just a few things you should consider looking at when considering a "refresh" for your reef:
Clean up the plumbing. Huh? You mean, re-work the plumbing? No! I mean, literally clean it! When calcium, tube worms, etc. build up on the inside of plumbing, you get a diminished water flow; so much so that you will really notice the difference when you get around to cleaning it. How do you do this? You need to obtain a nice cleaning brush made just for this purpose, and carefully push it into you plumbing, taking care to “wipe†the sidewalls of the pipes as thoroughly as possible.
"I noticed that my flow has slowed down a bit..."
Get rid of the old food. Yeah, Thanksgiving is all about leftovers...However, your fish are not so fortunate. Some of that fish food (frozen, dried, or “freshâ€) tends to dry out, collect “freezer burnâ€, or otherwise degrade in both quality and nutritional value over time. Do your fishy friends a favor and replace some of that old food with a fresh supply. Yeah, it sometimes is economical to stock up, but if you are keeping months and months of food on reserve, I never really saw the advantage…I have always found it more practical to keep a smaller supply on hand- say a month, or maybe 6 weeks worth.
Take inventory of your gadgets…Okay, if you’re like me, you’ll save like EVERYTHING you’ve ever used in your aquarium…What hardcore aquarium hobbyists doesn’t have a supply of old air pumps, heaters, plumbing parts, etc. accumulating in a box somewhere? And it’s hard to get rid of these things as you ponder all sorts of scenarios where you might need them or repurpose them one day…That’s me. Granted, you never know when you might need a spare ball valve. However, do you really think that you’ll need the diaphragm repair kit from that air driven pump that you haven’t used since 1987? I know that you’re holding out for the return of air-driven protein skimmers, but maybe it’s time to let go.
You need to let go....
How about re-assessing your need for essentials, like towels? Yeah, mundane, but one of the best things to have in your “go bag†for emergency spills, etc. Yeah, you need a healthy supply, so you can always create a need in the household to get new towels just so that you have an emergency towel supply on hand! I mean, i NEVER spill…but you just might…
The reefer's best friend...yup!
Clean out your water mixing containers. Yeah, it seems like a no-brainer, but we never seem to get around to this. Use some RO water and an algae scrub pad to thoroughly clean your water storage and saltwater mixing containers on a regular basis. The scale of calcium, algae, etc. that builds up in these containers in a relatively short period of time is quite impressive, and can have some impact on water chemistry, so cleaning these containers out regularly is a rational necessity, IMHO.
Tame your stand. Huh? Yeah, you know what I’m getting at. Almost every reefer has all sorts of stuff hidden inside the stand- old cups, paper towels, test kits, plumbing parts, etc. These things are just getting in the way. While you’re at it, you might as well scrub or shop vac out the area- it will remove dust, salt creep, spider webs, etc, and keep the area around your important equipment clean. What’s that you’re saying- you have all of your equipment in the basement? Lucky, but you still need to keep the area around it clean. I have seen more than one basement sump area that was, well- shall we say- in need of “freshening up….â€
Clean up pumps. Yeah, external pumps tend to accumulate dirt, dust, and salt creep, all of which can ultimately affect their life expectency and performance. So it’s a good idea to regularly inspect and wipe down the fan area, couplings, and base of the pump to keep them free from this stuff. Use the time to check the condition of the electrical cords as well, as these things sometimes need replacing.
Salt creep...not so good..Pic by melev.
OMG, I could go on and on and on..probably 4700 different things you can do to "freshen" your reef, right? Still less expensive than starting over...well, usually. I'll bet you have a few additions to this list...In fact, I am certain that you do...
It's never too early in the year to freshen stuff up a bit!
Okay, back to the daily grind of bringing you some killer livestock! BTW, I must ask once in a while...Do you guys want me to post pics of stuff we add throughout the week? You know I tend to just give you stuff to read as opposed to "Look at these 12 crazy corals we just added!"-type posts, but once in a while, I suppose I can put up a few inventory pics and maybe a few comments...Blatant capitalism is okay once in a while, I guess...whatever.
Anyhow, look for a cool announcement here in the next few days about something pretty cool...As well as some amazing new things coming your way over the next few weeks!
With that, I wish you a pleasant day, a great weekend...And a happy Holiday Season..
Catch you next week...in the meantime,
Stay Wet!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
