Is manually blowing off LR with high GPH PH beneficial?

[ZoWhat]

I'm getting tired of small cracks in my LR getting debris which leads to algae in those areas.

I have mostly zoas/palys and softies. I also have two MP40 Vortechs controlled by Apex. At 1pm and 11pm I do a 1hr cycle of a hard 100% flow, churning up the tank trying to loosen up debris BUT it's not enough with debris hiding in small cracks.

Question:
I have a powerful jet-nozzled powerhead at like 1200+ GPH that can really put out a focused stream of water.

Will manually walking this PH around the tank, blowing off my LR with such force do any tissue damage to softies?

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I do this about every three months with a MJ1200, but am mostly SPS. I tried to avoid hitting any coral directly with the flow either way.

 

[C-Reefer]

For softies and my tank in general (a few acros and some large colonies of easy sps but zoa/lps dominant) I use a turkey baster. Especially for zoas I can get some really good targeted flow, but also regulate it to make sure I don't hurt them. SPS I will blast with it but I go a little easier on zoas, but for most LPS I go really softly or target it so I don't hit the fleshy parts at all. Blows up a bunch of crap and really helps keep my rock clean.

 

[ZoWhat]

Yeah... I swear in order to loosen debris the tank flow should be like 100mph flow once a day with fish pinned against the wall, literally. LOLOLOL.

I dont understand when I see these SPS tanks that are spotlessly clean with zero algae. Frustrating. But again my tank is 12yrs old and has had a lot of time to build up debris in LR cracks

 

[Billdogg]

I pluck one of the PH's off the back and do this every water change. The amount of gunk that get's blown out is incredible.

 

[LesPoissons]

I do it w my power head every week. Makes my mushrooms super mad even tho I try not to nail my softies. However, it hasnt done anything for my algae, it still comes back.

 

[ZoWhat]

I pluck one of the PH's off the back and do this every water change. The amount of gunk that get's blown out is incredible.

Yes and it seems that even if you run your PHs 100% for 1hr a day it still doesn't get that debris that seems to hide. I guess I'm going to take a 1200gph PH and have it ready to blow off LR at least 3 times a week. I can put my finger over the PH inlet to adjust the GPH flow when blowing off zoas/palys colonies...meaning....finger over the inlet like a throttle

.

 

[ZoWhat]

.....However, it hasnt done anything for my algae, it still comes back.

@Maya Ybry-Yagy

Do you use filter socks?
I feel blowing off LR is a 2 step process. 1) blow off LR, 2) Allow filter sticks to catch the debris

 

[LesPoissons]

I do, yes. Hate them but use them.

 

[RichReef]

Before my monthly water change I run a canister filter for 24 hours. During the 24 hours I blast everything. Use a turkey baster on the rocks and I stir my sand getting the water really, really, dirty. Once it clears up I'm right back at it stirring up everything all over again. I'll keep coming back and doing it over and over.

During this I also double up my sock.

My corals don't mind. They open up for the feeding.

Sometimes I have to clean the canister and replace socks during the process.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

@Maya Ybry-Yagy

Do you use filter socks?
I feel blowing off LR is a 2 step process. 1) blow off LR, 2) Allow filter sticks to catch the debris

I do this about every other week, but I don't run filter socks normally. The detritous collects in my sump, then I vacuum it out from there. if I do a WC, I will put floss in my cups, then do this for a day or two prior to the WC. It really helps to keep the LR clean!

 

[csb123]

I do it weekly while running filter pads. It has helped to lower nitrates and phosphates.

 

[CivicS14]

I started to do this weekly and noticed a huge reduction in algae growth.

 

[rendosreef]

I use a turkey baster to blow debris off rocks when doing a water change. Easier to me than a power head and I feel like I have more control when doing it.