Leaf Blower in an Aquarium?

[av8soulfly]

So I had the idea to use a spare power head held in my hand to "blow" out any detritus from in and around the rocks in my fowlr tank. Worked like a charm. I was surprised how much crud got suspended in the water column only to get sucked up by the filter. Anyways, it's sorta like a leaf blower in the tank.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Haha I do this often, much quicker than doing it with a turkey baster

 

[Neo Jeo]

Good idea!

 

[AlexStinson]

I try to do that every few water changes, especially because I don't vacuum the tank.

 

[Pife]

I have an old maxi jet that I super glued to a piece of pvc. Works great.

 

[Terry Brown]

Sounds like a good idea. I'll have to try it.

I mostly rely on Fishes to clean my sand.

 

[Brew12]

I encourage anyone fighting algae or bacteria to give this a try!

I use one of these
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cobalt-mj1200-powerhead.html

Stick the discharge right up against one of the porous openings in the rock, and it can be amazing what comes flying out all of the other holes! I got a little carried away with it and removed so much gunk from my tank that I almost eradicated my bristle worms so I don't do it as aggressively anymore.

 

[SDReefer]

Can stirring up the sand harm the tank if there are Hydrogen sulfide (or other gas) pockets underneath the sandbed? Or does that only happen with a Deep Sand Bed?

 

[Brew12]

Can stirring up the sand harm the tank if there are Hydrogen sulfide (or other gas) pockets underneath the sandbed? Or does that only happen with a Deep Sand Bed?

It can happen in a shallow sand bed under the right (and unusual) conditions. I don't blase my sand bed but I do vacuum it regularly. Too messy to blast it. If you haven't vacuumed or stirred your sand bed in awhile it is best to do small sections at a time.

 

[AlexStinson]

It can happen in a shallow sand bed under the right (and unusual) conditions. I don't blase my sand bed but I do vacuum it regularly. Too messy to blast it. If you haven't vacuumed or stirred your sand bed in awhile it is best to do small sections at a time.

Bare Bottom for the win.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Bare Bottom for the win.

Not if you want a natural looking tank.

 

[MTBake]

I use a power head held in my hand to clean out the rock work. I try to do this every 6 weeks or so. Loads of crud comes out of there. I don't do the sand bed for the same reason as Brew12.

 

[K. Steven]

I use a MJ1200 to blow out the detritus in the rocks once a month with the VorTechs on max speed to keep it all suspended. It's more powerful than using a turkey baster and your hand doesn't cramp up either.

 

[ScubaShane]

I vaccume the sand with a siphon hose into one of the filter socks in my sump just before I change the filter socks. Not too much comes out though. I have two sand sifting stars that put in work and the CUC takes care of the rock.

 

[cloak]

I can't believe NO is winning. Wow!

Put that filter sock to work...

 

[Capitol Reef Corals]

Hm, I usually like to adjust my flow so that all of the detritus settles in one area of the tank. Then when I do my weekly water changes I know where 90% of it is going to be. Whenever I blow the dirt and detritus around with my power heads, I feel like most is going back into the rock work rather than down the overflow into my socks and sump.

 

[cracker]

I have a penguin on a stick. Been using it for years. Works great for blasting crud off the rock. It's too powerful to use on the sand bed. I have a spatula on a stick for stirring that. Prob is I don't do it enough !

 

[laverda]

I answered yes but really only use it to blow out my rock. I don’t do any cleaning of my deep sand bed.

 

[GoVols]

Bare Bottom for the win.

+1...

And... let my Gyre lift out most of the detritus once a week and suck out the remaining with the Phyton "No Spill" with an Amazon 5/8" OD x 20" long tube attachment during the weekly water change.

 

[Rockhead]

I actually take a maxi jet 1200 set it in the sump with a 1/2” clear hose reduced down to a 1/4” rigid tube along with a ball valve, I find the pressure I like and put the 1/4” tube in and out of the sand bed for a nice slow tumble in the sand, I do this once a month with no side effects, I also run carbon for a few days after to polish the water and take care of any ammonia spikes. My tank is a year old and been doing this from the beginning so I can’t say this will work for a tank that is a year old and never touched the sand. Also it’s a sps only tank for the most part[e

moji57]