Rip clean- before and after + next steps?

[Dad2Wyatt]

After battling a horrible GHA outbreak along with maybe some Dino’s, it was time.

The top photo is obviously before, with the 2nd being after!

i did not wash my sand, just siphoned it and did a 75% water change.

the after photo is 24 hours Into a blackout. Some of my coral didn’t make it through the blackout, some are still fighting, but the ones that did not make it were already suffering from the algae.

As for next steps. Should I continue on the blackout for another 24? This 24 did wonders for clearing up spots that I had missed, but I’m not sure how long my coral will be okay?

also, should I completely black out the tank if I do? This 24 hour cycle I still let natural light in, just not much

 

[Utubereefer]

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

Really pleased with how it turned out and I was able to make some aquascape changes and rearrange some coral that I’ve been wanting to do!

i was iffy about the rip clean but I should have done it a month ago and I likely wouldn’t have lost any coral at all. Live and learn, but now to keep these nutrients down so this will hopefully be my last rip clean for a while

 

[eraser2001]

When I did a blackout, I cover my tank, so no natural light either.
Have you try some snail to eat all the alge?

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

When I did a blackout, I cover my tank, so no natural light either.
Have you try some snail to eat all the alge?

I’ve been fighting the algae for months now. I tried just about everything but never added any chemicals as I wanted to be natural. I have an urchin and multiple turbos who put in work! My algae problem was just so bad they couldn’t keep up. As you can likely tell, this was not a perfect rip clean, but between the blackout and my CUC they’ve knocked down 90% of what was left after the rip clean! I’m super please with that aspect

As for the blackout, that’s how I have seen it done so I wasn’t sure if it would work allowing natural light in but it definitely did. I might try 24 more hours complete blackout and see if it gets completely wiped!

 

[chipchipbro]

@brandon429 will not be happy with that „rip clean“

 

[eraser2001]

I’ve been fighting the algae for months now. I tried just about everything but never added any chemicals as I wanted to be natural. I have an urchin and multiple turbos who put in work! My algae problem was just so bad they couldn’t keep up. As you can likely tell, this was not a perfect rip clean, but between the blackout and my CUC they’ve knocked down 90% of what was left after the rip clean! I’m super please with that aspect

As for the blackout, that’s how I have seen it done so I wasn’t sure if it would work allowing natural light in but it definitely did. I might try 24 more hours complete blackout and see if it gets completely wiped!

I will add more snails to the tank, not just couple. That will help, also Remove alge manual too

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

@brandon429 will not be happy with that „rip clean“

Like I said, definitely not a perfect rip clean, but with the small time frame that I have each week to do this, it is the best I could do!

In a few months when I’m not pulling 70-80 hour weeks I may revisit if the problem isn’t under control by then

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

I will add more snails to the tank, not just couple. That will help, also Remove alge manual too

Again, I have done this and have a fairly large clean up crew lol

 

[brandon429]

the mass left in the system functions in many ways to keep the cycle going, here's the strong option for rip clean notice these after pics if you ever want to re zap that setup

one difference is they dont do any type of blackout because the final assembly is so sharply clean:

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Sesty22]

More like a "rip 1/2 Clean" ? Other than one picture being Blue and one being White, sorry but I don't see much of a difference.

 

[Mxracer65]

Again, I have done this and have a fairly large clean up crew lol

Define fairly large. I cannot see any in your pics.
My 125g has 100 various hermits and a couple hundred snails. Unknown # of various other cuc critters too.

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

More like a "rip 1/2 Clean" ? Other than one picture being Blue and one being White, sorry but I don't see much of a difference.

You’re kidding me? The difference is insane. The top photo is also after an hour of manual removal by hand. If I had to guess, I removed probably 20 pounds or more worth of algae into a 5 gallon bucket. I’m talking halfway full of just algae and unnoticeable water

Also in the description I did mention that this was not a perfect rip clean. I leave the house at 5:30 am and get home at 5:30 pm Monday-Friday and 8-8 every weekend. It’s a miracle I was even able to do what I did lol

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

Define fairly large. I cannot see any in your pics.
My 125g has 100 various hermits and a couple hundred snails. Unknown # of various other cuc critters too.

Pincushion Urchin
1 Pool ball sized turbo
2 large turbo
1 smaller turbo
8-10 margarita snails
10-12 astrea
10 cerith
20 dwarf cerith
6 nassarius(had more but some were imposters)
15-20 hermits

and i think that’s it! I obviously don’t count every day but that’s just what has been added the past few months

 

[jx.reef]

I’d keep on manually removing as much of that GHA as possible. I had something similar happen when I went on a 2 week vacation and my turn pump stopped working. Came home to a tank smothered in GHA. Spent a few hours everyday for a week ripping it clean and my scopas took care of the rest

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

I’d keep on manually removing as much of that GHA as possible. I had something similar happen when I went on a 2 week vacation and my turn pump stopped working. Came home to a tank smothered in GHA. Spent a few hours everyday for a week ripping it clean and my scopas took care of the rest

Definitely going to! It doesn’t seem like an un-winnable task anymore so the motivation to do it more often has increased

 

[jx.reef]

Definitely going to! It doesn’t seem like an un-winnable task anymore so the motivation to do it more often has increased

I don’t have a before picture but after my rip clean, I haven’t seen a strand of GHA. And somehow my phosphate hovers between 0.8-1.5ppm (which is insane)

 

[TangoSukka]

I just went tweezer and toothbrush crazy myself

 

[Double monti 61]

Is the filter in the photo the only one it may be possible that the water flow is not enough and did you start with all dry rock or some dry and some live? I have a 15 gallon tank that has manmade live rock two 30 gallon per hour hang on aqua clear filters and a power head with an adjustable pulse and flow rate.The light is an led system. What type of water do you mix your salt with? I use nature’s ocean sea water and change 2 gallons per week and do not use a protein skimmer or any type of filter material the only thing in the filters is ceramic tubes and a thin sand bed for the substrate and I have had good results.

 

[brandon429]

Hey nice job on montipora


your reef would shine tremendously by doing a rip clean per post #10 and you can scrape off and remove all the snails for the clean tank I like them. There’s nothing wrong with the current setup/ it grows whorled montipora / but the benefit of the rip clean is just 100% shiny with zero invasions whatsoever.