Water Change Question??

[ABnormalAZ]

Wanted to run an idea by everyone here about water changes.. I have a 30 gallon set up that's been running since Feb. of this year.. When I started out I was over feeding a bit and am now on track...

Could I stir up the tank/ LR a bit and do multiple water changes to remove the solids from the tank over the course of a few weeks?? Say 2 10% water changes each week until its clean?

Or would I be better off to invest in a canister filter to run for a few weeks and utilize that to grab all of the stirred up funk in the tank?? I would clean the media every other day..

I'm running a HOB fudge and a Tunze skimmer.. Major 3 readings/ levels are good Nitrates are around 20..

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[Azedenkae]

Sure. Though if you do stir up crap, it may be better to do bigger than 10% water changes. And of course, make sure to do it just after stirring stuff up.

Usually whenever I stir up everything, I do like a 75% water change. :P Mine is a nano though, so yeah.

[ReefWreak]

Why not just get a cheap gravel vacuum and do that with your water changes?

My sand gets stirred up when I gravel vac it, and I don't think it's really possible to have completely clean dust/detritus free sand, so I don't aim for it.

If I stir up my sand bed outside of while I am vacuuming it, I just let the dust/detritus float around and find it's way to the sump where it settles, then I siphon it out from there. If you don't have back chambers or a sump, then gravel vac is the answer.

I would not separately stir up your sand just to cloud the water and then do a water change. I would get a gravel vac and use that for your water changes.

I also wouldn't bother with a canister filter at all. Sounds like a waste of money.

[ABnormalAZ]

I have a gravel vac but it doesn't grab enough crud.. I would like to do a "major" cleaning to get a lot of the crud..

[The Derelict]

I would invest in a gravel vac as previously mentioned. Also, doing a larger water change would have a much better impact if you turkey basted the rocks and suspended everything. I would advise against a canister filter for most people. They can be decent tools for filtering out paritculates but you need to clean them out regularly. As frequently as once a week (but twice a week would be more beneficial). I find that most people don't have time/want to invest the time to clean them regularly, long term.

[ReefWreak]

I've never seen a gravel vac not get enough crud... Mine regularly is pulling out the sand with the crud between the sand grains...

I use this (http://www.marinedepot.com/Aqueon_Siphon_Vacuum_Gravel_Cleaner_Siphons_Gravel_Cleaners_for_Saltwater_Aquariums-Aqueon-XO06226-FIMTGS-vi.html)and have no issues pulling out all the crud I could ask for.

If you really want to go nuts, you could just slowly start removing your sand bed 10% at a time, and either go barebottom, or slowly reintroduce new sand again (but I promise you'll have crud again in no time, it's the nature of the hobby).

You should also work on tank flow if you're having a crud buildup problem. I don't get much because an MP10 in a 29g tank is a lot of flow. It blows around until there is no flow, which the only spot that has no flow is my rear sump chambers (biocube). Then I only have to siphon that out.

[Bpb]

mind you also, microfauna will have that excess detritus converted to inert dust eventually. If you're having uncontrollable algae problems after 1 year, and po4 and no3 readings that are sky high, then consider a big tank overhaul cleaning/substrate replacement, but otherwise I'd just keep up with reasonable, regular husbandry and not go overboard unless it's needed. Sometimes too deep of a cleaning can really have a negative impact on coral health

[ReefWreak]

I guess the question is, what is the goal?

I assumed it was cleaner substrate from the OP. Maybe the 20ppm of nitrate is the issue? If so, I'd recommend macro algae, more water changes, less feeding, etc.

[Dmorty217]

Im assuming you don't have a sump? If you do then you need to add more flow in the DT to stir up the dirt and it will settle in the sump and you can clean it out easily. I have never vacuumed my sand or stirred up anything in my DT when doing a water change.

[ABnormalAZ]

Just looking to grab the grayish turd looking stuff and the fine dust crap that is in/on my live rock. I have a HOB fuge without a sump. Just want to get all that fine stuff out from past over feeding. I already grow macro in the HOB fuge. Tank flow is high, have 2 power heads, 240g each and 2 other Rio's in tank plus the pump that feeds the HOB fuge. I was planning on 2 water changes a week for a few weeks until the bulk of the junk goes away. Then I should be fine because I am watching the feeding very close.. Thanks for all the comments!!

[ReefWreak]

A basic gravel vac siphon during water changes should pick all of that stuff up with no problem. You may want to remove the larger diameter hose and suck directly for any stuff on the rocks. It may need scrubbing to come off rocks as well.

I don't think that your needs would be filled by a canister filter.

Also, 240gph isn't a lot of flow. What actual powerheads are you using? Hopefully they're like the tunze nanos or korallias where they're prop-powered. Those are force multipliers as far as flow is concerned. 240gph out of a maxijet doesn't hold a candle (and shouldn't because it's apples and oranges) to a small prop-powered powerhead. Maxijets have a place and time, but if it's without a prop, it's on a hose, and if it is with a prop, then a maxi-mod or similar setup is excellent. They're excellent pumps, but should no longer be used for flow on their own just direct spraying.