Cleaning Stratagies

ElGuappo · #1 03-11-2008, 06:11 PM

How does everyone clean their tanks. ? do you clean the bio media bag? i have a RED SEA MAX it has a built in sump behind the glass. every two monthes or so i notice cleaning filter sponges alone does not allow sufficent flow to my pumps thus injecting to many bubble into system.

SOOOOOOOOo i remove my pumps to get at carbon for new carbon and at his point i also rinse my bio media (i hope this isnt too bad) . i have to do this as the bag itself gets loaded with debris. anysuggestions.

I have also recently noticed a cream colored slime in my sump pumps and other places in my tank any ideas of what this might be? is it harmful?

Thanks for Looking.

michika · #2 03-11-2008, 06:35 PM

The cream colored slime might be precipitation. Are you dosing anything in your tank?

Try for monthly regular maintence, pump cleaning etc. You can clean pumps with a diluted solution of vinegar. Do you have a skimmer on your system?

ElGuappo · #3 03-11-2008, 06:36 PM

yes i have a skimmer and i dose calcium strontium and iodide .

Vinager? added directy to tank? or rinse pumps with it ?

Brent F · #4 03-11-2008, 06:47 PM

El Guappo,

You asked me to check this thread since we have the same tank. My cleaning is completely different than yours because I have a sump in the stand. My rear compartments contain the overflow, heater and circulation pumps only (no media back there). I threw out the ceramic bag, carbon, black sponge, white sponge and skimmer that came with the RSM because I was concerned it would become a detrius trap and I couldn't imagine constantly having to unscrew the pumps to get at the ceramic bag and carbon for cleaning.

My carbon is in a phosban reactor with the Zeovit. I have a filter sock on the inlet line in the sump for mechanical filtration.

ElGuappo · #5 03-11-2008, 06:51 PM

see this is excatly what i was wondering thank you brett. so you run everthing out of your sump then? how hard was it to set a sump up for this tank.; I AM GETTING SICK OF REMOVING PUMPS for that reason.

Brent F · #6 03-11-2008, 06:53 PM

The difficulty accessing the media in a RSM is a common complaint.

A lot of people with RSM have been removing the media from the back and putting a canister filter in the stand to get the media more accessible and reduce maintanance. The lines to and from the canister can be run through the oval shapped chiller plug in the back. This can be done without having to do any mods to the tank.

People who also need a chiller have been using the canister (Magnum 360 or Fluval 404) as a circulation pump for their chillers. If you don't need a chiller you can use a smaller canister.

Brent F · #7 03-11-2008, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElGuappo

see this is excatly what i was wondering thank you brett. so you run everthing out of your sump then? how hard was it to set a sump up for this tank.; I AM GETTING SICK OF REMOVING PUMPS for that reason.

Setting up a sump in an operating tank would be very difficult. You need to do a lot of cutting to install an overflow. It would be hard to do without getting plastic dust in your water. I installed the sump and did all the mods before adding water. You can see what was involved in the first page of my tank thread (link in the signature line below)

I'd go with the canister option for an operating tank.

michika · #8 03-11-2008, 07:06 PM

You soak your pumps in a vinegar water outside of the tank. I usually do it as a 1:4 ratio. I wouldn't dose iodine, there are no test kits for it and there have been reported deaths due to it. You can search over on Reef Central for more details.

What are your parameters like?

ElGuappo · #9 03-11-2008, 07:06 PM

i have been looking at chillers and am thinking of a 1/15 or a 1/10 HP . do you run a chiller brent? i find my abiant temp to get up to 27 C in the summer. i have not gone through a summer yet with my SW tank so i am a little intimidated with the thought of loosing all my coral though.

If i added amagnum or fluvial would i just get rid of the currnt power heads ?

This hobby has tawt me one thing. ( i am already aware i cannot spell)
i thought i knew plmbing but i am dumbfounded. i have been tring to find sites online but am unable to find anthing with the general outlines to sumps and such. all i need is a general idea so i can get the logic here . i have no idea why i am having such a hard time getting this. its a little clearer now that i realze the back part of the tank is a sump essentialy. the litiature i have bought is less than helpful

Brent F · #10 03-11-2008, 07:16 PM

I have central air conditioning so don't need a chiller.

You leave in the existing pumps with a canister. You take the water out for the cansister above the skimmer. You can return the water either to the same area in back or run the return line over the smoked glass to the main tank.

Either way, you still need the stock pumps to keep flow through the skimmer and past the heater.