Nature's Storms

[broreefr]

I was reading this book on natural reef systems and in one chapter the author started on this long winded explaination about this huge storm he was encountering in the Fl Keys. How awful the Lightning was, the wind, and how the rain was coming sideways through his camping tent. He had a captive reader because I usually read reef material while sitting on the throne ~ but I regress. I didnt see the connection to our tanks and a storm that ruined part of his vacation.

He then went on to point out that the following morning dead and loose Algae were washed up on the banks along with loose seaweed and other trash,( the oceans natural skimming) weakened corals were pulverized and naturally fragged, only the strong survived. the Reef itself had been refreshed by the storm. He stressed that we need these storms to occur in our systems if we are to mimic nature and refresh our systems.

I figure what the Hey ~ I'll give it a try, kinda makes sense. So off to the two tanks I go with a maxi-jet 1200 in hand, and the knowledge that if they crashed because of this, I would never own up to it. I did a number on them, I am talking full out CLOUDS of dust everywhere and today, less than 24 hours later, I can hardly believe the difference. The water is the clearest I have ever seen it, I mean nothing floating in it, the rocks I look at and say OH YEAH thats how they used to look, and everybody in the tanks seem as happy as can be. Gave the Skimmers a heck of a work out too. I will be planning future tornadoes on a regular basis.

Just thought I would share that, I am sure the long time reefkeepers are aware of it, but it blew my mind.

 

[vettesarebest]

Sounds like a good idea. Did you also do a water change?

 

[wbholwell]

Yeah, I try to do this on a regular basis- usually right before a water change. I find that coraline algae grows a lot quicker on clean rocks!

 

[broreefr]

No water change this time, that is scheduled for next week. It appears, the skimmers took out the bulk of the trask this time.

 

[tsciarini]

I try to "blast" my rock atleast every water change (and sometimes once a week in addition). It should be a regular part of your maintenance schedule.
Great post Broreefr!

 

[showtime305]

Great post. I try to create a "storm" in my tank several time per year. It does seem to make the tank look much better after everything clears up.

 

[vettesarebest]

I did it yesterday and It looks much better! Ill do it every week now before water changes! Thanks guys!

 

[cameron]

Wonder it makes sense to point some MJs right at the rock and fire them off once a week or every couple weeks to stir the crap up. Thoughts?

 

[tsciarini]

I do.. except I use a Tunze. muhahaha!!! lol

 

[cameron]

I know Tunze are considered the best, but my heart jumps whenever I see the price sticker. I am going down the modded MJ route for sheer cost savings. I am guessing if you are in this long enough you eventually migrate to the best components, but for now I am still trying to straddle the price/performance rail and pick the best bang for the buck equipment. This salt stuff gets expensive FAST.

 

[washowi]

I turkey baste the reef once a week...corals love the cloud it sends out. And I run 2 Tunze 6100's..

 

[broreefr]

Straegen wrote: I know Tunze are considered the best, but my heart jumps whenever I see the price sticker. I am going down the modded MJ route for sheer cost savings. I am guessing if you are in this long enough you eventually migrate to the best components, but for now I am still trying to straddle the price/performance rail and pick the best bang for the buck equipment. This salt stuff gets expensive FAST.

I often say reefkeeping is about the cost of a nice Harley but just not as dangerous.

Expensive is definately the word for it ~ I run a tunze 6100 on my predator tank and 4 (four) 6200's in my reef tank. Needless to say I dont have lack of flow problems, but the storm sure helped. I went with the tunze's because of me being so new at reefkeeping, I wanted to make my system as foolproof (fool uh ~ that's me) as possible. With a tank the size of mine, I would be looking at a LOT of power heads for optimum flow. With all those powerheads, I would have been looking at possible heat problems, trying to place all the power heads for performance, and oh yeah the occasional anemone or blenny being sucked into it.

Go for it get the tunze's You will never regret it, as long as you place the reciept someplace where you will not be reminded of the price, and NEVER tell your better half the total costs.

Let's see I bought a 6100 and a controller....(adding machine going) then there was the photocell,....(adding machine going) then I bought 4 6200's and the 7095 controller,....(adding machine getting warm now), oh yeah and the five magnets to hold them.......see, now I'm getting depressed (tossing adding machine) Hey it least I cant get road rash from my tank

 

[msnajkowski]

I'm going to have to give it a try.

 

[darren24]

When you folks do this I am assuming that you do not blast your corals or stir up your substrate is this correct? I am going to give it a try this weekend.

 

[vettesarebest]

yeah don't stir up the sand and don't blast the corals.

 

[kappaknight]

Maroons15 wrote: yeah don't stir up the sand and don't blast the corals.

Uh, then what's the point? By that, I mean, how is this different from just regular powerhead in tank flow?

 

[chemically_balanced]

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I use the turkey baste method also. No matter how much flow you have in your tank you will all most always see a "dead spot". With the power head or turkey baste you can direct the flow where it normally doesn't go. If you try this you will see how your LR works also because you can see how blowing on one spot of your LR creates a cloud of debris from the opposite side. If you have a sand bed you, and especially a deep sand bed, you don't want to stir it up and release harmful bacteria into your water (read the poll entitled “What's on your bottom?”). You also wouldn't want to direct the current at your corals because you could harm them and possible blow them apart if they are not use to it. </span></span></span>

 

[vettesarebest]

Chemically_Balanced wrote: <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I use the turkey baste method also. No matter how much flow you have in your tank you will all most always see a "dead spot". With the power head or turkey baste you can direct the flow where it normally doesn't go. If you try this you will see how your LR works also because you can see how blowing on one spot of your LR creates a cloud of debris from the opposite side. If you have a sand bed you, and especially a deep sand bed, you don't want to stir it up and release harmful bacteria into your water (read the poll entitled “What's on your bottom?”). You also wouldn't want to direct the current at your corals because you could harm them and possible blow them apart if they are not use to it. </span></span></span>

Thats why I said that.:thumbs:

 

[showtime305]

I never blast my corals for and extended period, but I do point the powerhead at places in my tank that lack flow.

 

[tsciarini]

Maroons15 wrote: Thats why I said that.:thumbs:

Chemically_Balanced wrote: <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">If you have a sand bed you, and especially a deep sand bed, you don't want to stir it up and release harmful bacteria into your water...</span></span></span>

Key point here is "especially a deep sand bed"
You definately dont want to disturb a DSB, but I regularly use a turkey baster in my shallow sand bed (obviously the tunze will just create a mess at this).

blasting the corals just happens. As AJ mentioned as long as youre not continually blasting them, no harm will be done.