Sludge Remover?

[texhorns98]

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage%7EPageAlias%7Emaintenance_eheim_sludge_extractor.html">http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~maintenance_eheim_sludge_extractor.html</a>

Anyone ever try one of these? Might make battling some type of algae a little easier.

 

[jennm]

Fancy schmancy gravel vacuum

Jenn

 

[wbrown]

seems backwards, we need the bacteria to denitrify the water.. it isn't in the LR alone, its also in the sandbed.

 

[texhorns98]

wbrown, so you never vacuum your sand bed at all?

Jenn, I think the idea behind this is it pushes the water back into the tank. You get to siphon vacuum without losing water, etc. For those of use who battle algae from time to time, it might be useful. I know you though...K.I.S.S

 

[wbrown]

nope, just get the stuff off the top of the gravel.
Haven't had bad things happen yet...

 

[schwimmair]

I had something similar to this for my hot tub!

 

[tgray3]

I saw that awhile back but thought it was a little too pricey. If you get one post how it works and if it's worth it. I'd be interested to know if its worth it.

 

[dakota9]

I hook my gravel cleaner up to my magnum every once in a while, works great that way....

 

[fish scales2]

Excess detritus and scum on the sand bed is a sure sign of not enough flow and lack of proper cleanup crew. I do not typically mess with the sand bed as it can release nitrates as well as destroy a portion of your biological bacteria base. In turn this could cause a spike or even worse a crash. Occasionaly I will siphon a very small area (just the top 1/4") maybe 1/10th of the entire sand bed.

 

[wbrown]

Fish Scales2;335525 wrote: Excess detritus and scum on the sand bed is a sure sign of not enough flow and lack of proper cleanup crew. I do not typically mess with the sand bed as it can release nitrates as well as destroy a portion of your biological bacteria base. In turn this could cause a spike or even worse a crash. Occasionaly I will siphon a very small area (just the top 1/4") maybe 1/10th of the entire sand bed.

We're on the same page then. If I do anything, it's just the top few grains.. usually I don't have anything to vacuum as it all goes into the 'fuge.
I have 3 Koralia 3's, two facing into the DT, and one facing along the rockwall, hidden in the lower back. Even tang poop hits the overflow.

 

[texhorns98]

I guess I need to tweak my flow patterns a little this weekend. I have one spot that all the poop seems to go to, and so I vacuum that spot when I do a WC. I guess I've heard two schools of thought on dealing with your substrate. One is try not to disturb it much at all (like here) and one was vacuum often and vacuum DEEP. Interesting idea hooking up to a Mag. How does that setup function though if it's just returning the water with no "filter"?