How do you clean your sump?

[Ben1]

I get alot of detrtus build up in my sump, how do you guys clean out your sumps?

 

[Anonymous]

I don't :lol:

But I do remove the diy filter box and rinse out the oyster shells each week. So I guess that is a cleaning.

 

[Anonymous]

I never did get a build up in my sump. You could vacuum it when you do a water change.

 

[Anonymous]

ShopVac? :lol:

If it gets that dirty, perhaps you can figure out a way to prefilter it with some floss, like sumps that have built in trays over bio-balls. Whether you run bioballs or not, you can use that tray to prefilter the entire sump. If your sump doesn't have a tray, perhaps some AquaClear sponges located below your overflow hoses will do the trick, it depends on your sump's configuration. How quickly does it build up? You could just syphon out the worst of it off the bottom, like in the skimmer section, or a main area where there is just equipment located. I would not clean a refugium.

Might be tricky, no matter what you do. Detritus becomes suspended so easily. Perhaps unplugging your pump and doing a syphoning and complete sump-waterchange might work for you.. Good luck

 

[Anonymous]

My next sump will be raised somewhat (having a basement fishroom, I can do things like that!!!) so I can siphon out the junk.

A turkey baster can be used to suck out small piles of detritus if you can't siphon.

 

[Anonymous]

I used the shop vac to do it when I first set up the tank and had a lot of sand get in the sump due to stupidity, and THAT was an experience :lol:

 

[Ben1]

I get a bit of crap build up in there pretty quick, and since it isnt raised I can't syphon it out. I was thinking about using filter socks on the ends of my overflow returns but have no way to hang them on the 20 L I use as a sump. I also don't have a shop vac but may need to get one!

 

[Anonymous]

Sumpy no cleany.

 

[Ben1]

Do you people who dont clean your sumps have any build up? If not how do you prevent this?

 

[melas]

I use polymicron filter bags. They are like $8 each. Put them over the return and you will have NOTHING in your sump (plus they are great for polishing your water)! They work like a dream. If you do this make sure you buy a lot of them though. If you don't clean them regularly (like every week) you will have a nitrate factory. I just wait until i have 3 or 4 dirty ones and then throw them in the washing machine with a little bleach. Good as new on the otherside!

 

[Ben1]

Do you leave an open end on the bag? I would think otherwise you risk on clogging and the tank overflowing.

 

[Anonymous]

My favorite method is filter floss in the tray. Easy to change out. I don't even bother to clean it, just change it right out. If I had to build my own sump, I would find some way to have filter floss as a pre-filter. You can run anything in there, carbon, Chemi-Pure, Phos-Gard, or micron pads if necessary.

There is only one drawback...not changing it out can lead to ahhhhhh flooding :lol: I wish someone would design a marketable sump with a re-routable route Yes, I know, they do, but not really. The trays are right up against the acrylic, and flooding can still occur. Perhaps something dead center of the sump, so that overflow can be re-directed into another pre-filtered area, or some other way it can bypass.

Oops, sorry, I was just rambling on in my head there.

Carry on

 

[Anonymous]

I let Len clean out the sump :lol:





I rarely clean my sumps out. There is a lot of life in them, hermits, stars, snails, etc... that seem to thrive on what collects in the corners.

 

[Anonymous]

I get a long straw and an empty stomach...works wonders! :wink:

I have never cleaned out my sump.

 

[melas]

Do you leave an open end on the bag? I would think otherwise you risk on clogging and the tank overflowing.

The bags are large and as i said, changed weekly. Never had any problems with flooding. My sumps are just large tanks. I have no other mechanical filtration so I just allow the sump return to hang inside the sump tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I go at it once and a while with a nylon net.

 

[Anonymous]

I go at it once and a while with a nylon net.

Um, would this be your idea of "protection"? A nylon net?! They say latex is best, well, unless you have allergies. Lambskin is an alternate, but is more prone to breakage. Use your condom sense! but hey, whatever works

*helpful*

 

[Anonymous]

 

[danmhippo]

I flush detritus back to the tank through the pump as coral food.

Only occasionally would I siphon it out. The room where the tank was is a bit higher then the rest of the house, which made siphon possible

 

[Anonymous]

Do you people who dont clean your sumps have any build up? If not how do you prevent this?

no buildup in the sump/refug area. But I do get a lot of stuff out of my diy filter box each week. And the overflow sponge pre filter. All the water going to the sump goes through those first.