cleaning sump - how to?

[dirtysumpguy]

Hey everyone,

My tank has been up for a couple of years now and the sump is getting very dirty - there is sooo much of whitish/grey "snow" down there - any time I move something, it all kicks up and clogs up the return pump and some of it makes it into the main tank.

What does everyone do to clean this up? I get the feeling I'm gonna have to pull out all of my equipment and do a lot of manual scrubbing next water change (good thing I guess is that I can finally get my pacific candy basslet back into the main display)

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

It's been too many years for me, dirtysumpy. But let me be among the first to say hello and welcome.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'm going to suggest you reassess your sump set-up, because it sounds like it's become a detritus trap. Get it cleaned out, definitely, but I think something may need to be done about circulation down there (just shooting from the hip with less than half a cuppa joe in me here) so that detritus doesn't just collect. I find myself wondering what your nitrate level is like. If it's low, then.. I guess I'd say if it ain't really broke don't fix it.

 

[Anonymous]

My suggestion would be to use a powerhead connected to a hose to suck out the detritus when you do your next water change. Then leave the powerhead in the tank, clipped somewhere, so it can keep detritus in suspension and therefore easier to remove. It needn't be anything fancy. A Maxijet would do the job admirably.

 

[dirtysumpguy]

My nitrates are undetectable - I do large week/semi-weekly water changes and dose vodka, so my levels are all good. but I do like the idea of running a power head down there...it should stop the garbage from accumulating down there.

 

[Anonymous]

Shop vac.

Louey

 

[dirtysumpguy]

thanks seamaiden for the welcome - I've been on reefcentral since about 2002, but for many reason's I've really stopped visiting there about 6 months ago and I'm shopping for a new forum!

 

[dirtysumpguy]

funny thing is, I've seriously thought about using my shopvac for this job!!

 

[Anonymous]

funny thing is, I've seriously thought about using my shopvac for this job!!

Don't forget to remove the dust filter.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

funny thing is, I've seriously thought about using my shopvac for this job!!

Don't forget to remove the dust filter.

Louey

What Louey said :lol: they do work very well for this application.

 

[Anonymous]

My nitrates are undetectable - I do large week/semi-weekly water changes and dose vodka, so my levels are all good. but I do like the idea of running a power head down there...it should stop the garbage from accumulating down there.

You could also do your water changes from down there once in a while (just guessing you're performing the change in the tank volume, pumps off). Where's all the stuff coming from, do you think? You could also drop a Magnum filter with a particulate cartridge on it, just on the sump. Stir it up with the pumps OFF, and filter that with the Magnum. Just throwin' it out there, it's kind of unusual for someone to have such a problem with detritus but no real problems with water quality. Not that it's a bad thing, just unusual.

 

[Len]

Go with a shop vac. It was a life saver for me during my rebuild. I don't think I could have cleaned my tank and sump without it.