Do you routinely clean your sump/refugium?

[serenitynow]

I have a DIY sump that has a refugium in between the water "IN" and the water "OUT". It has about 2 inches of sand, live rock rubble and some chaeto. I haven't touched it in about a year and you can't even see through he glass its so built up with algae and chaeto.

I am not having any problems and my corals and fish are doing ok but could they be doing better with a clean sump?

So, my question is do you all clean your sump regularly; ie. clean the glass, siphon, etc?

Thanks!

 

[jef4y]

I clean the glass and trim my macro algae but haven't ever cleaned the substrate. I did have a MASSIVE Emerald crab in the sump. (like 2" wide body + legs) but he croaked when he decided to see what the skimmer chamber was all about and then couldn't get back over.

If anything, toss a few crabs in the sump. They wiill keep things ship-shape. But you should really be trimming your macro algae back.

 

[mc524]

Once a quarter I remove the sump, (no sand) bare bottom with just live rock. I fully clean the glass, skimmer, pump, and check valve. Then put everything back together. I don't keep any algae in my sump.

 

[enderg60]

I clean out my fuge about every 6 months.

Remove and shake off all the rocks and vacuum it out. Its amazing the amount of detritus that collects in there.

 

[tony_caliente]

No...but not because I didn't try. I bought the HD Bucket-top Wet vac. Used it once because water shot out of the back of the vacuum/pail all over the 2 month old hardwoods.

 

[racinrevo0818]

I try to clean in every 6 months... Only takes a few hours but what a pain!!!

 

[heathlindner25]

Tony_Caliente;829234 wrote: No...but not because I didn't try. I bought the HD Bucket-top Wet vac. Used it once because water shot out of the back of the vacuum/pail all over the 2 month old hardwoods.

you can only fill that bucket so high...lol

 

[tony_caliente]

and I was wrong

heathlindner25;829258 wrote: you can only fill that bucket so high...lol

 

[ralph atl]

My sump consists of all hoses entering & leaving, skimmer, and an additional removable tray (almost 2L of matrix in reactor) of 2L matrix, and skimmer....Every week I use my Lowes (much better than HD in this item only) Bucket head and vaccum sump until almost dry.......

twice a year I do the same with overflow....