How do you clean your sump?

[kilralpine]

I am looking to find a better method for cleaning my sump, it is a fairly tight fit under my stand and I do not have a lot of moving room. I can however tear it down in the case of emergencies but it is not fun. Do you guys have any preventative ways you keep your sump clean? How about after it is dirty, how do you go about cleaning it?

So far my only method has been mix up the detritus and either use my return and capture it, or pre-siphon a hose to a mag drive outside of the tank so that it can actually siphon it out (PITA). I also run dual 3 inch filter socks and a reef octo skimmer.

Would love to get some ideas on how to keep it clean more often and easier.

 

[declanisadog]

adding a power head to keep that stuff suspended for your skimmer to suck up is an option. A shop vac is the best way in my experience, but if you're tight on space, that may not work for you.

 

[jbdreefs]

Some people use the cheap 5 gallon bucket vacuums from Home Depot. Usually they modify the end of the hose to make it smaller so that it doesnt suck water crazy fast.

 

[kilralpine]

Declanisadog;1022343 wrote: adding a power head to keep that stuff suspended for your skimmer to suck up is an option. A shop vac is the best way in my experience, but if you're tight on space, that may not work for you.

I like this idea, I hadn't really thought about it but my only concern is I have a shop in my basement and there are a lot of contaminates that go through mine. Metal shavings, septic water from an overflow ect.

 

[kilralpine]

JBDreefs;1022344 wrote: Some people use the cheap 5 gallon bucket vacuums from Home Depot. Usually they modify the end of the hose to make it smaller so that it doesnt suck water crazy fast.

Are these good about starting dry? or do you have to pre siphon it to get it running?

 

[declanisadog]

kilralpine;1022346 wrote: Are these good about starting dry? or do you have to pre siphon it to get it running?

They should be good either way. It's just a lower powered shop vac with a bucket as the receptacle. ill get you a link...

 

[declanisadog]

 

[kilralpine]

Awesome ideas man, i have a ton of HD buckets so this is looking like a great idea! What about everyone else? Dont be shy!

 

[declanisadog]

A canister filter would also work. just pack it with filter floss and go to town.

 

[mattgee87]

Declanisadog;1022364 wrote: A canister filter would also work. just pack it with filter floss and go to town.

yea i've been watching the for sale section for a cheap one

 

[enderg60]

shop vacs should be required reefing equipment.

 

[picoreefguy]

i used to keep an old korellia in my sump to keep everything suspended, it helped a good bit

 

[myreefclub0070]

i second on the wet shop vac., during water change suck the sump out and fill it back up.
done.

 

[myreefclub0070]

not to be on the opposing side of the team but I've tried the power head and didn't like suspending all the particles and having any pumped back up into the tank, so i just let it all settle in the sump that way i can just pump it out during my water change.
just another opinion.
on my other system i used a mj1200 with a hose on the out let to fill in a bucket and the other side also with a hose to suck up all the detritus.

 

[picoreefguy]

MYREEFCLUB0070;1022382 wrote: not to be on the opposing side of the team but I've tried the power head and didn't like suspending all the particles and having any pumped back up into the tank, so i just let it all settle in the sump that way i can just pump it out during my water change.
just another opinion.
on my other system i used a mj1200 with a hose on the out let to fill in a bucket and the other side also with a hose to suck up all the detritus.

i agree with not wanting anything pumped back into the tank but the easy way around that is to use a sponge to catch it all before your return pump. also if you do it from the very beginning you'll never notice any particles cause youre not stirring up a bunch thats already settled in your sump. but if its something you are adding in later then id siphon all the crud out first and then put in a power head if you want.

 

[tonymission]

I love my buckethead for cleaning the sump
Have a shop vac but it's too much to deal with for that

 

[fishdude]

<span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">I guess it depends on the size of the mechanical filtration but some of the stuff in the bottom of the sump my actually be good for the tank. In the old days people use to put mud and macro algae in their sump and some of the newer systems like ZEOvit suggest putting their filter downstream of a skimmer to release &#8220;mulm&#8221; back into the tank as coral food.</span></span>
</span></span>

 

[gacolt]

i keep hydor's in the sump and run filtersock.it keeps the sump clean

 

[crew]

I was getting online to ask this exact question - the answers are great, thanks.

 

[willie1983]

JBDreefs;1022344 wrote: Some people use the cheap 5 gallon bucket vacuums from Home Depot. Usually they modify the end of the hose to make it smaller so that it doesnt suck water crazy fast.

+1 easy and cheap didn't make my end smaller i have lots of room under my tank