Sump cleaning

[aabjones888]

I do a sump clean twice a year. I clean out all the different areas of the sump but the refugium section and soak my pumps in vinegar and I clean the complete skimmer.

 

[LittleMaui]

1+ to the bucket head

 

[Insane320]

cobalt has an inline pump that I use. one end in the sump to suck up the garbage and the other end in the filter sock. pump the water and debris into the sock, then change it out

I have a similar system we are using

 

[Insane320]

What I always have made on my tanks is something like a close loop with the return pump manifold. I close the display valve, reactors, UV and open the one for this purpose to a filter sucks. Then with a power head stir up all the debrit's from the chambers. And let it recirculate until the water in the sump looks clear again, then I replaced the filter sucks for a clean one and whalaaa. Easy, self cleaning solution.

That’s what I did

 

[MartinWaite]

I use a £5 battery fish tank vac with a hose attached in place of the vacuum bag and the hose goes into one of the socks which I then change out. I like to do it as and when time and disability allows.

 

[Scott.h]

I used to do my water changes from the sump. I'd suck all the visible detritus out weekly from every where but the fuge. I quit doing water changes in all of my systems now. Best advise is put an adequate powerhead in the intake and return sections of the sump.

 

[Bcdjoe]

I use my sump as an extra refugium with live rock and chaeto and have never cleaned it out in 10 years.

 

[Klaas]

I clean the first stage (housing the GFO- and Bio-pellet reactors) once every 3 months or so. I vacuum it out with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. The 2nd stage is the refusium which I leave alone however i can see a lot of debris at the bottom as well. Is anyone cleaning the refusium at certain intervals? Just worried that a lot of pods and other critters will be sucked up as well.

 

[Hpolascik]

I have live rock and one of those big blocks(can’t think of the name of it right now) that help reduce nitrates, skimmer, return pump, bio pellet tracter pump and regugium pump (hob style), plus the plumbing in my sump. It would take me forever to remove all my stuff. I usually tear form the pumps for blessing every couple month and I use a turkey baster to suck up debris on sump bottom

 

[srad750c]

I close valve from overflow, let return pump drain sump. Then I dump the rest of the water through a coarse fishnet. I pour the rest in yard where I need to kill weeds. I don’t scrub, lots of critters alive on walls and bottom of sump, then I feed the critters to corals and fish in tank

 

[Newb73]

I have never cleaned mine and don't plan to until my skimmer motor has to be replaced, then I'll pull the skimmer and clean it.

The section next to it is a fudge so never and I can't drain the sump without damaging the live sand/rock bed in my did fuge.

My return section gets cleaned when a main pump dies which is also next to never.

 

[lou dog420]

Never

 

[newbreefer316]

Go to Home Depot where they sell a wet/dry vac called the bucket head. Its around $20 and it attaches to your standard 5 gallon bucket. Works for well for me.

I picked one of these up and they are great, but has anyone found an extended hose for it?

 

[Bryan MD]

cobalt has an inline pump that I use. one end in the sump to suck up the garbage and the other end in the filter sock. pump the water and debris into the sock, then change it out

+1 on the cobalt and hose into the filter sock. In a small cabinet it's easy to manage the hose into the sock and not let it slip out and make a mess.

 

[Rick Mathew]

I use a Marineland H.O.T. Magnum 250 Canister Filter that I have hanging around (pun intended) that I modified to be a water vacuum...I hang it on the outside of the sump. I put the exit end into the filter sock...Turn it on and use the inlet side as the vacuum to clean out the chambers...It does a fairly decent job and it is quick setup and I don't have to drain the sump. I take a scraper & or a sponge to get the difficult bits and just let it run to clean up the fines. I don't think this pump is available any more but I am sure there are other canister pumps that could do the job...Using silicon tubing really helped in making it flexible enough to be functional...Here are some pictures...I clean the sump as needed...not so much on a time schedule, although it usually work out to be every 3 months or so

 

[James Emory]

+1 on the bucket head. I only do it every few months though. I wonder if/suspect that this is something that could be overdone? Would you be removing beneficial stuff also - pods, sponges, etc?

Hagen makes a foam filter for Aqua Clear powerheads that will filter down to one micron. You can probably hand hold it and stir all the debris up into the filter.
https://www.petguys.com/-015561105750.html

 

[MrGemini]

I haven't done a WC in over a year, The last time I cleaned my sump was about 8mos ago. Just got to make sure that you don't over feed or lighting too strong. I clean DT glass every few days as needed. I had a tank crash the day I cleaned out my sump 8mos ago and lost everything due to my temp probe fell out and heater cooked everything but a couple of clowns, tomini tang a maxima blue clam and a few mushrooms. but all I did was watch it closely and remove the die off and all has been great. I used to do WC every few weeks and clean out sump every few months but that lazy setting has set in.

but yeah, the bucket head does work great!

 

[Amps Reef Life]

Go to Home Depot where they sell a wet/dry vac called the bucket head. Its around $20 and it attaches to your standard 5 gallon bucket. Works for well for me.

Ummm... this is genius I've been using a shop vac which can be a pain to empty and clean. Going after work today to buy one of these LOL! Thanks.

 

[Amps Reef Life]

I load up an old canister filter with coarse and polishing pads and vacuum away every few months

This is also a great Idea I have one laying around THANKS!

 

[Andy G]

Has anyone tried this Cobalt Cleaner?
Seems like a good idea.