Sump

[Ashlynb]

I just bought a used water box 20 gallon and I have never used a sump I need help

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

What type of help?

 

[Tangdora]

For starters I would definitely take out all the components and give them a deep clean before reusing

 

[Ashlynb]

What type of help?

How to get it running? Water level?

 

[Ashlynb]

How to get it running? Water level?

It keeps bubbling

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Please post pics of your whole set up. Back of the tank if possible and overflow box.

Trying to see what you have in order to help.

 

[UncommonSense]

How to get it running? Water level?

The water level will only change in the chamber with the return pump (rear right) with the system up and running! — leave enough reserve space in the sump during operation that it can accept display tank drainage during a power outage or return pump unplug without overflowing!

It keeps bubbling

With the system running; slowly close the red handled valve a bit at a time, wait 90 seconds between adjustments… stop closing it as soon as the bubbles stop! (Usually as the second drain starts having a trickle of water flow through it!)

 

[Ashlynb]

Please post pics of your whole set up. Back of the tank if possible and overflow box.

Trying to see what you have in order to help.

I can’t really take a picture of the back of tank but here is a few more pics

 

[Ashlynb]

The water level will only change in the chamber with the return pump (rear right) with the system up and running! — leave enough reserve space in the sump during operation that it can accept display tank drainage during a power outage or return pump unplug without overflowing!


With the system running; slowly close the red handled valve a bit at a time, wait 90 seconds between adjustments… stop closing it as soon as the bubbles stop! (Usually as the second drain starts having a trickle of water flow through it!)

 

[Ashlynb]

.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

@UncommonSense gave some great advice.

The only other thing I would add is you want to slowly adjust the red valve until the water in the black overflow box is just below the lip of the pipe that doesn’t have a strainer on it.

That pipe is your emergency drain pipe and should only have water going in it if your other pipe were to get clogged.

 

[Ashlynb]

@UncommonSense gave some great advice.

The only other thing I would add is you want to slowly adjust the red valve until the water in the black overflow box is just below the lip of the pipe that doesn’t have a strainer on it.

That pipe is your emergency drain pipe and should only have water going in it if your other pipe were to get clogged.

Okay thank you. Is both grey pipes supposed to be in the same box in the sump?

 

[UncommonSense]

Okay thank you. Is both grey pipes supposed to be in the same box in the sump?

Yes, they are the main, and emergency drain pipes! They both go into the same chamber.

 

[Ashlynb]

Yes, they are the main, and emergency drain pipes! They both go into the same chamber.

Okay thank you. Also do you think I can reuse the sand that the previous owners had or just dump and get new live sand? Also I seen little half inch worm looking things in the tank are those good or bad?

 

[UncommonSense]

Okay thank you. Also do you think I can reuse the sand that the previous owners had or just dump and get new live sand? Also I seen little half inch worm looking things in the tank are those good or bad?

The whole thing would be best off being at least partially disassembled and cleaned out!

I personally like to at least wash out sand before I reuse it; just stick it in a bucket outside, then run a hose at high flow into the bucket of sand, stirring it up, letting the detritus overflow out until the water clears up! (Rinse in RODI water after, or let sit for a day before using)

Those worms are almost certainly a “pest” known as a bristle worm; don’t touch them with your bare hands, they have basically fiberglass splinters covering their bodies!

The majority of bristle worms and any other marine creepy crawlies will be killed off by the fresh water rinse of the sand…


Do you know how long this tank has been running for? Has the circulation of water been off for very long? This will dictate how you clean (or don’t clean) the rocks!

 

[Ashlynb]

The whole thing would be best off being at least partially disassembled and cleaned out!

I personally like to at least wash out sand before I reuse it; just stick it in a bucket outside, then run a hose at high flow into the bucket of sand, stirring it up, letting the detritus overflow out until the water clears up! (Rinse in RODI water after, or let sit for a day before using)

Those worms are almost certainly a “pest” known as a bristle worm; don’t touch them with your bare hands, they have basically fiberglass splinters covering their bodies!

The majority of bristle worms and any other marine creepy crawlies will be killed off by the fresh water rinse of the sand…


Do you know how long this tank has been running for? Has the circulation of water been off for very long? This will dictate how you clean (or don’t clean) the rocks!

Okay will do. It was running 3 years and we went to pick it up last nIght and it was still running so it’s only been off for about 12 hours

 

[Ashlynb]

The whole thing would be best off being at least partially disassembled and cleaned out!

I personally like to at least wash out sand before I reuse it; just stick it in a bucket outside, then run a hose at high flow into the bucket of sand, stirring it up, letting the detritus overflow out until the water clears up! (Rinse in RODI water after, or let sit for a day before using)

Those worms are almost certainly a “pest” known as a bristle worm; don’t touch them with your bare hands, they have basically fiberglass splinters covering their bodies!

The majority of bristle worms and any other marine creepy crawlies will be killed off by the fresh water rinse of the sand…


Do you know how long this tank has been running for? Has the circulation of water been off for very long? This will dictate how you clean (or don’t clean) the rocks!

But everything is sitting in water

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

If it were me, I would empty all the water and dump the sand. Then fill with tap water and add citric acid and let it run with the citric acid water for 24 to 48 hrs. Soak the skimmer, all your pipes and everything else in it. Once done rinse everything really well.

In a small tank like that I would personally get new sand. You probably need just one bag and you will avoid potential issues if the old sand isn’t rinsed well enough.

Also, just to confirm you don’t have any fish or corals in there right?

 

[UncommonSense]

Okay will do. It was running 3 years and we went to pick it up last nIght and it was still running so it’s only been off for about 12 hours

Okay, you’re probably still good then; it’s unlikely that the beneficial bacteria in the live rock has died off!

You’ll want to move all the rock (and any livestock!) to a dedicated plastic container (large tote, trash can, bin, etc!) with tank saltwater and some sort of water moving pump to keep it alive while you clean the rest of the system up for starters…

This assumes the system still has saltwater in it after the move! — putting the rock in fresh water will kill off the beneficial bacteria living in its porous structure!

 

[Ashlynb]

If it were me, I would empty all the water and dump the sand. Then fill with tap water and add citric acid and let it run with the citric acid water for 24 to 48 hrs. Soak the skimmer, all your pipes and everything else in it. Once done rinse everything really well.

In a small tank like that I would personally get new sand. You probably need just one bag and you will avoid potential issues if the old sand isn’t rinsed well enough.

Also, just to confirm you don’t have any fish or corals in there right?

Do I take out the bio from the sump or run the citric acid through it as well? No I took the clownfish out and put her in my other tank but there is some like mushrooms on one of the rocks