Why do some do so.

[atoll]

Or like me just leave it alone.

My latest tank is about 5 years old now. I have never cleaned my sump. Why haven't I? Well let me start by stating, I have no filter floss, no socks and no roller mat. Apart from a skimmer there is nothing else to particulate like detritus out.

So back to the question. Why dont I remove that gunk that accumulates in my sump?
A good indication to why is the amount of life within it, its teaming with lots of sponges. Copepods amphripods, mini tube worms and so on.

Now am not saying those that use mechanical filtration don't have life in their sump but my question to those who do, why? Are you sure that expensive roller mat is necessary? Are you sure its really beneficial to your DT and corals?

Many years ago I did use filter floss to remove what now lies in my sump. I have long sinced believed not only is it harmless its actually beneficial to my system and forms a large part of my beliefs in keeping a reef aquarium.

There are others if course, some quite controversial to many here. That dosen't worry me as I go by results achieved. I don't add much in the way of coral foods, vitamins, amino acids or other locations and potions. I feel.my tank doesn't need them.

I don't wish to be critical of those who employ mechanical filtration and or clean their sump of detritus as I know there is more than one way to run a reef tank. IMO less is more unless its regarding my reefscape which is a different topic altogether.

May your reef thrive whichever way you prefer to run it.
Not easy to get a good shot of my sump due to reflection.

 

[TheSheff]

I did the same thing when I lowkey neglected my last tank lol. took all filters out besides the protein skimmer. You can definitely be successful with it, but my OCD can't take how nasty it looks.

 

[atoll]

I did the same thing when I lowkey neglected my last tank lol. took all filters out besides the protein skimmer. You can definitely be successful with it, but my OCD can't take how nasty it looks.

Just don't look at it, or look at it in a different light. Like how amazing and just look at all these tiny animals I am helping.
I know, I know its not easy for you.

 

[get-salty]

Howdy from Texas.

I have two 7" filter cups that i put filter floss in along with a Reef Octo skimmer - That is it.
I do a small weekly WC roughly 5% and during the process, i try taking detritus out in each chambers as much as i can. I remove the algae growth from the over spill of the refugium light and remove few tiny baby snails here and there. This very small maintenance i do every week do not remove or make my sump super clean but the point is for maintaining the sump, not only for the esthetic but controlling the smell as my tank sits in my front living space of the house.
Long story short - its for cleanliness and freshness of having a reef tank in the house where i enjoy looking at on my days off with a glass of my fav drink.



Cheers and happy reefing.

 

[atoll]

Howdy from Texas.

I have two 7" filter cups that i put filter floss in along with a Reef Octo skimmer - That is it.
I do a small weekly WC roughly 5% and during the process, i try taking detritus out in each chambers as much as i can. I remove the algae growth from the over spill of the refugium light and remove few tiny baby snails here and there. This very small maintenance i do every week do not remove or make my sump super clean but the point is for maintaining the sump, not only for the esthetic but controlling the smell as my tank sits in my front living space of the house.
Long story short - its for cleanliness and freshness of having a reef tank in the house where i enjoy looking at on my days off with a glass of my fav drink.



Cheers and happy reefing.

Thank you for your reply.
My 110 gallon is also in my living room nobody ever says there's a smell. Detritus does not smell. If your sump smells there is something drastically wrong. Like something bad is decomposing.
IMO cleanliness and "freshness" whatever that means isnt a consideration in my sump obviously and neither are an issue and neither should they be.

 

[get-salty]

Thank you for your reply.
My 110 gallon is also in my living room nobody ever says there's a smell. Detritus does not smell. If your sump smells there is something drastically wrong. Like something bad is decomposing.
IMO cleanliness and "freshness" whatever that means isnt a consideration in my sump obviously and neither are an issue and neither should they be.

No... it doesnt have a bad smell like something is dead in there.
Its more like "seafood" or "ocean".
And for me after a WC is like swapping out my underpants - ah fresh and clean.

 

[atoll]

No... it doesnt have a bad smell like something is dead in there.
Its more like "seafood" or "ocean".
And for me after a WC is like swapping out my underpants - ah fresh and clean.

My sump smells no different than the DT. Only of I put my nose over the top.of my open top tank.do I have a slight smell like the ocean. Nobody has ever mentioned a small. How strange, do people here have the smell of the ocean in their living room if their tank is in it? Never been an issues here.

 

[ColorMeGone]

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

I did the same thing when I lowkey neglected my last tank lol. took all filters out besides the protein skimmer. You can definitely be successful with it, but my OCD can't take how nasty it looks.

Embrace the ugly. It's beautiful!

 

[keithw283]

My sump smells no different than the DT. Only of I put my nose over the top.of my open top tank.do I have a slight smell like the ocean. Nobody has ever mentioned a small. How strange, do people here have the smell of the ocean in their living room if their tank is in it? Never been an issues here.

I also can't notice a smell unless I'm directly over the tank. It's not a bad smell like you said, it just smells like the ocean. I run filter socks and a skimmer, I also plan to add an ATS and UV. Like you said, there are many ways to run a reef tank successfully. Heavy mechanical filtration works best for me.

 

[Garf]

Or like me just leave it alone.

My latest tank is about 5 years old now. I have never cleaned my sump. Why haven't I? Well let me start by stating, I have no filter floss, no socks and no roller mat. Apart from a skimmer there is nothing else to particulate like detritus out.

So back to the question. Why dont I remove that gunk that accumulates in my sump?
A good indication to why is the amount of life within it, its teaming with lots of sponges. Copepods amphripods, mini tube worms and so on.

Now am not saying those that use mechanical filtration don't have life in their sump but my question to those who do, why? Are you sure that expensive roller mat is necessary? Are you sure its really beneficial to your DT and corals?

Many years ago I did use filter floss to remove what now lies in my sump. I have long sinced believed not only is it harmless its actually beneficial to my system and forms a large part of my beliefs in keeping a reef aquarium.

There are others if course, some quite controversial to manynhere. That dosen't worry me as I go by results achieved. I don't add much in the way of coral foods, vitamins, amino acids or other locations and potions. I feel.my tank doesn't need them.

I don't wish to be critical of those who employ mechanical filtration and or clean their sump of detritus as I know there is more than one way to run a reef tank. IMO less is more unless its regarding my reefscape which is a different topic altogether.

May your reef thrive whichever way you prefer to run it.
Not easy to get a good shot of my sump due to reflection.

My wife has a skimmer and regularly cleans her socks and sump. Yet she has way more gunk in her sump than I have in my sump, even though I don't have mechanical filtration or a skimmer and don't clean the sump. Don't know why.

 

[skey44]

I agree, nothing wrong with a little detritus. I get a lot of trochus snails that settle out in the sump too which is cool. I am currently utilizing floss in filter cups just because, but I was very close to just putting LR rubble into the cups this time. I’m honestly about to remove my UV for now (originally for ostreopsis Dinos which have long been resolved) and filter floss. I only replace my floss every 2-3 weeks, I still get sump detritus, but probably a little less since adding the floss. Not sure I see a difference with or without the floss tbh. I think roller mats are overkill for sure. Sterile tank is not a healthy tank.

 

[Reefer Matt]

My sump isn’t the cleanest or fanciest either. It is just another tank under the tank and has one baffle for the skimmer. I prefer to have a filter sock on the drain because my tank is bare bottom. Whatever accumulates in the sump will blow around in the tank. I already have a lot of detritus as it is because I have five urchins that always make it. Also, cleaning the sump equipment from time to time helps keep it running good. But yeah, I’m in the middle of this one. Not clean, but not hands off.

 

[BeanAnimal]

My sump has not been cleaned in 10, maybe 15 years.

 

[BeanAnimal]

One corner -- maybe the cleanest

 

[Subsea]

Just don't look at it, or look at it in a different light. Like how amazing and just look at all these tiny animals I am helping.
I know, I know its not easy for you.

Thank you for the laugh. When my grandson was 5 years young, we lay on our bellies looking into MUD/MACRO refugium with a magnifying glass. He is in his first year of university and I am still looking at the little people that make up the microbial loop. I like Paul’s take on this with MULM:

"Mulm" in a reef tank

I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be p...

wamas.org

 

[atoll]

My wife has a skimmer and regularly cleans her socks and sump. Yet she has way more gunk in her sump than I have in my sump, even though I don't have mechanical filtration or a skimmer and don't clean the sump. Don't know why.

Maybe because detritus is a food for many corals and its being consumed.

 

[KrisReef]

Or like me just leave it alone.

My latest tank is about 5 years old now. I have never cleaned my sump. Why haven't I? Well let me start by stating, I have no filter floss, no socks and no roller mat. Apart from a skimmer there is nothing else to particulate like detritus out.

So back to the question. Why dont I remove that gunk that accumulates in my sump?
A good indication to why is the amount of life within it, its teaming with lots of sponges. Copepods amphripods, mini tube worms and so on.

Now am not saying those that use mechanical filtration don't have life in their sump but my question to those who do, why? Are you sure that expensive roller mat is necessary? Are you sure its really beneficial to your DT and corals?

Many years ago I did use filter floss to remove what now lies in my sump. I have long sinced believed not only is it harmless its actually beneficial to my system and forms a large part of my beliefs in keeping a reef aquarium.

There are others if course, some quite controversial to manynhere. That dosen't worry me as I go by results achieved. I don't add much in the way of coral foods, vitamins, amino acids or other locations and potions. I feel.my tank doesn't need them.

I don't wish to be critical of those who employ mechanical filtration and or clean their sump of detritus as I know there is more than one way to run a reef tank. IMO less is more unless its regarding my reefscape which is a different topic altogether.

May your reef thrive whichever way you prefer to run it.
Not easy to get a good shot of my sump due to reflection.

I was changing water in my fish tank yesterday and I suspect that the nitrates are still off the charts? I have a sump and skimmer and a few mesh socks that I also have not cleaned out since January of this year. I was contemplating whether I should wipe down the sump because there is and ugly patch of slime that is obscuring the view into the Refugium but I don’t know what it is so I left it alone.

I don’t know if this is the best way to keep fish but they don’t seem to mind?

I didn’t clean all the algae off the front of the display either because the Harlequin tusk has been lounging in the front corner right beneath where I add food and I like to see him hiding there when I go by.

He swam away when I came in to take this picture but he came back after he decided I wasn’t going to do anything inside the tank this morning, it’s still lights out and he loves to rest in his corner

 

[atoll]

Thank you for the laugh. When my grandson was 5 years young, we lay on our bellies looking into refugium with a magnifying glass. He is in his first year of university and I am still looking at the little people that make up the microbial loop. I like Paul’s take on this with MULM:

"Mulm" in a reef tank

I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be p...

wamas.org

You may or may not know both Paul and myself have very similar views and approach to how we believe the best way to tun a free tank and that includes no QT of any description.

 

[Subsea]

You may or may not know both Paul and myself have very similar views and approach to how we believe the best way to tun a free tank and that includes no QT of any description.

I have followed you & Albert Thiel for years. Paul & I are the same age; he has been reefing 6 months longer than I and I am 6 months older than he. Two years ago, I visited Paul at his home on Long Island.

About 7 years ago, I emulated @Paul B method and replace Jaubert Plenum in my display tank with reverse flow under gravel filter. My 25 year old mud/macro refugium was converted at the same time into a cryptic refugium by turning out the light and adding live rock in dark sump and I thank @Timfish for that. Initially the mud was .25”, after 25 years, it is 1.25”. The mud is crawling with worms and feels spongy to the touch. I consider it as an incubator that feeds diverse filter feeders.

@atoll
Glad you posted this thread.