Detritus in sump

[Bob Escher]

OK guys i noticed detritus just sitting at the bottom of my sump next to the skimmer. So I decide to buy a little pump n placed it at bottom of sump to prevent detritus from sinking to bottom ..is this a good idea or should I remove pump n let the detritus sit at bottom n let build up ? Heres a picture to show how its placed in my sump with a red circle around it .. Was also curios to know how high my lights should b from the top of the tank ..I think my lights are around 8 1/2 ?

Love your Skimmer is it the 5 or 7, I have the 5

 

[salty150]

If you are using at least a 200 micron filter sock - how is debris getting into your sump?

 

[adonis854]

Love your Skimmer is it the 5 or 7, I have the 5

i believe its the 5...but i just pulled a rookie move and was about to remove the waste in the skimmer top chamber and i accidentally spilled the waste in the sump and now it all went through the jet and now into the displayed tank..what can happen ?as my skimmer is going crazy now after i cleaned it and reinstalled it...im concerned ..

 

[tigé21v]

i believe its the 5...but i just pulled a rookie move and was about to remove the waste in the skimmer top chamber and i accidentally spilled the waste in the sump and now it all went through the jet and now into the displayed tank..what can happen ?as my skimmer is going crazy now after i cleaned it and reinstalled it...im concerned ..

It'll settle down after a few hours. You'll be ok.

 

[adonis854]

It'll settle down after a few hours. You'll be ok.

It'll settle down after a few hours. You'll be ok.

ok ty for the quick reply i appreciate the feedback..i started to panic as i watched the hole thing get some what milky but the flow i have with the mp40 and the skimmer running it sort of cycled quickly and DT is clearing up...none of my corals or sps are showing signs of stress ...i work tommorrow so i wont b able to monitor the tank...

 

[CenlaReefer]

I use a Shop Vac, just the cheap one that attaches to a 5 gallon bucket. Suck that crap right on out of there and do a water change at the same time. Works really well.

I do the same and love this very affordable method for cleaning a sump. My only complaint that the shop vac sucks too fast. You really have to move fast and be prepared when you turn that baby on. The 5 gallon bucket likely only fills about 3.5-4 gallons and does so VERY fast.

 

[tigé21v]

ok ty for the quick reply i appreciate the feedback..i started to panic as i watched the hole thing get some what milky but the flow i have with the mp40 and the skimmer running it sort of cycled quickly and DT is clearing up...none of my corals or sps are showing signs of stress ...i work tommorrow so i wont b able to monitor the tank...

Skimmers overflow all the time. Same thing as what you did. Won't be a problem. Go to work and don't stress on it.

 

[tigé21v]

I do the same and love this very affordable method for cleaning a sump. My only complaint that the shop vac sucks too fast. You really have to move fast and be prepared when you turn that baby on. The 5 gallon bucket likely only fills about 3.5-4 gallons and does so VERY fast.

Go to the big box store and get a reducing fitting to stick in the end of the shop vac hose. May take a few tries, but you'll figure something out. you can reduce it from the 1" or 1 1/4" hose size all the way down to 1/2" if you'd like. If you want to get creative, with a hacksaw and a little heat, and you can make a mini sweeper nozzle for it, like you use on your floors. Get really wild, and cut the heads off of some old toothbrushes and super glue them to the end of the nozzle so you can do some scrubbing if you need to.

 

[seastar]

Shop vac user here as well, It's just part of my water change routine and it keeps things sparkling clean. I also use a pump to keep more of it suspended and therefor working it's way back to the corals.

 

[BobDale]

Shop vac. I have one sitting right beside me and I never thought of that. I've been using one of those squeeze bulb siphon things from the lfs. Geez!

 

[seastar]

Shop vac. I have one sitting right beside me and I never thought of that. I've been using one of those squeeze bulb siphon things from the lfs. Geez!

I use both really, the shop vac in the sump and the squeeze ball in the display- because the vac would suck up about half my sand and any unlucky critters that ended up getting too curious about what this new thing was, hahaha. Im going to try the reducer idea mentioned earlier as well on my vac to buy my some more time to clean things up in the sump. 5 gallons really does get sucked up in the blink of an eye.

 

[jwarren220]

Of course if you have a dirty sump you have to clean it first from all that detritus.
Once clean add a pump of some sort and you never need to clean again.
I don't run socks and have the water moved by a pump for about 10 years now I have a white bottom sump and it's still white.
Than again I need all the nutrients I can get back into my tank as if I don't feed for a day my Po4 is undetectable and if no dose of No3 is applied I will drop down to 1ppm or lower in that same day.
Not all tanks are the same of course but putting it back into the system works for me.
Oh did I mention I dose skimmate on weekly schedule too

You so crazy Ben I'm not surprised to see some of the methods that you are successful with. Like a mad scientist lol. I have done this by accident with a skimmer overflowing and thought if in small doses this was beneficial? It was certainly not in the incidental dosing ha. Like minds

 

[carlson]

OK guys i noticed detritus just sitting at the bottom of my sump next to the skimmer. So I decide to buy a little pump n placed it at bottom of sump to prevent detritus from sinking to bottom ..is this a good idea or should I remove pump n let the detritus sit at bottom n let build up ? Heres a picture to show how its placed in my sump with a red circle around it .. Was also curios to know how high my lights should b from the top of the tank ..I think my lights are around 8 1/2 ?

My combination of a filter sock AND a little circulation pump solves this for me. I would not let it build up, it will just add decaying waste and nitrates into your tank.

 

[hart24601]

I put a t and ball valve off return pumps just for sump circulation on my fw and sw tanks so I don't have to put another pump in the system. Works great, clean sumps. I don't know why anyone would be against it.

 

[adonis854]

I put a t and ball valve off return pumps just for sump circulation on my fw and sw tanks so I don't have to put another pump in the system. Works great, clean sumps. I don't know why anyone would be against it.

CAN U SHOW ME A PIC OF HOW THAT IS BEING PERFORMED ?

 

[hart24601]

Sure. Nothing fancy. Just have spa flex off the pump that goes back into the sump and can adjust flow with the ball valve. Works pretty slick.

 

[tigé21v]

Ok. This thread motivated me to clean out my Rubbermaid sump after many, many years. Did a 120 gallon water change in an effort to get all the stuff out. There was some serious mud. Got most of it, but not all of it. Still need to do a little vacuuming, and pull it offline and take it outside and give it a good scrub.
Till then, I think I want to put some powerheads in there to keep things from settling again. Ideally, have them kick on overnight.
My question is, what is a good reliable powerheads that will take the on/off cycles?
Honestly, I'm leaning towards the old school maxijet/sureflow mod. The old time maxijets. The Marineland brand has something to be desired, the ones I've had in the past were 50/50 of they started in forward or reverse.
Do they even make the sureflow mods anymore??
Sorry if I derail this thread, I can start a new one in the appropriate forum if that would be better

 

[adonis854]

Ok. This thread motivated me to clean out my Rubbermaid sump after many, many years. Did a 120 gallon water change in an effort to get all the stuff out. There was some serious mud. Got most of it, but not all of it. Still need to do a little vacuuming, and pull it offline and take it outside and give it a good scrub.
Till then, I think I want to put some powerheads in there to keep things from settling again. Ideally, have them kick on overnight.
My question is, what is a good reliable powerheads that will take the on/off cycles?
Honestly, I'm leaning towards the old school maxijet/sureflow mod. The old time maxijets. The Marineland brand has something to be desired, the ones I've had in the past were 50/50 of they started in forward or reverse.
Do they even make the sureflow mods anymore??
Sorry if I derail this thread, I can start a new one in the appropriate forum if that would be better

NOT A BIG DEAL..IM GLAD MY THREAD MOTIVATES OTHERS TO PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO SUMP AND REALLY GETTING GOOD IDEAS FROM OTHERS ..