Do you clean your sump and why or why not?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

What'sump everyone? Happy Wednesday!

If I were to guess I would say that 90% of us have a sump tied to our reef tanks. Sumps of course are great for more water volume, hiding equipment like heaters, reactors, skimmers etc. Sumps are great for many different reasons but they are also great at getting DIRTY and getting filled with detritus! We love to keep our tanks clean because it looks good but it also cuts down on algae outbreaks and elevated levels of nitrates and more. But what about cleaning our sumps? Let's talk about it!

1. Do you worry about keeping your sump clean?

2. How often do you clean your sump?

image via @sil40sx

 

[Old Fritz]

Besides occasionally replacing filter media and wiping away salt creep I don't clean my sump. I just let whatever wants to grow down there grow

 

[shred5]

Yea I do with a shop vac.

 

[SPS2020]

I allow some detritus to build up for refugium macro, then vacuum occasionally during a water change.

 

[driftin]

I have a power head on a timer in the sump, runs for a bit each night to stir up anything that settled.

 

[SPR1968]

I sort of ‘swirl’ the water about a bit in the sump every few months with a wooden spoon (not the one I use for my stir fry though!) , so it gets sucked back up the return and through the filtration system.

Does that class as cleaning the sump, if so yes I do!

 

[dbowman5]

i am still in the first year since set up. i have little detritus in the skimmer or return sections of my sump. no algae growing there either. i clean off the front and end glass of my refugium so i can enjoy viewing the critters. the rest of it i just let roll. there is a lot going on. i am currently not skimming and have no filter socks so there is some build up in the 'fuge. The cyano that was abundant in my DT has lessened since i turned the skimmer off, i will remove some of the 'weed' plant life and detritus at some point. right now the CUC is enjoying the abundance.

 

[S.Pepper]

Every few months I will spot clean my sump of detritus. Approximately every 6 months I will empty and remove my sump. Do a complete cleaning with vinegar.

 

[Rubymoon286]

I don't keep it as clean as I feel I should, but it's a difficult task for me with my disabilities, so I only really clean it every couple of months or so when I feel it's getting too bad. I replace the sponges once a month and socks every few days.

 

[BlennyTime]

I rarely clean, I view it as things collect in the sump so they don’t collect in the tank. So not necessarily an issue for it to be a bit dirty. I’ll clean if there is an excess buildup or when I do periodic maintenance on the equipment.

 

[Steve Erekson]

I love a good cryptic zone

 

[JAMSOURY]

I have a power head on a timer in the sump, runs for a bit each night to stir up anything that settled.

Does it keep the bottom all clear?

 

[don_chuwish]

I don't worry about it but can't resist cleaning it out about once per year. Only thing it makes better is my mild OCD.

 

[afuel]

I’ll clean it every couple of months. I have my pump return line t’d back into my tank drain line and isolated with ball valves. I can just stir up the junk in my sump and it immediately goes right into my filter socks

 

[Greybeard]

I run sox, changed every other day, so there's very little detritus getting into my sump.

And yes, I clean it, annually. Once a year, I shut down the sump, remove all of the resident equipment, clean it, empty the sump itself and scrub it out completely. Inspect each component, cord, cable, etc, replace anything that's looking worn or brittle. Yeah, it takes me most of a day, but really, it's the only way to go.

 

[reef4now]

I am new to reefing,so I am running my tank with only a hob filter and do weekly water change,chemipure,floss change every two weeks.

 

[dlawrencejr]

What's the benefit of cleaning it? I run a sock before as well but do have some minor detritus in the fuge that just gets swirled up and out of the return when I add top off water. I'd be open to cleaning it more often if there was a clear benefit.

 

[chaoticreefer]

I clean mine once or twice a year, but each chamber in the sump has a powerhead (24/7) to limit any settling.

 

[Robinreefs94]

I have'nt cleaned my sump yet in my recent tank (8 months in). In the tank before that I cleaned the sump once during 3 years. I don't include things like cleaning skimmer cup or changing filter and so on, that's usually every other week or so.

 

[Cole.mormon]

Just got mine so idk