Do you keep your sumps dirty or clean?

[PlanB]

So, I'm curious how others maintain their sumps, and if there is a benefit to keeping it somewhat messy, or if its best to clean it regularly. How does everyone here tend to their sumps?

Currently I have a bunch of pineapple sponges popping up on the walls of my sump, and some trace amounts of detritus on the floor of sump. I do not run a refugium, but I suspect that might change sump maintenance as well. I realize that dirty and clean are relative terms, so for this use my description above to mean dirty (and maybe one could go dirtier?), and clean to mean nothing growing and nothing on the floor of the sump.

 

[dew9000]

I try to leave the sponges on the walls alone but suck up the detritus on the bottom when doing a water change.

 

[Dalton Hunter]

I like to let that be the "dirty" side of the tank. I remove most of the algae on the glass of the DT but some corals like some dirty water so that give it a continuous dose of some dirty water.

 

[Labridaedicted]

I leave the live stuff, but remove as much of the detritus as possible.

 

[nervousmonkey]

I clean detritus from the sump, only because I am actively trying to keep nutrient levels down. If you don't have a nutrient problem, why do it? A lot of people don't, including Dr. Randy. Just depends on the goals of your tank.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

The dirty look doesn't hurt but I like it to look clean! HA! Almost impossible to keep it that way.

 

[masssnapz]

Dirty dirty dirty. Gotta have something nasty in the mix. I've always kept it dirty and my tank pristine. I really only clean it out when I have to clean the return and even then I only clean out the return section.

 

[HiddenUser]

I like to keep it on the cleaner side of things.

 

[cloak]

I leave the live stuff, but remove as much of the detritus as possible.

+1

I don't have any baffles or a refugium either, so keeping the sump clean is actually pretty easy to do.

 

[dinwiddie90]

Kept mine clean. Used a 1g wet/dry vac to clean it out every other water change

 

[masssnapz]

How do you guys suck the detritus out with a water change anyways ? My sump is at floor level so getting a syphon going down there is next to impossible

 

[nervousmonkey]

How do you guys suck the detritus out with a water change anyways ? My sump is at floor level so getting a syphon going down there is next to impossible

wet dry vac. You can get a siphon to work at floor level though. The crappy hand pump kind isn't going to work. It's gross, but the ol' suction with your mouth method definitely works...

 

[masssnapz]

wet dry vac. You can get a siphon to work at floor level though. The crappy hand pump kind isn't going to work. It's gross, but the ol' suction with your mouth method definitely works...

Ohh I know the old suction mouth method. That's why I said next to impossible.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Small pump with a tube on it does well, too.

 

[Broadfield]

I like to keep mine spotless. When I designed my water change setup, I made sure that I included a way to attach a soft hose to it and just vacuum out the sump any time I do a water change.

 

[nervousmonkey]

+1, I have a little ol Syncra 2.0 with silicon hosing just for that. Attaches to intake and output and cleans out sump quick. Even does it at floor level so I don't have to get nasty sump water in my mouth

 

[BlueCursor]

Home Depot bucket head wet/dry. Sump is clean on the bottom, full of pineapple sponges on the sides.

 

[ksfulk]

Home Depot bucket head wet/dry. Sump is clean on the bottom, full of pineapple sponges on the sides.

Best $20 I've ever spent. I used to use a small pump attached to a hose, but the bucket shop vac with the little 1/4" hose attachment kit make the job super easy and I know exactly how much water to replace once the vac stops

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Best $20 I've ever spent. I used to use a small pump attached to a hose, but the bucket shop vac with the little 1/4" hose attachment kit make the job super easy and I know exactly how much water to replace once the vac stops

That's how I clean mine as well.

 

[Brew12]

Home Depot bucket head wet/dry. Sump is clean on the bottom, full of pineapple sponges on the sides.

Best $20 I've ever spent. I used to use a small pump attached to a hose, but the bucket shop vac with the little 1/4" hose attachment kit make the job super easy and I know exactly how much water to replace once the vac stops

That's how I clean mine as well.

I never thought of that. Can you use it to clean gravel in the DT or is it too strong for that?