Do you put a power head in your overflow box?

[CyberGuy]

If you have a big overflow box inside your tank, do you put a small power head inside it to stir up the detritus and keep the detritus suspended for it to get down to the drain line easier and to keep the overflow box cleaner?

If you do, what pump do you use? I guess you have to use a pump that is small but powerful enough to fit between all the pipes inside the overflow box.
Is the Ecotech mp10 overkill for it? At least it is controllable and has a small profile. You will probably need to tie a string to the wet side to fish it out of the deep overflow box.
Or maybe just use a small power head pump that is cheap and small like a Hydor.

Also, do you leave the pump on 24/7 or only turn it on on occasions and as needed.

Also, do you use the power head that has a magnet mount or just leave it suspended inside the overflow box.

I think that you have to buy a reliable pump because you cannot see it and if the magnetic portion burst and rust, then your tank will be in big trouble.

 

[Reef AquaCult]

Yes I have a small $20 powerhead from amazon inside mine at the bottom to keep detritus suspended. MP10 is overkill unless your swimming in $$

 

[ca1ore]

I never bothered as you get quite a lot of circulation down through the overflow regardless. Plus, I used to get a lot of feather dusters at the bottom of the overflow that I figured were actually consuming the nutrients. If you do use one, a small powerhead will suffice.

 

[Coastie Reefer]

I don't keep one in my overflow, but I do keep a few in my sump to kill dead spots. The MP10 is way overkill... I use old (like 10 years old) korallia nanos.

 

[Katrina71]

I never even thought about this. Smart.

 

[madweazl]

Nope; I dont care much about detritus period.

 

[mfinn]

no, not a issue

 

[homer1475]

Nope I don't use one. What I do is to pull my main siphon and return lines(tower style oveflow), turn my return on and let the detritus flush down the main siphon hole into a filter sock.

 

[X-37B]

No. I do use a turkey baster every now and then to get the detrius suspended. Maybe once a month
I have a corner overflow so its easy.
Center overflow not so easy.

 

[nitrodude]

Some time back I took down someone's Fowlr tank...the overflow boxes had a TON of bristle works in it. Guess they got trapped there and just ate crud all day.

I pulled the standpipe and flushed them out. Which I guess you could do periodically for detritus too if you wanted

 

[homer1475]

Some time back I took down someone's Fowlr tank...the overflow boxes had a TON of bristle works in it. Guess they got trapped there and just ate crud all day.

I pulled the standpipe and flushed them out. Which I guess you could do periodically for detritus too if you wanted

Ever see the video on youtube where a guy had a bristle worm infestation in his stand pipes? There were literally hundreds of them in such a mass they clogged his standpipes.

 

[CyberGuy]

I cannot easily pull out the stand pipe because my tank has a canopy.

 

[Albertan22]

No my tank doesn’t accumulate detritus down there in any quantity. I just dropped a hermit crab in there, he’s been happy and healthy in there for many years.

 

[drawman]

I've thought about using a maxijet right before water changes. I don't think I can pull the pipe on my RSR to get the overflow to drain but that's the easy way.

 

[jkcoon]

nope, couple times a year I pull the durso tube and flush it out

 

[nitrodude]

No my tank doesn’t accumulate detritus down there in any quantity. I just dropped a hermit crab in there, he’s been happy and healthy in there for many years.

Poor dude. Lives in a dark, tiny box with no friends. Eating whatever tiny scraps come over the overflow. ;Hilarious

 

[Bassmaster116]

i have a cheap one in mine works great!

 

[Midrats]

Detritus is people!!!