How to clean a sump?

[chris124]

I just setup a 75 gallon tank with a sump. Can anyone tell me how to clean it and how often? The sump sits on the floor so I cant siphon.

 

[Jlobes]

shop vac?

 

[MrDJeep123]

Filter sock will prevent some of it in the future. A siphon should still work to some extent. You could take a small diameter hose and glue to the end of a baby nose sucker. I used this to target feed my corals in a deep tank I had. Although the hose was a hard plastic and it was more of a rod. It worked great to siphon little bits of detritus.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

shop vac?

Yes a shop vac is awesome! Not only sucks out the water but all the junk with it!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Matter of fact I think I will clean mine today!

 

[reef4beer]

I don't have socks. I just have a small Rio 600 moving around the pump area so everything that stays gets back in the filter and cleaned with floss

 

[Mike J.]

Matter of fact I think I will clean mine today!

I'm going to clean out my sump today, too; it's long overdue. Since I can't go to work (high 6 degrees, low -6).

 

[kuyatwo]

I use a 10 gallon shop vac. I vacuum it out 2 times every ten days when I do a 20 gallon water change.

 

[Tradewinds]

Bucket Head Wet/Dry Vac from Home Depot.

 

[Murfman]

Shop vac. Mine sucks out 15 gallons in about 20 seconds.

 

[Reefing Madness]

You can use a canister filter, with extended lines, kinda like using a shop vac, but this way you dont have to throw out the water, you just run it back into the sump.

 

[Jlobes]

You can use a canister filter, with extended lines, kinda like using a shop vac, but this way you dont have to throw out the water, you just run it back into the sump.

shop vac through a filter sock. may just work also.

 

[Swine]

Bucket Head Wet/Dry Vac from Home Depot.

This, you can then tell how much volume you pulled more easily

 

[AZDesertRat]

I use a shop vac no more than a couple times a year to vacuum out the detritus that has settled in the sump. For spot cleaning a Maxijet 1200 powerhead with a hose slipped over the discharge nozzle into a bucket makes a good vacuum as long as the debris is not too large.

 

[Jlobes]

I use a shop vac no more than a couple times a year to vacuum out the detritus that has settled in the sump. For spot cleaning a Maxijet 1200 powerhead with a hose slipped over the discharge nozzle into a bucket makes a good vacuum as long as the debris is not too large.

+1.
oh yeah...I forgot to mention that, a small mj pump and some tubing makes for an impromptu vacuum.

 

[chefb_5]

Very interesting! Never thought of using a canister filter. hmm using this idea. Can u take the rock out of the sump to clean under them and can u clean the rock off? I was always told not to disturb the rocks in the sump.

 

[Swine]

If you have a canister filter that is great but don't spend money on one. It's a pain priming them and cleaning them. I know this from first hand experience trying to use it as a means of getting every last bit of detritus out. Also the suction is weak. Get a power head and put hoses on the input to pick stuff up then put a filter sock in your tank with the drain

 

[Reefinny Verified Sponsor]

Bucket Head Wet/Dry Vac from Home Depot.

+1 on this if a smaller sump.

 

[robbrouse]

Python... Hook it up to your sink and suck it out...

 

[Heybert2]

Iuse a cheap power head I got at home depo garden center or my dimatop when I do a crazy water change and cleaning .