ShopVac for your reef !!!
- Thread starter potatocouch
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mic209
Active Member
I use the Home Depot bucket head vac to suck up detritus out of my sump. It won't suck up water as fast as you think it would and does a good job of getting the detritus even when there's still water in the sump. I've been thinking about adding a water hose attachment at the bottom of the bucket and I can just let the water run down my driveway (sump is in the garage).
Reefboy1
Active Member
I personally do something similar but instead of a shopvac I use a canister filter that is intended for saltwater. I put a sock on the outlet tube and put that in my sump. This way I can clean till I have gotten everything out of my DT. After I take off the sock and drain 10 gallons of water while I clean the sump.
dgrigor02
Active Member
I also use the Home Depot Buckethead. The saltwater is going to reduce the life of it. Be sure you hands are dry when turning off the switch. I've been shocked several times by wet hands and the switch.
Tjakes680
Community Member
Have done this plenty of times just take the paper filter off shopvac and usse the foam one if u have it otherwise use none there is a ball that is a float and will cut of vacum when bucket is full not quiet 5 gal but it will suck everything out so be carefull not to put it close to anything u might not want sucked up in sump it should be fine
Reflective
Active Member
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DMan
Active Member
You still have to empty a bucket. Get yourself a maxijet 1200 and enough hose (put a valve somewhere on there to if you want.) to get to a sink. No more buckets to carry/push. I use it to empty and fill during water change. I can literally do a 15g wc in about 15min. I have a 12g shop vac that even has a hose extension to pump water out when it gets full. I use it for emergencies of course but also great for tearing down a tank. But for weekly use it was just to much, for me. It was just another piece to clean. I guess if you have a fish room with floor drains its easier, but I certainly didn't find using it made things easier for me.
Gamma
Active Member
Genius...I am definitely getting one today. I end up using a roll of paper towels to muck my sump out once my little old school tube stops suction. Wish I could dump into sink but saltwater destroys good bacteria in my septic tank so I have to haul it to ditch at back of property...such a pain!
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I went and got me the Home Depot Buckethead last night! 
chgoblknazn
Popcorn Popper
I went and got me the Home Depot Buckethead last night!
I've been using a buckethead and 2 buckets for years. It makes things so much easier and keeps my sump nice and clean.
I use bucket head, got a fitting that fits in the hose that came with it and has a barbed end to connect 1/2" hose to. I use about a 15ft section of the 1/2" hose, leave the buckethead in the bathroom, vacuum sump, remove bucket head, dump in toilet. The smaller hose let's me have more vacuum time before the bucket fills up.
Since is a wet/dry vacuum you shouldn't have any issues.
CenlaReefer
Active Member
My 75 gallon display is on a standard height stand. I was using the Home Depot Buckethead shop vac to suck out some of my gravel sandbed to go barebottom. Not knowing any better, I put the shop vac on the floor. When the shop vac motor stopped running, the water kept coming very rapidly onto my floor because I created a powerful siphon. Before trying this again, I figured that I had to put the vac-bucket combo on top of another closed bucket.
