Cleaning Sump

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 02:04 PM

I just got done cleaning my sump. I'm barebottom and don't run anything in my sump, so I have to clean detrius out about every three months. I run socks and change them regularly so I don't get much in the sump.

As the sump sits in the bottom of my cabinet, it isn't too much higher than the floor. I use a mag 3 to drain the sump but there's always about at least a half inch or less left. As I have a 20 gallon sump, this is quite a bit of water. Thus far, I just bail a half cup at a time until I can get any more, then use a rag, soak and squeeze until empty. There's got to be a better way.

What does everyone else do? I'm very open to idea's, in fact I'm looking for any thoughts, please!!

Thanks!!

ihopss · 02/10/2008, 02:13 PM

Try a shopvac

kau_cinta_ku · 02/10/2008, 02:13 PM

use the python works great for that stuff.

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 02:18 PM

Ok ready for this.It may take several attempts,but when you get that hang of it its like riding a bike.

Using a piece of hose 3' or so,start a siphon in the main display of the tank,now while the hose is still under the water in the main display cover the end of the hose thats in the main display with your thumb TIGHT!! any leak in pressure will result in a failed attempt.The other end of the hose MUST remain submerged under water.

Now after you have mastered that.Move the end of the hose that you have covered with your thumb into your sump,& vaccume all the detritus out.

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 02:26 PM

I had a shop vac that would suck water, but gave it away when I relocated to an apartment, no room.

I'm going to try the siphon method next time. If I get most of the water I'm ahead. I'll also be able to remove the RO/DI rinse after cleaning if I get good.

Thanks everyone, my back thanks you also!!!

nuggsgalore · 02/10/2008, 02:29 PM

Do you want to spend money? If not you can try BLKTANG's trick of moving a siphon.

If you have a few dollars laying around begging to be tossed into your tank: buy a small submersible pump and enough tube to get it to either the sink or smaller bucket that can be hauled to the sink.

Just make sure you have enough head to get the water where you want.

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 02:39 PM

nuggsgalore,

I've been using a mag 3 and invert it to keep the intake flat to the bottom, but no matter how hard I try, it starts sucking air. It's that last bit which is the problem. You wouldn't think it'd leave much, but in a twenty gallon sump, it's enough that I'm bailing for a while and I have to do it twice, on each side of the baffle.

I had seen a vacumn style pump a while back, which would also allow me to vacumn the small piles of detrius in the main display.
With the way my flow is directed this isn't too much of a problem and I've been able to do it with the siphon, just running to my sock.

nuggsgalore · 02/10/2008, 02:55 PM

Ahh gottcha. I'm sure you have tried lifting one end and flooding all the water to one end as you got close to the bottom. How much (in inches) are we talking about left in the bottom?

You could try a shammy.

slapshot16 · 02/10/2008, 03:03 PM

How about a large capacity sponge. They can hold quite a bit of water. Squish it flat and let it slowly suck up the water. Then use it to wipe down the sump.

Aquarist007 · 02/10/2008, 03:07 PM

I use a maxijet1200 with the base cut short and two pieced of garden house. Use the suction cups to fix the pump to the tank with the base on the bottom of the sump or move it around by hand.

Aquarist007 · 02/10/2008, 03:09 PM

when its done--I reverse the procedure this time sticking the powerhead in the 20 gal plastic garbage can holding the water for my change
compete sump and water change under 10 min

cloak · 02/10/2008, 03:42 PM

Just use a powerhead and get everything circulating into the water column. Guessing everything you might be vacuming out is inert, but if there is live stuff in there, your canceling out the purpose of a refuge.

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 07:22 PM

Don't have a refuge, just a place for my skimmer, UV and overflow to pass through the sock. I thought about the sponge and may look for one that isn't treated.

I'm guessing that most folks have something in their sump, so there is no reason to drain/clean it. I have about two, maybe three inches of height differences between the bottom of the fuge tops, and whatever I put on the floor to drain into. It's why the siphon has been tough to get to work.

I'm upgrading to a new, higher stand and was thinking about raising the sump inside of it, to enable the siphon to work better.

Can't believe more people haven't had this problem.

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tcollins
Don't have a refuge, just a place for my skimmer, UV and overflow to pass through the sock. I thought about the sponge and may look for one that isn't treated.

I'm guessing that most folks have something in their sump, so there is no reason to drain/clean it. I have about two, maybe three inches of height differences between the bottom of the fuge tops, and whatever I put on the floor to drain into. It's why the siphon has been tough to get to work.

I'm upgrading to a new, higher stand and was thinking about raising the sump inside of it, to enable the siphon to work better.

Can't believe more people haven't had this problem.

The mythod i told you about is the cheepest way,& takes a whole 4min & 27 seconds to vaccume out my 40g sump.

Then the money that you save on Maxijet can be used for coral,drygoods,or fish.

Im not a cheep person at all,my reef is my biggest expence next to my home,& car.(Yes i spend more time,& more money on my reef than i do on my GF)so imo,saving money on small stuff like that just feels good.

Becides the $20 i save looks better in the tank of my SL.& my sump stays clean.

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 07:38 PM

BLKTANG,

Is the difference in elevation between your sump and container as small as mine?

brians4671 · 02/10/2008, 07:39 PM

not to change the subject but. i have not added anything to my fuge. why do you rune a bare fuge? what benefit is there. im considering keeping mine bare. do you have powerheads in the sump?

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 07:40 PM

My sump sits in the stand under my 75g.Just about on the floor.Just keep the siphon active in the hose,by holding your thumb over the hose tight.

It sounds like alot,but it is sooooooooo simple.

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 07:44 PM

My container,5g bucket,sits on the floor right outside my tank where my sump is.

Rember to have the end of the hose in the bucket under water,or you cannot hold siphon.

It sounds like alot,but its sooooooo easy.Ive been vaccuming my sump out this way for 8 years.Same piece of 3' 1/2" hose.

Jocephus · 02/10/2008, 07:46 PM

Get this...

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...amily&keepsr=1

Then you don't have to take the water out of the sump.

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 07:46 PM

After fighting the algae from hell and a dirty sand bed in my dsb for a six monts, I opted to switch to bb. I read TSean's thread on going bb and followed suit. At the time I wasn't running GFO and am not sure if this would have helped, but I don't have any algae and my display is clean, livestock doing fine.

Don't have anything in the sump other than my skimmer. I have two, 2fishies reactors I run GAC and GFO in. Like I had stated, my skimmer, UV and over flow dump into a filter sock, which I change out about twice a week. For me the benefit is the surface skimming, filtration through the sock and having everything in the sump, let's me sleep better as I'm in a second floor apartment.

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by brians4671
not to change the subject but. i have not added anything to my fuge. why do you rune a bare fuge? what benefit is there. im considering keeping mine bare. do you have powerheads in the sump?

Not sure where you are going with this,but a fuge,& sump are 2 different things.

And no you dont want to add PH's to a sump,or fuge.

brians4671 · 02/10/2008, 07:52 PM

is there a reason you say you dont want ph's in a sump or fuge?

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jocephus
Get this...

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...amily&keepsr=1

Then you don't have to take the water out of the sump.

Holey smokes $76.99!!

I can set up an 8g cube on my desk at work for $80 beans.

tcollins · 02/10/2008, 07:57 PM

Don't need a ph in the sump and from what I've read, fuge's don't need high velocity flow. This enables whatever is in the fuge to do it's thing.

BLKTANG, funny stuff. As soon as I saw PetsMart I knew it wasn't serious. LOL

BLKTANG · 02/10/2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tcollins
Don't need a ph in the sump and from what I've read, fuge's don't need high velocity flow. This enables whatever is in the fuge to do it's thing.

BLKTANG, funny stuff. As soon as I saw PetsMart I knew it wasn't serious. LOL

Yeah that was great,im still crackin up about that.

02/10/2008, 02:04 PM	#1
tcollins Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 250	Cleaning Sump I just got done cleaning my sump. I'm barebottom and don't run anything in my sump, so I have to clean detrius out about every three months. I run socks and change them regularly so I don't get much in the sump. As the sump sits in the bottom of my cabinet, it isn't too much higher than the floor. I use a mag 3 to drain the sump but there's always about at least a half inch or less left. As I have a 20 gallon sump, this is quite a bit of water. Thus far, I just bail a half cup at a time until I can get any more, then use a rag, soak and squeeze until empty. There's got to be a better way. What does everyone else do? I'm very open to idea's, in fact I'm looking for any thoughts, please!! Thanks!!

02/10/2008, 02:18 PM	#4
BLKTANG Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Never,Never Land Posts: 7,061	Ok ready for this.It may take several attempts,but when you get that hang of it its like riding a bike. Using a piece of hose 3' or so,start a siphon in the main display of the tank,now while the hose is still under the water in the main display cover the end of the hose thats in the main display with your thumb TIGHT!! any leak in pressure will result in a failed attempt.The other end of the hose MUST remain submerged under water. Now after you have mastered that.Move the end of the hose that you have covered with your thumb into your sump,& vaccume all the detritus out. __________________ We the few have done so much,for so long,for so little.That we are now qualified to do anything with nothing. ____________________________________________________________________________ Current Tank Info: RR 90 Maganvore sump,250w Hamilton fixture,VorTec's ASM skimmer.

02/10/2008, 03:07 PM	#10
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	I use a maxijet1200 with the base cut short and two pieced of garden house. Use the suction cups to fix the pump to the tank with the base on the bottom of the sump or move it around by hand. __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

02/10/2008, 03:09 PM	#11
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	when its done--I reverse the procedure this time sticking the powerhead in the 20 gal plastic garbage can holding the water for my change compete sump and water change under 10 min __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

02/10/2008, 07:40 PM	#17
BLKTANG Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Never,Never Land Posts: 7,061	My sump sits in the stand under my 75g.Just about on the floor.Just keep the siphon active in the hose,by holding your thumb over the hose tight. It sounds like alot,but it is sooooooooo simple. __________________ We the few have done so much,for so long,for so little.That we are now qualified to do anything with nothing. ____________________________________________________________________________ Current Tank Info: RR 90 Maganvore sump,250w Hamilton fixture,VorTec's ASM skimmer.

02/10/2008, 02:13 PM	#2
ihopss Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Gilmer,tx Posts: 751	Try a shopvac

02/10/2008, 02:13 PM	#3
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	use the python works great for that stuff.

02/10/2008, 02:26 PM	#5
tcollins Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 250	I had a shop vac that would suck water, but gave it away when I relocated to an apartment, no room. I'm going to try the siphon method next time. If I get most of the water I'm ahead. I'll also be able to remove the RO/DI rinse after cleaning if I get good. Thanks everyone, my back thanks you also!!!

02/10/2008, 02:29 PM	#6
nuggsgalore Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 18	Do you want to spend money? If not you can try BLKTANG's trick of moving a siphon. If you have a few dollars laying around begging to be tossed into your tank: buy a small submersible pump and enough tube to get it to either the sink or smaller bucket that can be hauled to the sink. Just make sure you have enough head to get the water where you want.

02/10/2008, 02:39 PM	#7
tcollins Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 250	nuggsgalore, I've been using a mag 3 and invert it to keep the intake flat to the bottom, but no matter how hard I try, it starts sucking air. It's that last bit which is the problem. You wouldn't think it'd leave much, but in a twenty gallon sump, it's enough that I'm bailing for a while and I have to do it twice, on each side of the baffle. I had seen a vacumn style pump a while back, which would also allow me to vacumn the small piles of detrius in the main display. With the way my flow is directed this isn't too much of a problem and I've been able to do it with the siphon, just running to my sock.

02/10/2008, 02:55 PM	#8
nuggsgalore Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 18	Ahh gottcha. I'm sure you have tried lifting one end and flooding all the water to one end as you got close to the bottom. How much (in inches) are we talking about left in the bottom? You could try a shammy.

02/10/2008, 03:03 PM	#9
slapshot16 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 341	How about a large capacity sponge. They can hold quite a bit of water. Squish it flat and let it slowly suck up the water. Then use it to wipe down the sump.

02/10/2008, 03:42 PM	#12
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Just use a powerhead and get everything circulating into the water column. Guessing everything you might be vacuming out is inert, but if there is live stuff in there, your canceling out the purpose of a refuge.

02/10/2008, 07:22 PM	#13
tcollins Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 250	Don't have a refuge, just a place for my skimmer, UV and overflow to pass through the sock. I thought about the sponge and may look for one that isn't treated. I'm guessing that most folks have something in their sump, so there is no reason to drain/clean it. I have about two, maybe three inches of height differences between the bottom of the fuge tops, and whatever I put on the floor to drain into. It's why the siphon has been tough to get to work. I'm upgrading to a new, higher stand and was thinking about raising the sump inside of it, to enable the siphon to work better. Can't believe more people haven't had this problem.

02/10/2008, 07:38 PM	#15
tcollins Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 250	BLKTANG, Is the difference in elevation between your sump and container as small as mine?

02/10/2008, 07:39 PM	#16
brians4671 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: miami fl Posts: 2,088	not to change the subject but. i have not added anything to my fuge. why do you rune a bare fuge? what benefit is there. im considering keeping mine bare. do you have powerheads in the sump?

02/10/2008, 07:44 PM	#18
BLKTANG Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Never,Never Land Posts: 7,061	My container,5g bucket,sits on the floor right outside my tank where my sump is. Rember to have the end of the hose in the bucket under water,or you cannot hold siphon. It sounds like alot,but its sooooooo easy.Ive been vaccuming my sump out this way for 8 years.Same piece of 3' 1/2" hose. __________________ We the few have done so much,for so long,for so little.That we are now qualified to do anything with nothing. ____________________________________________________________________________ Current Tank Info: RR 90 Maganvore sump,250w Hamilton fixture,VorTec's ASM skimmer.

02/10/2008, 07:46 PM	#19
Jocephus Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Dover, DE Posts: 995	Get this... http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...amily&keepsr=1 Then you don't have to take the water out of the sump.

02/10/2008, 07:52 PM	#22
brians4671 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: miami fl Posts: 2,088	is there a reason you say you dont want ph's in a sump or fuge?

02/10/2008, 07:57 PM	#24
tcollins Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 250	Don't need a ph in the sump and from what I've read, fuge's don't need high velocity flow. This enables whatever is in the fuge to do it's thing. BLKTANG, funny stuff. As soon as I saw PetsMart I knew it wasn't serious. LOL