Good method for removing detrius from a sump?

psimitry · 05/08/2006, 11:14 PM

Anyone know of a good method?

I've got some building up on the bottom of my sump and because it's the lowest part of my tank, I can't siphon it out.

Was thinking there might be some sort of pump vacuum I could use, but I can't really figure that one out either...

Thoughts? Surely this is a common issue so I figure someone has figured out something ingenius that is way above my thought level.

glaudds · 05/08/2006, 11:18 PM

A shop vac works to suck out the remaining water and scum.

masterswimmer · 05/08/2006, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by glaudds
A shop vac works to suck out the remaining water and scum.

Exactly what I use.

swoopx · 05/09/2006, 07:59 AM

is removing this detrius really necessary? I have a bunch in my sump, but I don't bother with it because well, its just the sump.

rottface4 · 05/09/2006, 08:04 AM

If you do not remove the detritus after a while it will build up and begin to breakdown. As it breaks down it can release phosphates, nitrates, etc.

Sk8r · 05/09/2006, 08:16 AM

Turkey baster works in a smallish one. It leaks like a bandit, so have a collection cup very nearby.

ste6168 · 05/09/2006, 08:59 AM

i have used a small canister filter before with all foam pads and a micron sock at the end, it works very well.

Randall_James · 05/09/2006, 09:05 AM

Every water change I just stir water in the sump and use my python to suck it all out

rcbones · 05/09/2006, 09:08 AM

Those python hoses work pretty well. They hook up to a faucet and use water pressure to create suction.

Works pretty nice during a water change. I remove some water and detrius at the same time.

Randall_James · 05/09/2006, 09:24 AM

btw it is "d-e-t-r-i-t-u-s"

55Reef · 05/09/2006, 10:00 AM

I've been thinking about this myself. I like the shop Vac idea.

glaudds, masterswimmer which shop vacs are you using?

TitansFan · 05/09/2006, 10:05 AM

I have a mag with vinyl hosing on both ends. I use it to vacuum out my sump. Then I flip it around to pump the new water back in.

Randall_James · 05/09/2006, 10:07 AM

so you reuse the water? I do 30+ gallon water changes so I just suck the sump dry (pulling all the detritus out with the water) and refill the thing with clean saltwater. If I do not "stir" the thing, it misses a lot however.

impur · 05/09/2006, 10:10 AM

Shop vac here. Works great! Just rinse when done to eliminate any buildup.

TitansFan · 05/09/2006, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randall_James
so you reuse the water? I do 30+ gallon water changes so I just suck the sump dry (pulling all the detritus out with the water) and refill the thing with clean saltwater. If I do not "stir" the thing, it misses a lot however.

If you are asking if I reuse the water.. No. I do about a 7 gallon change every Sunday night. Figure in the month thats about 30 gallons same as you. I just spread them out. One empty bucket and one full of fresh saltwater. Pump the water out into the empty bucket, using the tube to vacuum around. Then pump the fresh back into the sump. I have valves on my pvc pipe of the overflow to shut it off and an aquaJR controller to turn off my return pump.

Kaiser Tang · 05/09/2006, 10:42 AM

Suck it off the bottom when doing water changes. It's easiest if you don't stirr it up. You do need to get it out though. Less waste, better water!

psimitry · 05/09/2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randall_James
btw it is "d-e-t-r-i-t-u-s"

I just had to look that up to make sure. There's NOTHING I hate more than being wrong about something!!!

Thanks for the heads up. I can't stand misspelling things.

Agu · 05/09/2006, 11:18 AM

I blast it into suspension with a turkey baster. A couple of minutes later my tank is a murky mess and all the corals with visible tentacles have them out in full force. I don't know if they're actually getting nutrition but it's consistently the same reaction.

BTW, the tank clears up in a few minutes and the skimmer is pulling tons of skimmate out.

Ewan · 05/09/2006, 11:23 AM

I purchased a magnum canister filter just for that very purpose. I use it about once a month. It comes in hands for setting up a quick QT tank too.

-E.

psimitry · 05/09/2006, 11:24 AM

I actually do that (stir detritus into suspension) once a month along with a small portion of the sandbed and have found it to be a valuable method to feed corals. But every other time when I'm doing a water change, I just want to remove it.

Randall_James · 05/09/2006, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by psimitry
I just had to look that up to make sure. There's NOTHING I hate more than being wrong about something!!!

Thanks for the heads up. I can't stand misspelling things.

I had to Google it to make sure myself

Randall_James · 05/09/2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TitanFan
If you are asking if I reuse the water.. No. I do about a 7 gallon change every Sunday night. Figure in the month thats about 30 gallons same as you. I just spread them out.

Oh ok, it just looked like you removed the water, flipped the hoses and pumped the same water back in (after crap settled out).

I do these water changes weekly btw (actually closer to 40G changes). My SPS tank just likes the volume of new water (75G + 30G T sump) If I change this volume of water, I only have to dose Kalkwasser and all the other levels stay in the good range.

I now only test the water every few months as I know where the levels are going to be. (large water changes really do impose different husbandry) So I save on a number of fronts along with spending much more on salt. (about $1 per day is my budget for all my tanks)

masterswimmer · 05/09/2006, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randall_James
I do these water changes weekly btw (actually closer to 40G changes). My SPS tank just likes the volume of new water (75G + 30G T sump) If I change this volume of water, I only have to dose Kalkwasser and all the other levels stay in the good range.

I now only test the water every few months as I know where the levels are going to be. (large water changes really do impose different husbandry) So I save on a number of fronts along with spending much more on salt. (about $1 per day is my budget for all my tanks)

I subscribe to the same philosophy. I do my water changes twice per week. My tank is a 75 + 15 fuge + 8 gallons in my sump. I do two 3 gallon water changes per week. Total about 24 gallons per month. I don't dose anything, nothing, nada. My tank is a true mixed reef. I have tons of sps, lps and softies. All the trace elements seem to get replenished during these water changes. Been doing this for over two years now.

When I put the detritus from the sump into suspension, all the polyps on my lps open wide too.

It works, so I'm not gonna fix it.

55Reef, I'm using a Rigid 16 gallon, 6 HP wet/dry (from HD) to suck up the detritus.

swimmer

Agu · 05/09/2006, 08:44 PM

Quote:

55Reef, I'm using a Rigid 16 gallon, 6 HP wet/dry (from HD) to suck up the detritus.

Doesn't the saltwater rust the canister ?

glaudds · 05/09/2006, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Agu
Doesn't the saltwater rust the canister ?

Both my shop vac's containers are made of plastic. I have one small one and one large one I use depending on my needs. I tend to use the smaller one because it is more portable and easier to use.

05/08/2006, 11:14 PM	#1
psimitry Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,560	Good method for removing detrius from a sump? Anyone know of a good method? I've got some building up on the bottom of my sump and because it's the lowest part of my tank, I can't siphon it out. Was thinking there might be some sort of pump vacuum I could use, but I can't really figure that one out either... Thoughts? Surely this is a common issue so I figure someone has figured out something ingenius that is way above my thought level.

05/09/2006, 08:04 AM	#5
rottface4 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: West Melbourne, Fl Posts: 192	If you do not remove the detritus after a while it will build up and begin to breakdown. As it breaks down it can release phosphates, nitrates, etc. __________________ -Shawn- Current Tank Info: 45 g (30"x24"x15"), 250 w 12k reeflux in a lumenarc, 2 6025 streams, etc

05/09/2006, 08:16 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Turkey baster works in a smallish one. It leaks like a bandit, so have a collection cup very nearby. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/09/2006, 09:05 AM	#8
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	Every water change I just stir water in the sump and use my python to suck it all out __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

05/09/2006, 09:24 AM	#10
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	btw it is "d-e-t-r-i-t-u-s" __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

05/08/2006, 11:18 PM	#2
glaudds Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Glendale, So. Cal. Posts: 2,425	A shop vac works to suck out the remaining water and scum.

05/09/2006, 07:59 AM	#4
swoopx Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 86	is removing this detrius really necessary? I have a bunch in my sump, but I don't bother with it because well, its just the sump.

05/09/2006, 08:59 AM	#7
ste6168 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,066	i have used a small canister filter before with all foam pads and a micron sock at the end, it works very well.

05/09/2006, 09:08 AM	#9
rcbones Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 50	Those python hoses work pretty well. They hook up to a faucet and use water pressure to create suction. Works pretty nice during a water change. I remove some water and detrius at the same time.

05/09/2006, 10:00 AM	#11
55Reef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 779	I've been thinking about this myself. I like the shop Vac idea. glaudds, masterswimmer which shop vacs are you using?

05/09/2006, 10:05 AM	#12
TitansFan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Spring Hill, TN Posts: 1,364	I have a mag with vinyl hosing on both ends. I use it to vacuum out my sump. Then I flip it around to pump the new water back in.

05/09/2006, 10:07 AM	#13
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	so you reuse the water? I do 30+ gallon water changes so I just suck the sump dry (pulling all the detritus out with the water) and refill the thing with clean saltwater. If I do not "stir" the thing, it misses a lot however. __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

05/09/2006, 10:10 AM	#14
impur Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 4,262	Shop vac here. Works great! Just rinse when done to eliminate any buildup. __________________ Great spirits often encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds. Current Tank Info: 75gal, 20gal sump, 6-54w T5 TEK

05/09/2006, 10:42 AM	#16
Kaiser Tang Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,314	Suck it off the bottom when doing water changes. It's easiest if you don't stirr it up. You do need to get it out though. Less waste, better water! __________________ "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: Marineland 150 XH Reef w/ 55 AGA Sump, Oceans Motions Super Squirt, Ecotech Marine Vortech, Current Prime 1/3 hp Chiller, 200 lbs. LR, 175 lbs. LS, 800 watts PFO MH and 440 watts IceCap VHO. Softies, LPS, and Clams!

05/09/2006, 11:18 AM	#18
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	I blast it into suspension with a turkey baster. A couple of minutes later my tank is a murky mess and all the corals with visible tentacles have them out in full force. I don't know if they're actually getting nutrition but it's consistently the same reaction. BTW, the tank clears up in a few minutes and the skimmer is pulling tons of skimmate out. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

05/09/2006, 11:23 AM	#19
Ewan Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Fredericton, NB, Canada Posts: 2,594	I purchased a magnum canister filter just for that very purpose. I use it about once a month. It comes in hands for setting up a quick QT tank too. -E.

05/09/2006, 11:24 AM	#20
psimitry Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,560	I actually do that (stir detritus into suspension) once a month along with a small portion of the sandbed and have found it to be a valuable method to feed corals. But every other time when I'm doing a water change, I just want to remove it.