how often do you clean detritus from your sump?

[dnjan]

I got to thinking about the last time I cleaned the detritus from my sump.

How often do you clean yours?

 

[user 26995]

How do you even get to your sump!
I couldn't even see into your sump! LOL


Usually every time I notice the return pump is pretty slow from being clogged up.

I'm bad!

Then its only in the return section that I have cleaned out.

So about 3 maybe 4 times a year.

 

[dnjan]

Hence my being bad about cleaning it.
I disconnect the drain line coming in as well as the return pump and the skimmer pump.
Then I siphon the water out of the sump.
And then, finally, I slide it over so I can actually take it out of the stand for cleaning.

needless to say, sump cleaning was not an important consideration in the original tank/stand design ...

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I siphon sump every water change. Please do not ask how often I do a water change.
Yeah yeah, I am trying to get better at it

 

[pandora32]

Ive only cleaned out the return section. Fuge has a dsb, so i dont want to mess with that much, skimmer section is a pita to get into. Like you, the stand was built for the tank, not for sump access.

 

[trido]

Once a year at best. I would never do more than shop vac the gunk out of the bottom though. I like the feather dusters and sponges on the sump walls. IMO they are a vital part of a reef system because they are a natural biofiltration.

 

[mfinn]

I usually clean out the return section at most every water change.

 

[N1Husker]

I just cleaned mine the other day. YUK I check it and if there is a bunch of junk on the bottom, I clean. I was only cleaning the return but when I checked the intake there was like a silt covering the bottom, and that got taken out. Should do the refugium section but I don't know when.

 

[rainydave]

Wait a minute...we're supposed to clean the sump??!!

In all seriousness...I cleaned mine out once a year or so.

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

My tank has been running for 4 years now and I have maybe cleaned it out once?

To be fair, there isn't much of anything accumulated in there...too much water flow.

 

[Peppie]

My sump/fuge section in my AIO is a real pain to access . I need to stand on a ladder. So needless to say the bottom of this chamber only gets cleaned maybe twice a year.

 

[PR_Reefer]

I think thats the good thing about having 100-200 micron filter sock, that the sump barely ever gets dirty. In 1 year of running I have only cleaned the sump once but I have to change the sock about every 1 1/2-2 weeks but its easier than clenaning the sump because I dont have to much space.

 

[eartaker]

I think thats the good thing about having 100-200 micron filter sock, that the sump barely ever gets dirty. In 1 year of running I have only cleaned the sump once but I have to change the sock about every 1 1/2-2 weeks but its easier than clenaning the sump because I dont have to much space.

Same here, the sock helps. I have yet to clean my sump after a year... I do have a DSB in my fuge and have a few crabs and small snails running around in the sump as well. On my return section I have a large sponge that collects anything coming out of the fuge befor it does into the DT.

 

[blk822822]

I have to much flow and current in my skimmer section and then it goes into a large rubble area that can't be cleaned, then to the Macro section, then the return pump section and it's clean too.

If you have a good pod population shouldn't the detritus be minimal and kept under control by the pods???

 

[dnjan]

Once a year at best. I would never do more than shop vac the gunk out of the bottom though. I like the feather dusters and sponges on the sump walls. IMO they are a vital part of a reef system because they are a natural biofiltration.

Yes, I'm torn by that as well. A good cleaning of my sump ends up getting rid of a lot of feather dusters, etc.
So I rationalize my laziness (in not cleaning very often) with protecting the feather dusters!

 

[user 26995]

I have a lot of feather dusters in my skimmer section. In the fuge section I have an emerald crab and some scarlet reef crabs. The return section is what I clean periodically Its probably because of the crabs in the fuge that I get a lot of really small pieces of cheato that make it into the return section and settles and clogs up the return pump. .

 

[dnjan]

My tank has been running for 4 years now and I have maybe cleaned it out once?

To be fair, there isn't much of anything accumulated in there...too much water flow.

Out of curiosity, where does it accumulate?

At one time, the logic was to have good flow in the tank to keep detritus suspended so it would go into the overflow.
To settle out in the sump.

There were even proposed sump designs with a sloped bottom in one chamber so that the detritus would settle in one place for easy cleaning.
Has anyone ever seen one of those for real (not just in drawings)?
Seems like a good idea ...

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Some is friable and could drift to a low spot, but some is somewhat sticky and coats the bottom (algae hold it together?)
Don't think a sloped bottom sump would be worth the space and engineering.

Out of curiosity, where does it accumulate?

At one time, the logic was to have good flow in the tank to keep detritus suspended so it would go into the overflow.
To settle out in the sump.

There were even proposed sump designs with a sloped bottom in one chamber so that the detritus would settle in one place for easy cleaning.
Has anyone ever seen one of those for real (not just in drawings)?
Seems like a good idea ...

 

[TJL]

For my system the only place that gets any build up of detritis is in the bottom of Herbie style overflow boxes which occasionally I need to hit with a Turkey Baster while filter sock is in place.

Cheers, Todd

 

[user 26995]

For my system the only place that gets any build up of detritis is in the bottom of Herbie style overflow boxes which occasionally I need to hit with a Turkey Baster while filter sock is in place.

Cheers, Todd

Oh, thanks for that idea! Last time I cleaned that I attached a piece of pvc pipe to the shop vac and vacuumed it out.
Your way is easier probably