Cleaning of your sump

[Sohal Tang Tim]

check valve?

check valve?

Hope this is not too far off topic...but I am wondering if you guys use a
check valve in your plumbing so that your tank does not drain too far
when the power goes off? I am thinking I want it to drain less then my last tank as the sump got too full and if I am going to be draining the sump occasionally to clean I am thinking of installing check valve so the main
display does not drain down even necessarily to the end of the return pipes even...

Thanks for your help

Tim

 

[Sysco]

Is there anything that eats it like a crab or a cc starfish?

 

[pwoody]

Here is a nice trick...

I plumbed in a tee on the return and also with a valve, the tee runs back to the inlet section of my sump.

I close the valve to the main display tank, and open the "recycle" valve, or so I call it, then stir up every last corner and area in the sump. Turn my return pump on high and recycle/filter all the water back through my filter socks.

I waste no water, and takes less than 5mins. When I'm done I pop in a new filter sock, open and close the appropriate valve and away I go.

That is an awesome idea!!! I'm planning a tank upgrade and I'm pretty sure I'm going to incorporate something of this nature in the plumbing when I do!
I ended up draining down my sump completely and hand removing with tissues and towels etc, before refilling! EFFORT!

 

[Timfish]

I never clean sumps. Fish poop is full of magnesium and calcium carbonate crystals and is a major component of the muds found on reefs that is so beneficial to reef aquaria.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Sohal Tang Tim -- Check valves should Not be used, risk of failure is too great,
Anti siphon holes in the return plumbing is a much better solution.
They should be checked every water change to make sure they are clear of obstructions.

 

[d0ughb0y]

I use a 100 micron sock that I replace very week. I like a very clean sump.
I think the logic of letting all the crap accumulate to emulate the reef/ocean is flawed because an aquarium is nowhere close to the scale of an ocean, where if you sum up the all the crap in the ocean, it would be negligible compared to the total volume of the ocean. So keeping a tank clear of detritus would actually emulate the ocean more imho.

 

[davocean]

I finally picked up a "buckethead" vacuum attachment, it fits on any 5g bucket, sucks up dry or wet, it was only $23 at HD, works great for vacuuming sump area and you can toss the bucket should it ever become funkified or you wish to use a bucket specifically for your tank only and another for whatever you wish.

 

[sde1500]

I haven't cleaned my sump in the year my tank is running. Small layer of brown gunk is accumulating in the bottom. 6 months or so ago I pulled the filter sock, and recently to that section I added some Seachem matrix. Just a quick look in the sump shows pods moving all over the place. Some big ones too, actually suspecting they may be small brine or mysis shrimp, they are that big. I have some GHA in the DT, but I don't think I want to mess with the sump, considering I see so much life in it.

 

[vashawn]

I clean my sump once a year.
The socks and return chamber only.
the mid chamber is a 100g refugium. i only take out some mud and add back and clean
around the area.