Cleaning overflows

[supervdl]

I have water quality issues (Nitrates/ Phosphates are off the chart). Over the next weeks I will rearrange my aquascape and clean the rock of any dirt in the process. Quite some stuff has accumulated ion the rocks over the years.

I also have seen that there is quite some dirt accumulated at the bottom of the overflows on my oceanic 210 and I wonder if anyone has a good idea on how to clean this easily. I am hoping to hear some suggestions. I will not be able to move the tank around due to its weight and the bottom of the overflows is not easily reachable for me.

Please share your ideas.

 

[pmrossetti]

can't you remove durso and just let it drain out?

or siphon with vinyl tubing?

 

[reefmanmatt]

if you dont want to take it apart ... you can grab some filter socks and put them over the bottom of the pipes , then use a bottle brush or the like to loosen the bulk of it . a powerhead will stir the junk in the bottom up well if you can fit it past the durso . all and all your better off ripping it apart though . dont clean it unless you shut it off or run socks , theres always more gunk than you think !!!

 

[Chris27]

Siphon it out with some tubing, doesn't get much easier then that.

 

[mwilliams62]

I was reading another thread here in RC and the person was having food issues that would settle down in the overflow and they suggested to him or her to put a powerhead inside there pointing to the bottom so it will stir up and be sucked down into the sump. They did not say what size of a powerhead to use so i am guessing one that would be stronge enough to get that stuff off of the bottom if the iverflow.

 

[Chris27]

I was reading another thread here in RC and the person was having food issues that would settle down in the overflow and they suggested to him or her to put a powerhead inside there pointing to the bottom so it will stir up and be sucked down into the sump. They did not say what size of a powerhead to use so i am guessing one that would be stronge enough to get that stuff off of the bottom if the iverflow.

Or you could just turn off the return pump for a few min. while feeding....