Do you ever clean your sump?

dc...you still clean out your sump, even tho it is a refugium? Would think that you would want to keep all the "nutrition" in there?

LL2
 
Ran across this post while looking for answers to my high nitrate problem. I have a new 150 basement sump. It's very easy to clean the gunk out so I have been siphoning it out when I do a water change. Any thoughts on if this practice actually helps water quality?
 
sump sounds dirty

sump sounds dirty

I have 50 gal sump and try to keep it clean like brand new except any little crusty guys on the sides.clean it monthly or bi-weekly if its not lit because you may be getting hidorids down below and dont want any migation in your main system. also rinse any sponges on return or skimmer pumps in the water change bucket. If you keep RDSB,lightly blow away detirtus.Also rinse your sock out ASAP when blid up occurs,anyway thats norm_al for ME.
 
I just cleaned out my sump today. It was covered in diatoms from extra lighting in the fuge section. I really let it go to long. After 2 hours and a 12 gallon water change, it looks pretty good. I also removed my sand from the fuge. It was just to messy. Also added a better powerhead to keep things in teh water column.
 
My sump is pristine. I clean it out every time I do water changes. There is no rock, no fuge. Just filter socks, baffles and skimmer.
A sump is a setteling chamber, plain and simple. If you do not remove the gunk off of the bottom, you are not removing nutrients.
 
Neat coincidence finding this thread. Going to clean mine tomorrow as a matter of fact. Just boaght some vinegar to pass through the pumps and going to empty and reload my kalk reactor. I hope I can make it as pretty as it looks in my photo gallery :).

Chris
 
That makes sense. What is in your main display?
Click to expand...
DSB, 120 lbs LR, 21 fish, SPS corals.
I tried the whole LR in the sump and fuge thing. My nitrates and phosphates were high. I removed the rocks and replaced them with filter socks which I change daily. I dumped the refugium. Nitrate and phosphate declined since. Nutrient removal is key, especially for a guy like me who feeds his fish way too much.
IMO, I feel that far too many hobbyists set up refugiums with far to low of water flow. These become settling chambers which build and release far more nutrients than a little macro algae can utilize.
 
Chris,
How are your nitrates now?
I have always had between 10-20. I got so digusted I quit testing.I just set up the basement sump and refug a couple of months ago.I got all fired up again to get everything "just right". I bought the salifert nitrate test kit. It looks like the nitrates are 25 up to 40. I have a mixed reef with new additions of a few sps that seem to be fine. Everything looks good coral wise, but this nitrate thing is driving me crazy. I do overfeed but I only have a sailfin tang 3 chromis and a percula clown. The tank os totally full of assorted corals.
 
I siphon my sump when it needs it to clean it up.. also clean the return pump every 6 months or when needed earlier.
 
How are your nitrates now?
Click to expand...
My nitrates were well above 60. Now they hold steady under 10. Don't stress too much over nitrate. Test your phosphate. On a Salifert test kit, PO4 should read as undetectable. Slightest blue tint on Salifert is too high.
We should keep this thread on topic though. We seem to have similar set ups as far as water volume being close and basement sumps, DSB, etc. let's bring this topic to either another thread or PM.
 
I would turn off the return pump. do whatever you need to do to pump/siphon it out. thenlet the skimmer and stuff run and pull out a lot of it. Then do a W/C (in the sump with tthe return still off). then let it filter for a little bit longer. then turn on the pump.

Thats what I would do.
 
I clean out my sump every 6 months, and if you don't clean out your sump, odds are it will start to stink...
 
between my 1 1/2 overflow pipe, skimmer, chiller and UV returns I have a lot of flow in my sump, same for my display... so basically I have a snowstorm in my system all the time. I really don't know what to do to stop this... any ideas?
 
My sump was really bad once, so I cleaned it. its not fun but if it ever gets really bad- i would clean it again.
 
between my 1 1/2 overflow pipe, skimmer, chiller and UV returns I have a lot of flow in my sump, same for my display... so basically I have a snowstorm in my system all the time. I really don't know what to do to stop this... any ideas?
Click to expand...
There is nothing wrong with keeping it suspended. I'd go so far as to say you've got it better than most. Aggressive skimming and possibly filter socks will provide most of the nutrient removal you need.
I have 5800 GPH going through my sump and I still get some detritus settling every month on the bottom of my sump.
 
Thanks kevin gu3, I have an old magnum laying around somewhere. Why didn't I think of that.:rolleye1:
 
why would you want to clean it? All that gunk removes nutrients from the water. I clean the front of my refugium so I can see in there.
 
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