Sum cleaning

[nly04]

Any of you ever clean your sum as part of the maintenance? If yes, How often you clean it? Also do you fill your sump with rock and other stuff or just keep it clean and free as possible?

 

[Psionicdragon]

Keep it free and use the cobalt inline to siphon detritus

 

[BvN]

I clean it every month and want to keep it almost sterile so no rock, only equipment. The only thing I also have in there is section for cheato but I clean that too.

 

[D-Nak]

I clean mine with a bucket head about every 4 months.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bucket-Head-5-gal-1-75-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-BH0100/202017218

 

[Ssteve]

I clean mine with a bucket head about every 4 months.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bucket-Head-5-gal-1-75-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-BH0100/202017218

That's a pretty nifty little tool. I might have to grab one at that price.

 

[D-Nak]

That's a pretty nifty little tool. I might have to grab one at that price.

Yup! It's cheap and it works great. And I know most of us have 5 gallon buckets!

 

[RiOnRoxXx]

That's sweet! Thanks for the link D-Nak

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I clean mine every 6 months at the same time as my skimmer and return pump. I scrape off all the coraline, suck everything out and get it as close to new as I can. I prefer a clean sump!

 

[Psionicdragon]

Yup! It's cheap and it works great. And I know most of us have 5 gallon buckets!

does it rust?

 

[D-Nak]

does it rust?

Most of the parts are plastic. There are a few screws on the top that do rust. I got a few years out of my first one before I replaced it.

 

[nly04]

Most of the parts are plastic. There are a few screws on the top that do rust. I got a few years out of my first one before I replaced it.

How does it work? Do you put it submer in the sump?

 

[D-Nak]

How does it work? Do you put it submer in the sump?

It's a wet/dry vacuum that attaches to a 5 gallon bucket. You use it just like a regular vacuum.

I usually have four 5 gallon buckets lined up in front of my sump. I vacuum the sump, removing the water and detritus, and when one bucket gets full I simply lift off the bucket head from one bucket, then attach it to the next bucket. Once I remove all of the water from the sump, I wipe it down with a towel, empty the buckets with dirty water and rinse of the bucket head. Then I can pump clean water into the clean sump!