How clean do you keep your sump?

[craigwmiller]

I try to keep mine as clean as possible, but how clean is too clean?

I personally don't shut the water flowing through my sump down for cleaning/water changes (I have a water change tank plumbed in so as to not disturb the flow through the display), so I don't really have a reason to draw water (detritus/etc) out of the sump... Now and then I take a small pump and 'vacuum' around to clear the waste -- into a filter sock.

I have this urge to take a glass scraper and clean the #&@& out of the sump and make it sparkly clean (while vacuuming up the loosenings into a sock for removal)...

Crazy? Do you do the same? What's your sump cleaning fetish like? (I let the fauna clean my DT)

[The Guy]

I try to keep mine as clean as possible, but how clean is too clean?

I personally don't shut the water flowing through my sump down for cleaning/water changes (I have a water change tank plumbed in so as to not disturb the flow through the display), so I don't really have a reason to draw water (detritus/etc) out of the sump... Now and then I take a small pump and 'vacuum' around to clear the waste -- into a filter sock.

I have this urge to take a glass scraper and clean the #&@& out of the sump and make it sparkly clean (while vacuuming up the loosenings into a sock for removal)...

Crazy? Do you do the same? What's your sump cleaning fetish like? (I let the fauna clean my DT)
I shut down my return pump and do my whole WC in the sump I have approx. 100 gallons water total 90 g DT 75 g after rock displacement 50 g sump approx. half full so I do 25 g WC every 2 weeks I'm not real fussy but try and get some of the crud from the sump bottom. I pretty much empty out the sump and refill it with the 25 g of new salt water making sure the temp & salinity are good, turn the return pump back on and I'm done. :smile:

[Aquattro]

I've never cleaned my sump in 4 years.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Never cleaned my sump except when I tear down a tank.

[BlueTang<3]

Every few months I clean it right out and vacuum it with shop vac and and clean the equipment. But I walk up to mine and stand above it so its easy to do. I drilled my sump bottom when I got it so my water changes a done right from the bottom of the sump so I chase any debris down then.

I do it more for aesthetics than anything.

[Magickiwi]

I have a refugium in my sump so I don't empty it out for cleaning either. I do take a scrubber pad to the walls and bottom of the skimmer and return chambers every week or so but that's about it. I keep crabs in both chambers so all I'm scraping is diatom film, bacteria blooms etc. The refugium gets left alone.

[mark]

did my usual WC yesterday, siphoned about 180l from display and another 45l between the fuge and sump. Easy enough with the last 2 since both above a laundry sink.

[mseepman]

My water changes come right from the sump with the turn of a couple valves. While its emptying into the drain, I use a turkey baster and just blow any gunk towards the drain hole. Its not spotless but pretty clean.

[Reef Pilot]

Have never cleaned my sump (in 3.5 years). Have pretty strong flow in tight qtrs so sediment does not accumulate, and no light. Also have never cleaned my return pump or skimmer and its pump (except of course the neck and cup every few days). But I should probably do all my pumps one of these days...

[Flash]

I have a REALLY big Hermit that keeps my sump clean for me!!

[KPG007]

In over 3 1/2 years I had never cleaned out my sump before. I recently shutdown my 60g, and had to clean everything out. I was surprised to find that the sump contained about 2 inches of muck! The tank ran like a dream though and the water was perfect.
In the future, I will probably keep a closer eye on it, but if there are no issues, I don't see a reason to clean it.

PS - Lots of bristle worms ect, living in that muck, so one more reason to leave it be.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

I have never cleaned my sump until the move and don't intend to as my sump is always filled to the top with rubles and live rock that doesn't fit proper in my display.
Next build I will have 2 sumps for the same reason filled with rubble rock as a sess pool for pods feeding my main display.although my fragmentation tanks act as sumps to and keep those as clean as possible.

[wreck]

I do my wc through my sump.

[MMAX]

Filthy, but seems to work for me.

[ddarkz]

I have a REALLY big Hermit that keeps my sump clean for me!!

I had a big one too, except he found a way into my reeflo pump one day...:twised:

[Dearth]

Never cleaned it and no plans to do otherwise either

[asylumdown]

The largest chamber of my sump is drained for water changes, so I siphon out any gunk that's in there. I pump fresh RO water directly in to that chamber and mix the salt in it so it pretty much toasts any critter that was unfortunate enough to have moved in during the time between water changes.

The other 4 chambers have never been cleaned and probably won't be because they're covered with sponges, fan worms, small mysis shrimps, pods, etc. The chamber my skimmer is in has collected a dusting of detritus at the bottom (that has precipitously shrank since i started dosing MB7) that is literally alive with bristle worms and limpets.