how do you keep your sump tank clean

[dadstank]

How do you (meaning the reader of this question) keep your sump tank clean from "green scum". i just topped off the tank and noticed for the first time that a layer of green scum (for lack of a better words) has developed. Either I never noticed this before, or it has not grown before.

Is there a secret for keeping it out, or is there an easy way to get it out without taking EVERYTHING out?


(is it my skimmer?)

 

[WRASSER]

no i dont think it is from your skimmer. what i do every now and then ( no time schulde) is when i do a water change, i let the sump go down as far as it will go. then i take everything out :? now you can take a wet/dyr and suck almost all out or sponge it all out ( remember to have a sponge or rag with no chemicals) then clean off everything else and put it back together. then filier up and go

 

[reefdood]

Scum on top the water? You need more agitation/ circulation in there. A filter sock couldn't hurt either.

I don''t keep my sump clean, but there's no nusiance stuff in there either. It's a cryptic fuge for all sorts of organisms. Featherdusters, pods, ministars, etc. In fact when I started my tank I dumped some grunge from the bottom of a dealers LR holding tank, in a tupperwear to place in there. :lol: I have it 1/2 full of LR too. And a powerhead to keep scum in suspension for the skimmer to get it.

I do make sure to clean my pump and skimmer monthly. Filter sock and pump prefilter, weekly at least. I'm used to scheduled maint. though.

 

[dadstank]

Live rock in the sump tank?

is that normal?

why would you want to do that?

does it give any benefits over not having it there?

what does the "grunge" in the tuperware do?

if you have the water moving to keep the "scum" in suspension, wouldn't it all get moved out of the container and into the filter and the remains back into the tank?

i just bought Bob Fenner's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" and found that i have a "berlin" style filter set up.

i also decided that tonight i am going to empty the tank and clean out what ever is in there. i am going to empty as much water as possible and get the rest out with a sponge.

 

[m-fine]

Live rock in the sump tank?

is that normal?

why would you want to do that?

does it give any benefits over not having it there?

Yes some people do it for different reasons. Live rock hosts bacterie that cycle amonia to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen that can go back into the air. The more you have in your system the higher the bioload it can handle. The rocks also host worms and crustacians and other life forms that can eat the scum and detritus that ends up in the sump, keeping it clean for you. Other people age rock in the sump to kill off algae or as a sort of quaranteen tank to catch a crab or predatory worm.

what does the "grunge" in the tuperware do?

The grunge was likely filled with a diverse range of living organisms that will populate his sump with new colonies to eat his crap. Many of us believe bio-diversity is the key to a stable reduced maintenance tank. The more kinds of creatures you have in there eating different things, producing food for filter feeders etc, the less you have to do by mechanical or chemical means.

if you have the water moving to keep the "scum" in suspension, wouldn't it all get moved out of the container and into the filter and the remains back into the tank?

If you have a mechanical filter, it will help it catch the stuff so you can remove it when you clean the filter media. Personally I do not like to do this because yes some does get back into the tank and I find it easier to suck it out of the sump.

i just bought Bob Fenner's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" and found that i have a "berlin" style filter set up.

i also decided that tonight i am going to empty the tank and clean out what ever is in there. i am going to empty as much water as possible and get the rest out with a sponge.

If you have bio-balls or some other wet/dry media and you are attempting to keep a reef, get rid of them. The idea is that they provide an efficient space for the bacteria that convert amonia to nitrite and the bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate, but they prevent you from having the bacteria that consumes the nitrates. You will then end up with ever increasing nitrate levels that are nearly impossible to eliminate with water changes. Fish only tanks can handle this but not heavily lighted reefs. Insted, make sure you have plenty of live rock in the system. A sandbed also can host the bacteria but I do not want to open that debate here.

m-fine

 

[reefdood]

The stuff in my sump just makes my natural filtration more than it would be if I relied on just what is in my display. I use a filtersock, and a prefilter sponge on my return pump. This allows me to manually remove crud before it breaks down.

 

[jethro]

I had a scum problem that was collecting in the refuge portion of my sump.

I decided to put the intake to my protein skimmer in there. All gone.

I rigged up a u tube from 1" pvc that I set the powerhead on. The u tube opening is about 1/"-1" below water level.

You have to have a decent protein skimmer. My maxi 1200 is the primer for my terminator that is driven by a mag700.

 

[fishgills]

I use a magnet.
_________________
Sweet spot

 

[dadstank]

i just happened to stumble upon this thread from yester year, and came up with another question and i hope this catches someones eye...

my leather is getting to big for my tank, so i again had to move some under rock around, and and this time, i left some out. this extra rock went into the sump. it has been there for at least two months now, and i have not had any light on it.

2 things:

without the light, life will still continue?

adding light can only help?

---and i am using a euroreef skimmer.

 

[Fishie Nut]

I've got a couple of pieces of LR in my sump, but it's covered by the caulerpa in the sump. If it get any light -- which is on 24/7 -- it's filtered by the macro. There's all kinds of creatures in the sump. LR, LS, Macro, lots of living stuff. It's all good.

 

[mr_X]

the sump doesn't need light unless you plan to grow macroalgae there, but light won't hurt it either. and fishie nut- plants need a "night" time too. you will find your macros will grow faster if you give them a period of darkness.

 

[pcardone]

I agree with M-fine. I have lr in my sump. I keep it under the water inlet so it gets a lot of water flow over it. I have no light down there. I have Never had to clean my sump.

 

[Anonymous]

I drain most of the water once every 4 months and use a shopvac to suck the remaining water and detritus out.