Sump

[Tracy G]

So I am having some issues keeping sump clean and at first I was putting it to the sand that was in the sump. I took out that sand because I dont think it was helping much and I have about 2 1/2" in Sand in the DT. I also have a good amount of live rock made as an island that is doing very well. When I took the sand out of the sump I filled it full of Live Rock but the sump looks pretty dirty. Partially because I had my BRS reactor running GFO and I think I had it up too high so it was realeasing fines. As a Long store short I have a 40 Gallon Breeder that I drilled and I have a Aqueon ProFlex Series 3 Sump. Do I need Live rock in the simp or would it be ok just simply to use it for my filtration? Or would I do better with Live rock in it? Any Thoughts?

[Marc Weaver]

You did the right thing by removing the sand from the sump. Unless you are using it for a remote deep sand bed (5 or 6 inches deep) there is no point to having it in there. It just traps dirt and makes cleaning the sump a hassle. I don't usually run anything in my sump at all other than equipment, but I am currently holding some live rock in there now for a friend. If your tank is new, you can take the live rock out if you want to. It will make the sump easier to keep clean. You can drain it and use a $20 shop vac made to fit on a 5 gallon bucket to vacuum the bottom periodically. Some people that like more open area in their tanks run live rock in the sump for extra filtration, so I don't think it will hurt to leave it in there. If your tank is already established and you want to remove the rock, remove maybe 1 piece every week or two, because your bacterial population will need time to adjust. If you pull it out all at once, you risk a nitrate spike, especially if your tank is overstocked.

 

You can always drain or pump the water from the sump into a rubbermaid container, put the rock into it, clean the sump, and replace the rock if you want while doing a water change. Give the rock a good swish in the old tank water to remove the detritus and put it back into the sump.

[Tracy G]

I just figured out 1 of my issue...... Return was pretty clogged and almost no flow back to the DT...... Fixed that and things already working better lol. Thanks for the advice and I will do that. I am going to just put my equipment in the sump for now.

[Marc Weaver]

If you have a foam filter on the return pump, you can remove it so it wont get clogged. You don't need it. Most pumps have a strainer on them to prevent large things like snails from getting in the pump, or the plastic housing of the pump itself is the strainer.

[Tracy G]

If you have a foam filter on the return pump, you can remove it so it wont get clogged. You don't need it. Most pumps have a strainer on them to prevent large things like snails from getting in the pump, or the plastic housing of the pump itself is the strainer.

Good call! I will do that