Sump Cleaning Tips and Maintenance advice...

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#1
It's that dreaded time. Time to clean the sump! I'm planning to plumb my vectra today and I have to do the inevitable...cleaning the sump. I don't use socks and when I do, it's to dampen the noise and I don't change em in forever. There's a thick layer of "mud" at the bottom of the sump where the skimmer is and elsewhere in the sump. It's a mess.

So first question....what's the EASIEST and least painful way to clean the sump? I'm making water now to do a water change in the sump, but not sure how I'm gonna syphon out all the crud out without draining the whole thing.

Second, how do you keep your sump clean? I really gotta do this to avoid moments like these.
 

Zoarder

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#3
add small powerheads to keep the detritus suspended so the skimmer can remove it....
 
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#15
Shop vac works great, just do it the day of a water change and just change out the water you remove when sucking out everything from the sump. Thats what i did when i got rid of my calurpa and went straight cheato.
 
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#16
I have a bucket wet vac thing somewhere in the garage. How do I keep it from flooding? There will be more than 5 gallons of water to suck out.
 

805reef

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#17
I have a bucket wet vac thing somewhere in the garage. How do I keep it from flooding? There will be more than 5 gallons of water to suck out.
It should automatically stop when its full. You empty it out the vac out more.
 
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#19
use a small pump with a hose and a filter sock... Sick all the crud into the filter sock(as much of it as u can) that way the water stays in and u get the crud out... Then do a water change in the sump...

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
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#20
Suck all water out along with all muds and debris, then you can use towel papers to wipe everything else in the sump. It's easy, clean, and dry. After all, you can fill new water in when you do wc. That's how I have been doing for my sumps. Hope that helps.
 

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