How to clean a sump?

[99sf]

What is the best way to clean a sump without breaking down a system? Have you used methods that work well, or methods that I should avoid? My sump is a 10 gallon glass tank, divided into a refugium section by a plexiglass sheet with holes. Inside the refugium, I have live rock and a xanthid crab and chaeto. The junk builds up in the bare bottom refugium. I cannot siphon the junk, because the sump is close to the floor. Suggestions appreciated!

 

[JAR]

pump it out. You can rig most pumps/power heads with an intake tube.
Or turkey baster.

 

[melly mel]

I shut off the return then take a maxi jet 1200 to blow everything around. Then I'll attach some tubing to the pump and either pump out the water or just let it run thru a filter sock for a while.

 

[tuberider]

I use a pump with a hose attached and slurp out the mung, don't use a good pump though, you tear through impeller housings

 

[99sf]

Great unanimous suggestion, thank you! I will put a tube on my small pump and try running it through my filter sock.

 

[orientalexpress]

or you can pump all those waters into a brutes and use a wet vaccum cleaner suck out the rest


lapsan

 

[99sf]

Lap, I actually did that when moving my 60 gallon display tank. My little shop vacuum did a great job at removing the last bit of water/sand after the siphon quit. You would require a giant vacuum and Brute container to clean your huge sump!