W/c ?
- Thread starter saltfan
- Start date
I usually do mine from the tank cause I blow off all the rocks and I collect more detritus that way too. Occasionally I use a bucket top vacuum and suck everything out of the sump if/when it's dirty. Each way has its advantages but I think the tank is easier on a normal water change.
Now if you're changing a lot of water to the point your level in the DT gets low then you have to get creative
Now if you're changing a lot of water to the point your level in the DT gets low then you have to get creative
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
I siphon/vac the sump when I see debris/detritus piling up. Otherwise, i just pull from DT.
Snid
Active Member
DT almost all the time, but I'll do the Sump when it starts getting messy. Like mentioned above, I like to use a baster and get detritus off of the LR. You'd be surprised how much actually builds up on the rocks! Especially in the nooks and crannies. I also like to vacuum the sand a little bit.
It depends on your set-up really. In my last larger system (90g, 29g sump, 18g Fuge) I always did the water change from the sump. My system was designed around this method from day one and worked perfectly until the tank was taken down. Below are the details:
I had the DT on a closed loop system for W/C so that the coral up near the water's surface was never fully exposed to air. Not because the air would hurt the coral (some coral are adapted to being exposed to air during extreme low tides) but the top coral were really close to my Metal Halide lights and with no water over them they would cook in a matter of very few minutes.
I would hit MAINTENANCE MODE on my ProfiLux which in turn would turn OFF the return pump and the heaters in the sump but left the rest of my system operating. This isolated my Sump and Fuge from the DT completely. I would simply drain the desired amount of water from the sump, vac the bottom of the sump (this was the low spot where the majority of detritus settled out of the system) and then add back the same amount of freshly mixed (aerated and brought up to tank temp previously) salt water.
If I needed to clean anything in the DT I did so directly before the W/C and added a filter sock to the drain side of the fuge and let my system run like this for 15 minutes or so. All of the suspended "junk" would get pulled out and into the overflow and collect in the filter sock. This was a rare situation as I was fortunate and the tank was pretty well self maintaining in that regard.
As always YMMV
I had the DT on a closed loop system for W/C so that the coral up near the water's surface was never fully exposed to air. Not because the air would hurt the coral (some coral are adapted to being exposed to air during extreme low tides) but the top coral were really close to my Metal Halide lights and with no water over them they would cook in a matter of very few minutes.
I would hit MAINTENANCE MODE on my ProfiLux which in turn would turn OFF the return pump and the heaters in the sump but left the rest of my system operating. This isolated my Sump and Fuge from the DT completely. I would simply drain the desired amount of water from the sump, vac the bottom of the sump (this was the low spot where the majority of detritus settled out of the system) and then add back the same amount of freshly mixed (aerated and brought up to tank temp previously) salt water.
If I needed to clean anything in the DT I did so directly before the W/C and added a filter sock to the drain side of the fuge and let my system run like this for 15 minutes or so. All of the suspended "junk" would get pulled out and into the overflow and collect in the filter sock. This was a rare situation as I was fortunate and the tank was pretty well self maintaining in that regard.
As always YMMV
DITTO! ^^^
I find it's just easy to siphon from the DT & remove any GBA that I've spotted with the hose.
When I clean the sump, I use a wet-dry bucket head vacuum & it sucks it out FAST.
When putting water back in, I add it back mostly through the sump.
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
You know the husbandry done on tanks may also depend on the type of substrate and depth of substrate folks have (sand bed or bare bottom). Folks who have deep sand beds are not likely to vacuum the sand, but may occasionally vacuum the top layer.... those with an inch or so sand bed or bare bottom will most likely vacuum the sand bed/bottom on tank....
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
Ya that's a whole other can of worms !
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
Sure, rub it in some more .
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
I don't do WC anymore.
My Genesis does and it's through the sump.
...stupid auto correct
To clarify, 'you' don't do water changes anymore, your tank still have water changes performed on it.... I really need to look into a system like that