water change---from sump or display tank

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by kroger451, Jul 15, 2009.

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  1. kroger451

    kroger451 Plankton

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    which is a better way of water changes----drain from the display os the sump?
     
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  3. devlzluv

    devlzluv Ritteri Anemone

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    depends on which chamber I think in your sump. In my return chamber I dont siphon from there since every once in a while Ill use a turkey baster and spray that area and it provides food for my coral. Mostly I do it from the DT but ill wait for someone with more experience to tell you what is best.
     
  4. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    I prefer from the sump. That way the stuff that collects on the surface gets sucked out. Also, if you take from the DT, you might expose coralline algae to the air, and that can bleach it out.
     
  5. ReefSparky

    ReefSparky Super Moderator

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    Like many aspects of this hobby, there's no correct answer. One might say DT for the ease of access. Some might say the sump--and for the same reason! It depends on the setup.

    Personally, I perform water changes from my sump, since it's where the majority of detritus resides. I place a powerhead with a tube att'd in the sump and use it to take water out while I either stir the smack out of it with a wooden spoon or shoot repeatedly with a turkey baster. (My skimmer and reactors are unplugged during this time). This way the detritus makes it out of the system. For larger water changes, I have to "rig" a u-tube over the top of my tank's internal overflow so the water keeps coming into the sump, otherwise after just about 5 gallons the DTs overflow stops the flow of water from the DT and the sump is emptied.

    Hope that made sense.
     
  6. mattheuw1

    mattheuw1 Montipora Capricornis

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    This is something I always wondered too. I don't want to siphon out pods from my sump, I don't want to have to unplug my powerheads to be able to siphon from the display either. Does everyone else stir their macro/cheato and suck out detritus? I have stirred my chaeto only to allow pods to flow back into my display but not to siphon out the dtritus. Should I be doing this?
     
  7. ReefSparky

    ReefSparky Super Moderator

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    Good point, mattheuw1. In my case, I have a sump, not refugium. If I had macroalgae in my sump (which would make it a refugium, I guess :) ) I wouldn't stir it up and suck the pods out. We keep macroalgae for two reasons: to harbor pods for our fish, and to export nutrients.
     
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  9. grubbsj

    grubbsj Gigas Clam

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    I like what ReefSparky said "...there's no correct answer."

    For us, we use a siphon from the DT to a bucket on a chair and will probe around the rock in low flow areas collecting "trash". When complete with pulling out, then using the same chair, start a siphon into the sump for the make up water and run the return pump as needed to get the level back up in the DT/Sump.

    Note: This can cause splashing/bubbles in the DT as the return is usually above the water at this time, so, we tie a white cotton sock over the nozzle to reduce this effect during filling.
     
  10. Froc3

    Froc3 Fire Goby

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    Sorry for kind of resurrecting an old thread, but how do you guys start a siphon in your sump if it's on the ground? Just a thought that might help a few people out. (Including me, because it needs to be done.)
     
  11. the fisherman

    the fisherman Vlamingii Tang

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    I do the same like reefsparky, a power head connected to a hose to take water out of sump for a water change.
     
  12. ReefSparky

    ReefSparky Super Moderator

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    A siphon can only be started if the collecting vessel is below the level of the vessel from which water is drawn. The greater the vertical distance b/w the two, the stronger and faster the siphon.

    I remember when once I had to empty an old wet/dry in order to remove it from my stand. To achieve this I used aquarium tubing from the sump, to a 5G bucket on the floor. The difference in height was only about 4". It worked, but it took a whole day or so; because only airline tubing was being used.

    When I perform water changes from my sump, since water is moving only about 4" vertically, I have use a powerhead. I screw the tubing onto the PH, place the PH into the sump; place the other end of the tubing in the bucket into which water is drawn--and plug in the PH.