Lost corals after clean the sump

[LaloJ]

A few days ago I was reading about some aquarists who had lost several corals and even entire systems after cleaning the sump after a long time. Has anyone of you been through something similar? My sump is simple but I find it quite convenient to clean it at least once a month IMO, so I'm used to cleaning out the debris that mechanical filtration and skimmer couldn't get out, and I know that all systems are different and everyone could put more equipment in the sump and make it harder to clean it regularly, but I'm having a hard time understanding how it could affect it so negatively as to lose an entire system, is it due to the nutrients consumed by the corals? or what kind of massive imbalance is there in these cases?

 

[TX_REEF]

If a long time means many months or even years, it's possible that cleaning the sump could stir up a large amount of rotting detritus which could cause a bacteria bloom or other water fouling.

 

[LaloJ]

The whole system is supposed to be turned off during a tank maintenance, the sump is disconnected from the main tank at that time, there would be no reason for any highly lethal contaminant for corals to enter the tank, once the sump, skimmer and return pump are completely cleaned, new water is put in, at least that is my procedure. I would be a case contrary to people who once used a DSB in their main tank and removed it with fish and corals in it, that was a catastrophe for the tank.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

I would also argue that a deep clean of the sump also removes a large chunk of the beneficial bacterial needed to removed decomposing waste. I’ve always noticed a decline in coral health and an increase of nuisance algae when I deep cleaned my sump. It’s the main reason I stopped cleaning it and just let it be.

 

[00W]

The whole system is supposed to be turned off during a tank maintenance, the sump is disconnected from the main tank at that time, there would be no reason for any highly lethal contaminant for corals to enter the tank, once the sump, skimmer and return pump are completely cleaned, new water is put in, at least that is my procedure. I would be a case contrary to people who once used a DSB in their main tank and removed it with fish and corals in it, that was a catastrophe for the tank.

I have not cleaned my sump in, well, I don't know how long.
Many years.
That being said I did not read the post you are referring to.
If your sump is that easy to remove and clean by all means, go for it.
Seems like a lot of extra work.
It all depends what you are using your sump for and what's in it.
Just a skimmer, return and reactor would be totally different than mine where I also use it for biological filtration as well.
In my case, I'm NOT going to clean it.

 

[Lavey29]

I have not cleaned my sump in, well, I don't know how long.
Many years.
That being said I did not read the post you are referring to.
If your sump is that easy to remove and clean by all means, go for it.
Seems like a lot of extra work.
It all depends what you are using your sump for and what's in it.
Just a skimmer, return and reactor would be totally different than mine where I also use it for biological filtration as well.
In my case, I'm NOT going to clean it.

My sump looks like a science experiment gone way wrong.

 

[LaloJ]

Many years without cleaning? The accumulated debris in that time will raise the nitrates to absurd levels in which hard corals for example, would be compromised, that according to the little I know about sps corals. In the same way I suppose that there is a balance in the entire tank, biofilter, fish and corals when it's an intact system for a long time, IME I can say that many fish that I have had are compromised when nitrate levels exceed 40 ppm, they stop eating, look paler and lethargic, but that is only my experience.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

My sump looks like a science experiment gone way wrong.

Ya me too

 

[Lasse]

I suck up some sediments after 4 years - and it was 4 years ago - have not noticed any negative effects yet

Sincerely Lasse

 

[00W]

Many years without cleaning? The accumulated debris in that time will raise the nitrates to absurd levels in which hard corals for example, would be compromised, that according to the little I know about sps corals. In the same way I suppose that there is a balance in the entire tank, biofilter, fish and corals when it's an intact system for a long time, IME I can say that many fish that I have had are compromised when nitrate levels exceed 40 ppm, they stop eating, look paler and lethargic, but that is only my experience.

This is a blanket statement and I disagree wholeheartedly.
Have had many many tanks with nitrates in the 80's, large angels, tangs.
They could care less about nitrates.
Many very successful tanks on r2r with high nutrients.
My trigger is a nitrate making machine and the debris I have in my sump lends minimal impact to overall nitrates.

 

[LaloJ]

This is a blanket statement and I disagree wholeheartedly.
Have had many many tanks with nitrates in the 80's, large angels, tangs.
They could care less about nitrates.
Many very successful tanks on r2r with high nutrients.
My trigger is a nitrate making machine and the debris I have in my sump lends minimal impact to overall nitrates.

This was just my experience, in my case high nitrates have had negative effects on my fish, even in the damsels I have had, I do a water change and they return to normal, I have seen successful mixed reef tanks with high nitrate levels +160ppm and very healthy fish.

 

[Lavey29]

Ya me too

That's cool

 

[exnisstech]

I have three tanks running currently (used to be more) and I've never cleaned a sump. I've also never had a problem with high nitrates. I have to dose nitrates occasionally on two tanks.

 

[Dave-T]

This was just my experience, in my case high nitrates have had negative effects on my fish, even in the damsels I have had, I do a water change and they return to normal, I have seen successful mixed reef tanks with high nitrate levels +160ppm and very healthy fish.

How do you know it was the nitrates, and not something else in the water that was removed when you did the water change?

 

[besskurz]

A few days ago I was reading about some aquarists who had lost several corals and even entire systems after cleaning the sump after a long time. Has anyone of you been through something similar? My sump is simple but I find it quite convenient to clean it at least once a month IMO, so I'm used to cleaning out the debris that mechanical filtration and skimmer couldn't get out, and I know that all systems are different and everyone could put more equipment in the sump and make it harder to clean it regularly, but I'm having a hard time understanding how it could affect it so negatively as to lose an entire system, is it due to the nutrients consumed by the corals? or what kind of massive imbalance is there in these cases?

Just don't clean the sump.
There are so many organisms growing there and helping your filtration that it's IMO a step back in the maturity of the tank cleaning the sump.

 

[exnisstech]

TBO I have no idea how I would even clean this sump. It would be like a tank tear down and rock would have to be stored in water while I vacuumed the detritus along with all the worms brittle stars and other cool life forms that live there. This one is run as a cryptic fuge so no macro algae but there is no shortage of life forms which would be destroyed if I cleaned it.

Plus my Grandson thinks the sump is cooler than the display.

 

[Lasse]

Nitrates can´t be stored in any way in a reef tank unless you have spinach or beetroot in the tank. It is either in the water column or not. However N can be stored as organic N, converted by heterotroph bacteria into NH3/NH4 and further converted by autotroph bacteria into NO3 but NO3 as a compound can´t be stored in sand, rocks or whatever - as I know it. Most tank get their NH3/NH4 as waste when fish eats but some tank - as my own - with an high organic load get it from internal bacteria activity as well. Together with my feeding regime my tank produce around 3 - 5 mg/L NO3 a day from around 0.9 - 1.5 mg/L NH3/NH4 produced by fish and bacteria every day

Sincerely Lasse

 

[LaloJ]

How do you know it was the nitrates, and not something else in the water that was removed when you did the water change?

I simply vacuumed the debris out of the sump and put in new water, as if my sump was a QT tank with PVC but no fish, I don't have rocks in there or refugium, all the live rock is up in the tank and some pieces have been working for 15 years, I suppose if I had put rock in the sump with a refugium it would be full of life like some of you have in your systems.

 

[exnisstech]

I simply vacuumed the debris out of the sump and put in new water, as if my sump was a QT tank with PVC but no fish, I don't have rocks in there or refugium, all the live rock is up in the tank and some pieces have been working for 15 years, I suppose if I had put rock in the sump with a refugium it would be full of life like some of you have in your systems.

Sounds like a simple water change and vacuuming detritus just like I do in my DT. My fish are alway frisky after a water change along with a couple of corals.

EDIT : I just don't understand how doing what you describe could cause coral losses?

 

[Dave-T]

I simply vacuumed the debris out of the sump and put in new water, as if my sump was a QT tank with PVC but no fish, I don't have rocks in there or refugium, all the live rock is up in the tank and some pieces have been working for 15 years, I suppose if I had put rock in the sump with a refugium it would be full of life like some of you have in your systems.

I don't see how that answers my question. You said that high nitrates were hurting your fish and when you did a water change, the fish recovered. But it could've been something else in the water that was hurting the fish that was removed when you did the water change.