Stupid Question #40

[MHG]

I hear people say to they do their water changes from the sump. Syphoning out ditrius from the bottom. I am no rocket scientist but how does one syphen water out of a sump that is sitting on the bottom of a stand (basically 2 inches off the floor)?

[Forfend]

One could attach a pump inside of the sump. Doing things at the sump is easier as you do not directly disturb the DT.

[greech]

Not a stupid question at all. There are lots of threads on this subject.

Some use shop vacs and some use a small pump like a maxijet with some tubing. I just cleaned out my sump this weekend and I am actaully able to start a siphon manually and renove most of the water (just have to be quick :)). Once the water gets too low, I take the rest of the water out with a small plastic pitcher and soak the last bits up with paper towels.

I do most of my WCs in the diaply though as I blow off my rocks with a pump and I want to suck all that crud out of the display. I probably clean my sump every 2 to 3 months and I just don't mess with the DT when I do WCs through the sump.

[bnumair]

to me its easier to change water from DT. i can drop 25% water out of DT without exposing anything to air. I do clean out my sump every 3 months or so with a shop vac.

[jeff@zina.com]

I am no rocket scientist but how does one syphen water out of a sump that is sitting on the bottom of a stand (basically 2 inches off the floor)?
Floor drains! :)

Easiest is the wet/dry vac. Suck 10 gallons out and dump it in a regular sink/tub/toilet/mean neighbor's yard at night/etc.

By the way, this is only stupid question #39. Stupid questions 7 and 13 got combined into one.

Jeff

[acrohead500ppm]

keep a circulation pump (cheap crappy koralia/ maxi mod) in your sump to keep detritus in suspension so you don't have to worry about it !

let the skimmer gobble it all up

[disc1]

I siphon water out of my sump all the time and it sits directly on the floor. Until the level of the water in the bucket you are siphoning into reaches the level of the water in the sump, the siphon will continue although it may run very slow.