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Siphoning/cleaning overflow

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by beckerj3, Sep 3, 2015.

  1. Sep 3, 2015 #1
    beckerj3 West Des Moines, IA

    beckerj3 Expert Reefkeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

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    I have a standard internal overflow on my 75g display tank. Periodically (about once a month), I siphon the water from the overflow as part of my water change. Although the water is clear (fairly), there is always a bunch of detritus settled on the bottom, and the water (in the bucket) is generally a nasty color after siphoned until it settles again (if left to siphon).

    I was curious if other people do this as well - or do other people not get ditritus settling in the bottom of the overflow?? I'd say I have more detritus settling there than in the sump (I don't use a filter sock in the sump). Do you siphon the water from your overflow (internal) as part of your water change?
     
  2. Sep 3, 2015 #2
    jeremy Davenport, IA

    jeremy Acro Addict

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    I do this maybe 3 times a year. Yes there is a lot of funky stuff in mine also. There's feather dusters,tube worms and detritus in mine. I run filter socks in my sump so very little settling in my sump.

    I should probably do it more often but I dont. Maybe I should do that tomorrow and see how much stuff come out. It's been a while.
     
  3. Sep 3, 2015 #3
    Zach Coralville, Iowa

    Zach Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I usually let it be as part of the system. when disturbed after years I typically find a small farm of Bristleworms. I have also knwon people to put live rock in the area as well... no word on how well that works. And I have known others to use it as a RDSB and fill it with fine fine silica sand.
     
  4. Sep 3, 2015 #4
    DangerJ Des Moines, IA

    DangerJ Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    As Zach posted above, I've usually just left them be as part of the system. It's a safe haven for bristleworms, feather dusters, starfish, even copepods or daring (stupid?) hermit crabs.
     
  5. Sep 4, 2015 #5
    Jaked

    Jaked

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    If you wanted to eliminate most of it, you could drop a small power head in there. I haven't looked in mine since it was setup, maybe I should.... Lol
     
  6. Sep 4, 2015 #6
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    Basically it's like a built-in benthic zone, I would just leave it alone. It's a dark & safe haven for all kinds of critters. Most overflows have a durso in them to the water comes in at the surface and then is sucked out just below the surface, and there is much less water movement at the bottom, hence why they collect things. But there is some movement, so it's not like you're going to end up with 6" of mulm in there after 10 years.
     
  7. Sep 4, 2015 #7
    jeremy Davenport, IA

    jeremy Acro Addict

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    Well, I just siphoned bot my overflows on my 120 and pulled out some really funky ****! There are still feather dusters and other creature clinging on glass and stand pipes. I just siphoned what settled on the bottom. Lots of nasty stuff. Guess I should clean more often.
    I have a cryptic zone in my sump for sponges and worms and all sorts of critters so I will try to keep overflow a bit cleaner.
     
  8. Sep 5, 2015 #8
    Sponge Marshalltown, IA

    Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

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    I don't on the frag tank as my turnover/flow is pretty fast. It's mainly fine sand that I ocassionally see. The 40B I just use a scraper and brush to clean the overflow walls occasionally. Nothing in the 180 overflows except tube worms. If there are any people with high NO3, they might want to clean theirs' out as every little bit of detritus removed helps with nutrient reduction.

    Because the best nitrification happens in low flow, I am not a proponent of having sand and/or rock in overflows. There's too much flow and the sand would need to be very deep, as well as the surface area just isn't big enough IMO to do any good. Rock in overflows wouldn't be 'big' enough to do anything as rock thickness has to be pretty big/thick for nitrification....
     

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