Possible water contamination from sump?

[edmund36]

I noticed that my water return seemed a bit slower than usual from the sump to the tank. I lifted the return motor (in the sump) up & down several times. Their seemed to speed the water return up. The motor seemed to turn faster. I also noticed that there was a brown type of sediment in the bottom of the sump.

The tank then filled up with a temporary cloudiness and then soon cleared within an hour.

I am wondering what this sediment in the sump is; probably old dirt particles? Can it hurt the fish?

Also, if there could be dried salt clogging the lines. If so, does this shoot caustic salt into the tank therefore effecting the health of the fish?

[bertoni]

Dried salt in a return line would be strange, and I don't think it'd hurt anything. I'd remove the brown sediment. Hard to say what it is, but it seems to clog the pump. Can you post a picture of the debris?

[ek9vboi]

Are you referring to detritus? If so it is fish poop. When you do a waterchange jusr siphon it out, thats what I usually do once in a while.

I doubt it can clog a pump unless the pump has been sitting around for a while. Might want to try to pull out the pump and cleaning it with some vinager.

[2fishy]

If you do siphon out your sump, you may want to take the time to check the impeller in your pump if you noticed that it was slowing down. I wonder if it is a sediment from the decaying food and fish waste from your aquarium. This "sludge" can also build up on your impeller so if you are noticing it slowing down now I think I would take the time to maintenance it before it quits and you find yourself with a flood.

[edmund36]

Thank you all for your advise?

What is the most efficient way to clean out the sump without disturbing the bioballs, etc. How can I siphon as is suggested as sump is lowest point in room?

Ed

[jeffb3t]

I would personally suggest to slowly remove the bio balls. LR and a skimmer is all you really need. I does sound like you need to take apart the pumps and give them a good cleaning. Siphoning out the stuff is probably the best thing you can do at this point beside water changes until the bio balls are removed. They will cause nitrate problems in the future.

[bertoni]

Since you can't siphon, you could connect a powerhead like a Maxii-Jet to a hose and pump the debris out of the sump.

[savethereef]

yeah thats is fish poo (detirius) you can suck that out.its good to clean out the sump every couple of months. you will get that around places that dont have much water movement. I clean mine every month when i do a water change.