Do you shut down your sump during water changes?

[carb850]

I'm setting up 90G tank and plan on using a 38G sump. According to my calculations I could only change about 12G of water and keep the sump running. To change any more than that, I would need to shut down my skimmer and return pump.

For those you that have sumps which fit into your cabinets, do you shut the return down during water changes or are you able to change enough with the system still running?

[Nereaga]

Bump

[Snowboarda42]

It all depends on how big your return section is, since thats the part thats going to drain the quickest.

My 20L sump return section personally is ~3gallons, so I shut it down, drain out 10 gallons total out of the skimmer section and the return section, and refill.

As far as being detrimental or not, it shouldn't matter, I just try to avoid microbubbles from being released into my DT this way.

[zachluhrs]

I currently shut my main pump down during water changes, but I'd prefer not to. I'm building a sump room in my basement at the moment which will have a large sump and eliminate the main shut down.

[Cove Beach]

I shut down the pumps, and drain the water from the display, while using the hose to do some vacuming with it. Then refill into the display, micro bubbles are gone in a short time.

[CruzinKim]

I do shut down for water changes.

[Steven M]

I shut off my return pump, let the water back-siphon the top two inches into the sump. Then use to return pump to pump out the water in the sump. My sump is setup so I can drain the whole thing (30gal). The return line has a tee with ball valves and a hose hookup.

[reefrubble]

I do like Steve , but I just drain my sump . I don't use a pump to pump out the old water . I keep approximately 75 gal . in my sump . I do 80 gal water changes . NSW all the way . Ted

[frank arriaga]

I do my water change thur my sump.

[sjm817]

Yes. I drain 40G out of the sump to do the change. I have a basement sump, so its just a matter of opening two valves to drain it.

[HDAlien]

Yes, I shut down the main pump.

[mg426]

Return pump offf during water changes.

[Kalied20]

I have a 90 gallon with a 30 gallon sump/refuge. I shut down everything in there and the return pump. I can get about 10 gallons out of there and then I pump out about 20 more in the Main Display.

[AlexB650]

I also shut down the sump, but that's simply because my return section is not large enough, as others have also said. I drain from the display to remove detritus that i've blown free from the rocks and then fill through the sump to allow the clean water to mix before entering the display.