Sump - how often should I clean ?

[steeledr]

I have recently set up an 860 litre tank with a 180 litre sump. It has been running for 8 months and I have not really cleaned the sump as yet. All the water conditions are good. Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, ph 6.4 and all my discus fish and tetras are all happy. I have attached a photo of the bottom of the sump there is a lot of brown stuff gathered at the bottom, it looks like garbage but I am not sure if its bacteria. Can you see bacteria or is it invisable? Any suggestions would be appreciated. :)

[Merrilyn]

The stuff at the bottom of your sump is called mulm. In other words, fish poop and other waste. By all means clean it out. Bacteria live in the bio balls or filter medium in your sump. Some will be clinging to the glass, but most will be safe in the filter media. You can clean the filter pads too, so long as you're very gentle and use old tank water to rinse the filter pads. Don't be tempted to wash them under the tap. The chlorine in tap water will kill all your good bacteria.

[steeledr]

Thanks very much for the advice, much appreciated :D