The MJV from VCA aquatics is a purpose built aquarium tool that has one primary purpose in mind, which is to keep that swanky sump of yours crystal clean. This brings so much joy to our reefing soul because it’s the kind of accessory that is specially designed not for making fish healthier, not for growing corals faster, but simply to help us take pride in our reef aquarium system as a whole.
We’ve been showing off immaculate sumps that sometimes, are cleaner than the tank, for most of our reefing history, but this was achieved the old fashioned way. A single small diameter hose or an old school siphon was used to removed unwanted sand or mostly detritus from the sump, but there’s a catch: sumps are usually on the ground which makes it very hard to use gravity to siphon any water out.
This is where the VCA MJV comes in because like its initials describe, the easiest way to use the 3D printed cleaning tool is by attaching it to the intake of a small powerhead like a maxi jet pump or Cobalt Aquatics MJ. The outlet of the MJ pump is attached to a hose leading to a waste bucket and presto, you’ve got yourself a veritable dirt vacuum for your sump!
Of course if you’re really committed to having a clean sump like Evan Luo you might also consider adding a dedicated pump or outflow to keep any detritus from being able to settle on the bottom. On another note the MJV is also a very handy tool for cleaning detritus from the bare bottom tanks that are becoming increasingly popular as a more practical method of reefing. The MJ Vacuum attachment is available from a wide range of resellers and at just $10 this is a no-brainer accessory for the reef aquarium toolbox.
