That is a great thread Jack. After work I will finish reading it. The sump is great. I think you let your socks get dirtier than mine (that sounds so odd .) I pull mine as soon as they turn a tan color. Your sump more practical than mine and your tank is gorgeous. Looking forward to reading the rest of it. Thanks for the link.
"You can't trust water: Even a straight stick turns crooked in it." -W.C.Fields
Cleaned my sump last night, complete tear down, sucked all the water out with bucket head....rinse replaced. Maybe took 20 minutes!
You could tell the fish loved it! No stress bars, lightened up a little, happy campers.