help on sump

tangov559 · 03-12-2005, 12:44 PM

Okay, i have a 55 gallon tank SW. It's about 2 1/2 monthes old. Right now i do not have a sump. Im wondering how much trouble would it be for me to start a sump. Can you guys give me some info step by step on what i need and how to set up a sump. I have a 10gallon tank, which i hope is enough for a sump.

Diver_1298 · 03-12-2005, 06:18 PM

Here are some links, there are many more, look and decide for yourself. Then ask questions. Good luck with it.
It's hard to go wrong with a sump, just make sure you follow some simple rules.1. Make sure if the power goes out you have enough volume to catch all the excess overflow from your tank. 2. If your overflow quits working make sure your tank can handle what your pump is going to deliver from the sump. And there's probably a hundred different ways to do that. KISS keep it simple silly

http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...num=1108698348
http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/yabb/Ya...num=1105547001

Birdlady · 03-12-2005, 06:48 PM

What do you plan to do with the sump?

Do you plan on putting a refugium in? or just to house filtration and such?

If you can afford it and fit it, I would try to go with a 20 gallon tank. It affords more room for overflow and other unsightly things from your tank, eg. heater, return pumps, skimmer, carbon bags...etc.

You can make a 10 work tho. JMHO

tangov559 · 03-13-2005, 11:00 PM

well, i am not very sure. What would you guys recommend? What do you mean by overflow and stuff? Please explain.

Diver_1298 · 03-14-2005, 07:26 AM

Read this http://www.3reef.com/refugiums.shtml

tangov559 · 03-14-2005, 11:23 PM

well, im still not quite sure. What is a overflow or regium? Can you guys tell me what supplies are need to setup a sump only if possible?

EricREEFlindemane@ · 03-15-2005, 02:22 PM

I would go no smaller than 20 for many reasons I had a 55 with a 30 it was to tight by the time the wet-dry and skimmer and pump and heater was put in it. My opinion I would get a 40 gal. breeder tank there short and wide which is a plus most bigger shops will sell them used for about 40.00, The only problem is if your putting it under your other tank. it might be to wide. Plus with smaller researve tank your overflow from your skimmer if you get one will probably dump into your pump.
Good Luck

alarsuel · 03-15-2005, 02:34 PM

I have just done a sump for my 55 gallon. I used a rubbermade container (I think it is about 13 gallons). If I had to do again I would have gone a bit bigger. Anyway to make it work go as big as will fit under your tank.

My directions:
1 Get or make an overflow box
2 send water to sump from bottom of overflow using pvc or flexible hose
3 make water from overflowpass through filter media, skimmer etc.. located in sump (I used a smaller rubermade which sits on the sump to hold my filter pads then dilled small holes to drip into sump
4 Connect pump to pvc leading back up to tank and return water to tank with bulkheads, return values, or any other way you want to get the water in the pvc back into the tank.

You can probably do this for:

$10 - Rubbermade
$2 - Rubbermade
$30- Overflow
$8 - PVC pipe and fittings
$30 - pump

Hope this helps.

Aaron

alarsuel · 03-15-2005, 02:37 PM

Sorry, forgot... an overflow is a box that collects water from the tank and sends it to a sump using gravity and a pipe or tube. A ref. is like a sump, or it can be a part of a sump where plant life and perhaps some other livestock is for the purpose of natural filtration.

Again, hope this helps.

Aaron

tangov559 · 03-15-2005, 05:23 PM

can i just have a sump and no refugium. I want to put my hermits and stuff in it. Is that possible or what is the best soultion to this?