How to make a sump

Discussion in 'New To The Hobby' started by JPfish, Oct 1, 2002.

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  1. Land_Fish

    Land_Fish Guest

    I like sumps... did anyone take out the bio balls ?
     
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  3. Craig Manoukian

    Craig Manoukian Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2002
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    Marina del Rey, California
    Am in the process of building my sump/refugium. Will post pics of the progress! Will use a 29 gallon long.
     
  4. hotstuff

    hotstuff Plankton

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    Nov 25, 2003
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    Location:
    knoxville, TN,Tennessee
    hi guys, im new in this tank stuff, how do i start. i have allready read those three steps and plan to sart a 29 gallon soon. I dont get wut a sump is
     
  5. Scuba

    Scuba Fire Shrimp

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    Oct 24, 2003
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    Mid-west, Illinois
    In short a sump is a small tank that gose under your main tank that can hold water, you then put on a skimmer on the main tank to let water drain down to the sump, and a pump in the sump to move the water back up to your main tank. I hope this drowing will help
     

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  6. Phil5613

    Phil5613 Purple Spiny Lobster

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    Sep 29, 2003
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    Wheaton, Illinois
    This may sound dumb to all the experienced folk here, but for the newbies here you should test the water level in your sump in case of power failure not fun to wake up or come home to flood after a power outage. To do this after you get the tank/sump and accesories up and running disconnect power to the return pump and see how high the water in the sump rises. be ready to plg the pump back in if the level gets near the top of the sump!
     
  7. turbo4603

    turbo4603 Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Oct 31, 2003
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    Miami,Florida
    Hey scuba, Drawings help a lot. thamx for the sketch.
    The explanations was good simple and to the point. awesome
     
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  9. Cygnus

    Cygnus Plankton

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    Nov 28, 2003
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    Oslo,
    And remember to make small airholes on the return line above the water, (especially if the outlet is deep in the tank) such that the water will not get sucked back into the sump when the pumps are turned off, or during a power failure.
     
  10. omard

    omard Gnarly Old Codfish

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    Silverdale, Washington
    Craig, Matt, Phil, Naut, et.al.

    Am beginning plans for a tank upgrade sometime next spring. Have settled on a 120 "All-Glass" with the twin megaflows, after some "serious" negotiation with wife for both $ and "space"...

    Am actually beginning work on stand this weekend.

    Was wondering about future "sump/refugium"??? - should they be in same tank? (I have a 20 gal out in garage I was planning to use for the sump) - or should they be separate tanks linked somehow together? - or should I opt for just one larger one?

    The tank is 48" X24"X24" and will be on a stand with only 24" of clearance in it - so not lots of room for adding additional tanks...

    THX

    OmarD :-/
     
  11. Jason McKenzie

    Jason McKenzie Super Moderator

    Joined:
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    Hey Omard, I would go bigger. For a 120G tank I would think 40 Sump then use the 20 as a refugium. I would keep then separate just because the refugium shouldn't have all the pumps skimmers and what not. I would actually have the Ref at the same level as the tanks and gravity feed back to the sump. Seems to work for most.

    J
     
  12. omard

    omard Gnarly Old Codfish

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    "Jakets"

    Ok, understand two tanks...larger for sump, smaller for refugium.

    Stand size is not adjustable, so will have to to some serious measuring to determine optimum size or each.

    Again, I have "exactly" 48X24X24 "under" tank (in stand)

    Will also need to insure space for AquaC EV180 Protein Skimmer (which i will be upgading to ) in sump - w/enough head room in stand cabinet.

    eventually going to need "diagram" of "plumbing" between two...do not understand how works with just a "gravity" feed back to sump --- are main tank overflows going to refugium first - then gravity flow over over to sump?.

    This is going to be fun! --- want to make trip south to join in when time comes to put all together? --- whole adventure of new tank setup and "migration" is filling all spare imagination time -

    Omar