What to do, what to do?

This is kind of complicated so I wasn't sure where to put ti. But here it goes...

I have a 29g tank which will be set up as a reef tank. I have it on a DIY stand which has 22" Clearance for a skimmer(height). But the biggest tank I can fit under the tank would be a 10g. No problem...or so I thought. I planned to have a 3g fuge with a 1g return section & 10" x 5" section for the skimmer, which would be a Coralife 65(made by Ocean Systems). This would have been fine, had FS Aquatics estimate on the approximate size been, correct(They said it was 4.25" X 5.5". Really the skimmer footprint is 8"X 5"). Luckily I haven't ordered it yet & set up the sump, to find out that it won't work.

Aquarium Protein Skimmers: Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer
Oceanic Systems | Products | Coralife Super Skimmer

Here's the sump I have designed, and bought glass for, but I have not yet actually built the sump.



I know this skimmer can be used as a HOB. I have a bit of room to the left of where the sump will be(which was going to be used for storage of fish foods/dosing, etc.)which can be used for the skimmer.

Another option might be just to have the entire 10g as a sump for the skimmer/pump & use another tank as a fuge which will be "gravity feeding" the sump.

What do you think I should do?

 

You can get a taller tank that has a 10g foot print, I have an 18g I'm saving for Sea Horses and there is also a 20g tall as well.

 

I feel this is your best route... it is how I do it, as well as a few others, and it works very nicely!

 

You wanna do the HOB thing?


if not I would take out the fuge. If you do you can add a biopellet reactor or you could build a seperate higher stand and put a fuge on there and have that flow into the dt.

 

I used a HOB in my sump for a while, and it skimmed better than off the tank normally. Granted, that wasn't awesome, but certainly a feasible option. I would just dump the fuge and use the 10g as a sump only, and if needed/desired add the additional tank for a fuge.

 

aww dang that sucks... so this is why i havnt seen an update on your other thread of the sump/fuge build, crud man if you have the room id say get a 2nd tank for the fuge but its all up 2 u

 

Sense I already have the glass cut for the previous plans(see drawing above) I think I may go with that & just have the skimmer hang off the left side, where the skimmer would have originally sat inside the tank.

I like the idea of another fuge...idk

 

I like the sump and fuge being separate tanks as you would have more water in the system and thus better stability.

 

I thought of that too. But I only have room in the stand for the 10g. I'm in Google Sketchup right now, trying to design a new "2-tank sump", using the glass baffles I already have. I'll be back with a picture when I come up with something.

 

Here's what I've come up with.

Skimmer & return will be in the 10g sump. Each side is 10" X 10" with a 2" X 2" baffle section to the left. 20gL tank for the fuge, coming into the return section from left.

Return section is now 2.5g.