10g sump/fuge for 30g

[gojosie1]

please dont laugh at me, this is the first diy project for me. im going to start a 30g (i think) tank. i dont want to use a canister filter on it and i dont want all the equipment hanging on the inside since it is a small tank. i want to make a sump for it but i dont know what i am doing and need your help. i looked under my other tanks that have been built for me and i sketched a drawing of what im thinking it should look like. its a combo of both sumps i have. under my 250 reef i have a fuge and under my 150 fowlr i have a sump only. so here is my drawing please let me know if im missing something or if im just totally wrong lol. any advice is appreciated!

 

[bang guy]

I would put the heater in the first or second chamber. The final chamber (actually the true sump) has a tendency to get low on water and that could expose the heater.
I would also set it up so that the output from the skimmer dumps into the first chamber so that the microbubbles have more opportunity to dissipate.

 

[gojosie1]

thank you for replying. how do i make the output from the skimmer dump into the first chamber? my skimmers just catch a bunch of crap into a little cup

 

[snakeblitz33]

How many gph is your return pump? I agree with bang.
Small sumps have short run times. I suggest putting the skimmer, heater, filter media and overflow all in the first chamber. Depending on the size of your skimmer, you may not need a fuge.

 

[gojosie1]

i dont have any equipment yet so im open to suggestions. i only have the 30g tank and the 10g tank because i already had them (empty)

 

[gojosie1]

even if i want to put corals in there?