cartman101
Active Member
how many gallons of water should i fill up the sump?
20gal long sump question
- Thread starter cartman101
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murph
Active Member
Get an inexpensive plastic container slightly larger than the twenty gallon and slip it down into it. This way you can fill the sump to capacity and know exactly what your top off level is; full sump.
In event of power outage backwash will flow over the sides of the sump but then be caught by the plastic container.
In event of power outage backwash will flow over the sides of the sump but then be caught by the plastic container.
cartman101
Active Member
Ok I'm still confused on how much gallons to use. So if there is a power outage the sump will definitly overflow?
hurt
Active Member
If your DT is a 125, as your profile shows, you may wish to get a larger sump-40g. In the event of a power outage your DT will drain to either the top of your overflow or the top of return line, whichever is lower. But you can drill a small hole in the top of your return line just under the H2O level in your DT. This will allow air in-in the event of a power outage-to break the siphon. In which case it will drain to the top of your overflow. I'd guess in a tank as large as a 125, that would probably put 6-8 extra gallons into your fuge. If this was the case your sump should normally only operate with 10g out the 20g max to prevent an overflow. So you won't get as much of a "benefit" from it. That's why I'd probably try and a get a larger sump.
cartman101
Active Member
Ah I see so its only 1/2! If you had a 20gal there would be 10gals and if you had a 40gal there would be 20gals. I would get a bigger tank but it would be more money, the lfs is doing it for me for $100 (thats with the tank, plumbing, and plants
).
hurt
Active Member
lfs is doing it for me for $100
IMHO-their ripping you off. I bought my 20g long for $15, 3 baffles cut to size at HD for $6, silicone for $4. Plumbing total for PVC~15$. A bag of chaeto from the online auction site $6.
Rough total~$46 for a 20g fuge. It was not difficult to do. This was my first experience doing it, and it was very easy.
Ah I see so its only 1/2!
1/2 to be absolute safe, but my 20g fuge normally runs with about 15-16 gallons. When the power goes off my 55g DT will put another 2-3gallons in it.
IMHO-their ripping you off. I bought my 20g long for $15, 3 baffles cut to size at HD for $6, silicone for $4. Plumbing total for PVC~15$. A bag of chaeto from the online auction site $6.
Rough total~$46 for a 20g fuge. It was not difficult to do. This was my first experience doing it, and it was very easy.
Ah I see so its only 1/2!
1/2 to be absolute safe, but my 20g fuge normally runs with about 15-16 gallons. When the power goes off my 55g DT will put another 2-3gallons in it.
squidd
Active Member
"If" your overflows and return are set up properly and have minimal drainback or back wash, you can figure approximatly 1.5" X the top surface of the tank in inchs / by 231 to get gallons and that should be adaquat space in "any" sized sump for backwash...
For example...a 55 gallon MT 48"X13"=624X1.5"=936/231=4.05 gallons...So if you leave 4.05 gallons of room in the sump whether it's a 10 or 20 or 40 gallon sump, you should be covered...
That's like where HURT says his drains 2-3 gallons...the 4 gallon number covers that and leaves a little extra room for safety...
Works on all size tanks...
For example...a 55 gallon MT 48"X13"=624X1.5"=936/231=4.05 gallons...So if you leave 4.05 gallons of room in the sump whether it's a 10 or 20 or 40 gallon sump, you should be covered...
That's like where HURT says his drains 2-3 gallons...the 4 gallon number covers that and leaves a little extra room for safety...
Works on all size tanks...