Builiding A Sump

shyshko08

shyshko08

Member
I currently have a 45 gallon saltwater aquarium and I'm currently ready to ditch the canister filter. The maintenance on those things begin to be a pain in the ass. It was interesting and fun at first when I first started the hobby, but it get old.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the reason that I want to go with a sump is because there is much less maintenance for it. Is that correct?
Another question before I start building my first sump is what size sump should I get for a 45 gal aquarium. I was thinking a 20 gal. but if I'm wrong let me know.
I'll post more questions as I go along with this mini project but for now this is all I wanted to know
 
spinylobster

spinylobster

Member
A 20 gallon will give you plenty of room for stuff like protein skimmers and what not. Plus if you have a power outage, and if you do it right you dont have to worry about water overflowing out. I have a 75 gallon reef with a 20 gallon long sump and it works like a charm
 
bizzmoneyb

bizzmoneyb

Member
i wouldnt say thats THE reason for a sump. sumps are good because you can hide your equipment in them, more water volume in your system, more/better circulation in your system, etc.
everyone says go with the biggest sump you can. i was limited and have a 20L for my 90 gal, so you'd be plenty fine with a 20.
 
shyshko08

shyshko08

Member
I was just measured my space under the tank, and it seems like a 20 gallon wont fit. So I think I'm going to have to go with a 10 gallon. Is that too small for a sump. Will it be able to fit a protein skimmer also?
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
With a sump you really have to decide what the requirements are and the limited space you have before getting one.
Requirements such as skimmer/fuge section/return pump and water back flow from power outages are key here.
Space -- well go as big as you can that is practical.
I built mine to my own specs going as big as I could with all the requirements needed. I know the glass 20 or 10 gallon aquariums are cheaper but not always feasible.
 
beckto

beckto

Member
I was limited to a 10 gal tank for my sump. When you design it correctly (inlet, baffles, bubble traps, return section) you will only have room for skimmer, and heater. This was my problem with using the 10g. The main reason I built it was to incoporate a fuge. I had to make a "remote" fuge. It is a stand alone plastic bin that I found at wally world, it is taller than wider, so I could use this in the limited space left over under my tank. It is fed by the return, then gravity feeds it back into the sump. Works great!
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Correct me if I'm wrong but the reason that I want to go with a sump is because there is much less maintenance for it. Is that correct?
IMO this is not a good reason to go with a sump. This hobby takes dedication. With all due respect to go with one system As apposed to another because one feels that they need not devote much time to its maintenance is a bad habit to get into
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3005169
IMO this is not a good reason to go with a sump. This hobby takes dedication. With all due respect to go with one system As apposed to another because one feels that they need not devote much time to its maintenance is a bad habit to get into
You mean the 6 month stretch I was gone and no water changes were made is a bad thing??????

Wife did great but never cleaned the skimmer (emptied it though) or did a water change... and I do believe the sump saved me there.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
The only place to have a fuge and skimmer -- the only nutrient export the 6 months I was gone while the wife only fed flake food.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3005213
The only place to have a fuge and skimmer -- the only nutrient export the 6 months I was gone while the wife only fed flake food.
So lets assume your nitrate removal was only achieved by assimilation in your refug or export via anaerobic bacteria and the skimmer, which you feel saved your tank. The sump allowed you to maintain your skimmer and the refug gave you nitrification and di nitrification Now addressing my statement that choosing something just because it requires less maintenance is not always the best way to go I must ask you did you install a sump refug simply because you feel it required less mantaniance or did you install it for more logical reasons
 
shyshko08

shyshko08

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3005169
IMO this is not a good reason to go with a sump. This hobby takes dedication. With all due respect to go with one system As apposed to another because one feels that they need not devote much time to its maintenance is a bad habit to get into

In my opinion, why get a headache always remembering to clean out the canister every 2 weeks when you don't have to. It's not that I mind, its that its not necessary.....with all due respect
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
I just commented that it probably saved my livestock while I was gone. But in reality don't we buy things to help us out?
Like algae scrapers, automatic timers, etc. Automatic timers save me time but not manually turning lights on and off --- does this make me lazy and a bad tank person or just efficient?
I built them for the benefits but if anything saves time or requires less maint that is also a benefit and has nothing to do with dedication.
I may do a 5 gallon water change a week on a 100gallon system or I might not get to it for a month -- but my system runs great and have other things that demand my time. I also refuse to make my wife do something she doesn't want to for my hobby because I didn't plan for my lack of time or dedication.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
I built them for the benefits but if anything saves time or requires less maint that is also a benefit and has nothing to do with dedication.
exatly my point you did it for the benefits which were not an after thought for lack of dedication. I was responding to this statment
Correct me if I'm wrong but the reason that I want to go with a sump is because there is much less maintenance for it. Is that correct?
 
shyshko08

shyshko08

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3005441
exatly my point you did it for the benefits which were not an after thought for lack of dedication. I was responding to this statment
and my question to you is why should you waste your time doing something when you dont have to? I got to school full time, 17 credit hours a semester. It hard to keep up with everything. It's not that I'm lazy or have a lack of dedication to this hobby. I love this hobby
 
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