Cheeeesy sump idea.

[marine qa]

I welcome every one to point out every flaw they can think of. I have never seen anything like this, probably for a good reason. I understand that this is not ideal, but it uses equipment I currently have.
THE GOAL: To get all possible equipment out of my main tank. Specifically, I want to set up a sump on my 46g FOWLR CHEAP. I mean really CHEAP.
THE PLAN: Take my existing Emperor 400, heater, and a skimmer(in the near future) and put them into a 10g tank below my 46g. I would use a hang-on overflow and a pump as a return to the 46g. There would be no chambers in this sump, just the tank and the equipment. I would like LS/LR(rubble)in the 10g, but this brings lighting concerns.
The following would remain in the 46g: 30lbs LR, CC(mistake), the overflow and return, and 2 170gph powerheads.
Also, I would appreciate suggested brands of overflow/return pumps. Thanks.

 

[sonny]

There's no rule that you need partitions in a sump. A 10 gallon tank would be a fine size for that setup. You will need a submersible pump to run that with. You could use a large power head to run it. Eheim is a really good pump, but you could also go with magdrive.
Sonny

 

[mithrax]

That's just fine. It is a sump nonetheless. It gives you room for your stuff and an additional total volume of water. You can also use that for adding supplements, replacing evaporated water, temperature regulation, etc.

 

[marine qa]

I ended up with a far more traditional sump. The Emperor was cleaned, the filters and wheels replaced, and is now going to filter a winter Koi tank.