Help with sump please

monroe5161

monroe5161

New Member
First of all thank you for looking at this to help me. I am starting a new 55 gallon reef tank setup. All I have now is the tank, lights, powerheads and testing equiment. I have been and still looking on this site for all my information on what to use and buy. I thank all of you for this, ok enough with the chit chat my whole reason for this thread is to ask about sumps. I have been reading a lot on here about them and I see everyone making their own. I work offshore and I hardly get off. I found some on ---- the sites are http://cgi.----.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll..._promot_widget and http://cgi.----.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll..._promot_widget I was wondering are these any good or should i try and build my own? From the measurments it will give me enough room under my tank in my stand and enough behind it if i want. Also, what are the differences in these two? I will also be upgradeing in about a year to a 190 gallon setup when I can talk my wife into it.
Thank you all in advance
 
reefforbrains

reefforbrains

Active Member
build your own, they really are not complicated and you will find you often get much better results, also they are sooo much cheaper to build
 
monroe5161

monroe5161

New Member
So its better to build your own. If you dont mind can I get some links to the basics of building them. I found a bunch of threads on it but not one that breaks it down to noob terms.
 
reefforbrains

reefforbrains

Active Member
The physical plumbing and design is simple but most times whats overlooked is the WHY.
well start with what you want to accomplish and why:
Large to increase watervolume for larger bio-load in your display tank in a limited space?
Small just so you have something underneath that can grow algea to feed with?
Sumps are REALLY not MANDITORY, they just help with making things more stable and let you accomplish other benifitial tasks for your main display tank. Basic function is to offset the creature load in your display tank. You can pack it with live rock and let the biological process happen underneath so you have more swimming room in your display. Design varies but in the DIY section you will see many versions and diagrams, they all just are variatoins of where they put thier baffles to direct the waterflow and what they are flowing the water through before pumping it back to the main disply tank. So without sending you on a half cocked goosechase, look in the archives and in the DIY threads, many versions in there. Just pick one that suits your needs for why your looking to build one in the first place.
 
monroe5161

monroe5161

New Member
Thank you very much reef. My wife mostly wants a reef tank with coral and anemones and a few fish with a good clean up crew but when we ugrade to the 190 i know i will need one. Its just every thread i see it keeps looking harder and harder to do. so in the 55 gal i will be ok without it with lr and ls and a good clean up crew?
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
I have built three acrylic sumps/refugiums in the last year. You will get all the info you need...pictures, materials, pitfalls to avoid..at melevsreef.com
Guy is a wizard with acrylic and a dedicated (obsessed) SWF guy.

Good luck
 
reefforbrains

reefforbrains

Active Member
like absolutley anything else here on the boards or at any fish store, everything you do is wrong/right. We will all never agree. We all do things differently and have different brands we like and avoid. It comes with experience and you can never read TOO MUCH. Years ago I met someone that showed me some truely amazing reef set ups with NOTHING except a display tank, powerheads and a good skimmer. He proved it to me quite stoutly that it is to each thier own. It has always stuck with me how often when people force their opinions on one another in this hobby. Like when your standing next to a stranger at your local fish store they think they know everything and thier tank is the only one on the planet that is set up correctly in order to have healthy and happy fish/coral.
Now I am NOT saying that you SHOULDNT run run a sump, but just be patient and take it slow and keep everything consistant with regards to water perameters, cleaning and maint along with regular water changes and see how things go. I would bet that in something as small as a 55 a nice cleanup and plenty of live rock and good flow you should be absolutley blooming. And most importantly do get a skimmer. The clean and simple methods works wonders but you will need quite a bit more rock work to handle the chemical part of cleanup. thats my 2cents. most important have fun, enjoy your tank and dont let it become a stress ball that worries you about how "john doe" does his tank. also plenty of folks on here will naturally disagree with me so take my advise as just that advise and look for others responses as well...... hope it helps and welcome to the world of salt
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top