How do you make a sump?

[reef_dart21]

Pics up tom
I have purchased a drilled 55 gallon breeder tank and would like to make my own sump with my 25 gallo.
what will i need to make one?
what:
pumps?
bioballs?
charcol? and etc
asap is greatly appriciated
Eric.

 

[calbert0]

Step 1: Get yourself a measuring tape and take measurements of the inside of the tank.
Step 2: Search everywhere on the net for pictures and diagrams of sumps and come up with a design to fit your needs. Just to be nice i attached a picture of mine to get you started

Step 2: Find a glass shop and order acrylic baffles
Step 3: Pick up some aquarium sealant and get to work
Step 4: Figure out the max flow rate of your drain line (google search) if its a 1'' drainline than you can run a maximum of 600 GPH with a drill hole at the bottom of the tank and around 250 - 300 GPH if the hole is near the top.
Step 5: Get a pump to match.
You also need to look into standpipes/overflow boxes because that is something i never thought of when first getting my tank drilled and it served as a rather noisy mistake.
There is a crazy amount of information out there on this stuff. I would suggest that you do as much research as possible on as many different designs and concepts as you can. Don't take just one persons advice.

 

[deon nyc]

with that said have fun. also u can also add you skimmer to you sump.

 

[taurus513]

Here is the sump I made out of a 29 gallon. Right side is skimmer, left is refugium, and middle is the return.

 

[calbert0]

if the return is inbetween the fuge and the skimmer, then where does the drain line come in? How does the water get across to the other side before it gets sucked up in the middle?

 

[taurus513]

There is a couple of ways to do it. My overflow has 2 drains. I have a 3/4" drain going to the refugium section and a 1" going to the skimmer section. The water then flows over the baffles and meets in the middle.