I am SOOOOO excited!

[rtlimpus]

How come no one told me how addicting this was going to be. I went to my new fav LFS today for a fish and came out with a 75 gallon tank. YAY. I decided to do this all the right way, from lighting to sump, to skimmer. Everything. LFS gave me 30 days to pay off the killer deal, (which includes the canopy).
Here's my quandry. When everyone talks about refugium/sumps, that talk is like latin to me. I need some help with sites, etc to study as much as possible. I need someone to walk me thru if they are willing. I know there is talk of drilling, which I would like to avoid, but overflow scares me. HELP! I only have 30 days to figure it all out.
PLEEEEZZZZZ someone help.

 

[handbanana]

Congrats!!
I tend to ramble so I will let someone else start the ball rolling but congratulations are definitely in order!

 

[ibanez]

A good start is to google -everything you always wanted to know about sumps- and read the articles on that.

 

[jstdv8]

my LFS has been up and running for a number of years and has never had an overflow failure if that helps.
I would think the only way it can fail is if a rouge snail big enough to fill the tube climed up in there. Other than that the overflow is designed so that nothing can go over the top thats big enough to clog the hole, that's why the teeth are there.
There are also overflows that have a motor attached to them that starts the siphon and keeps the siphone except for during a power outage. But in an outage there won't be any return pump going either so no worries there.

 

[florida joe]

you need to start by listing everything and i mean everything they are giving you

 

[rtlimpus]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3262488
you need to start by listing everything and i mean everything they are giving you
That part is easy. I got a 75 gallon tank, stand and canopy. I have to start from scratch. She had a wet dry 20 gallon (I think) brand new for 200 but i think I want to build my own refugium. Its just that all the plumbing looks so complicated!
And thanks for the congrats. My little cube is a bit jealous, but I will love them both.

 

[ibanez]

Someone here, I forget who, maybe beaselbob built a refugium into the back of their tank using egg crate and dividing off like the back six inches or so. It doesn't give you much room, or any added water volume, but if you find the sump system too complex, (which I don't think you will) it is possible. If you don't want to have it drilled, get a good overflow box and make sure it is mounted correctly and that it is larger than your return pump can provide water volume. Get like a 29 gallon tank for the sump and make an area on one side (probably the left) for the drain line with maybe some carbon and something to minimize the bubble like a sponge, make the right side the return pump and skimmer compartment, the middle a refugium. You will need some sort of light to light the refugium, and you will need the plumbing to go from the return pump up and over the side and into the tank with a minimal amount of distance and bends to avoid slowing down the water volume. That is a basic plan. You will have to make sure you understand the concept of the sump, the water drains down in, overflows into the refugium then overflows into a bubble trap which are three staggered peices of glass strategically measured and placed to prevent bubbles from getting to the return pump and back into the display. A 29 is probably as small as I would go. I have a 38 I think which is 36 inches long 12.5 front to back 21 inches tall, and it seems a little cramped, and it is under the same footprint as your tank.

 

[ibanez]

Also, the right lighting for all corals and anemones would be either t5 or metal halide or a combination of both. Over a 75 gallon I would recommend a six bulb t5 light.

 

[rtlimpus]

Originally Posted by IbanEz
http:///forum/post/3262522
Someone here, I forget who, maybe beaselbob built a refugium into the back of their tank using egg crate and dividing off like the back six inches or so. It doesn't give you much room, or any added water volume, but if you find the sump system too complex, (which I don't think you will) it is possible. If you don't want to have it drilled, get a good overflow box and make sure it is mounted correctly and that it is larger than your return pump can provide water volume. Get like a 29 gallon tank for the sump and make an area on one side (probably the left) for the drain line with maybe some carbon and something to minimize the bubble like a sponge, make the right side the return pump and skimmer compartment, the middle a refugium. You will need some sort of light to light the refugium, and you will need the plumbing to go from the return pump up and over the side and into the tank with a minimal amount of distance and bends to avoid slowing down the water volume. That is a basic plan. You will have to make sure you understand the concept of the sump, the water drains down in, overflows into the refugium then overflows into a bubble trap which are three staggered peices of glass strategically measured and placed to prevent bubbles from getting to the return pump and back into the display. A 29 is probably as small as I would go. I have a 38 I think which is 36 inches long 12.5 front to back 21 inches tall, and it seems a little cramped, and it is under the same footprint as your tank.
Thanks for your input, it is always helpful! I have a refugium in my 29 bio, so i get the concept, its the plumbing I am concerned about. For a girl I am pretty handy, but a nice set of plans would be helpful. I have an old 29 gallon high that I am hoping will fit under the cabinet, so that part sounds perfect. Sounds like the overflow box is important, but I hear nightmares about the overflow floodingin a power outage, which happens a lot here up in the mountains. Research is the name of the game in this hobby, me thinks.
I got my refractometer tonight. Gonna go play with that. Thanks for your input, more is always welcome!!!!!

 

[ibanez]

If the overflow is set up right, it wont fail during power outage, the only things that make them fail are, as someone already said, livestock getting stuck in the tube, which probably wont happen, and airbubble building up in the overflow tube and breaking the syphon, which could happen. I use cpr model which doesn't use a tube, and it has a valve to hook up an aqualifter pump to keep airbubble out and the syphon going. They can be more noisy than a good drilled tank overflow, but they are a decent product. From there, pipe down to your sump, and from your return pump, pipe up and over the side to a spray bar. If you have a lot of power outages, and your around home often, I suggest some sort of water circulation or air bubbles with a battery backup. You don't have to run them all the time but best have them handy.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by rtlimpus
http:///forum/post/3262462

How come no one told me how addicting this was going to be. I went to my new fav LFS today for a fish and came out with a 75 gallon tank. YAY. I decided to do this all the right way, from lighting to sump, to skimmer. Everything. LFS gave me 30 days to pay off the killer deal, (which includes the canopy).
Here's my quandry. When everyone talks about refugium/sumps, that talk is like latin to me. I need some help with sites, etc to study as much as possible. I need someone to walk me thru if they are willing. I know there is talk of drilling, which I would like to avoid, but overflow scares me. HELP! I only have 30 days to figure it all out.
PLEEEEZZZZZ someone help.

Everyone likes sumps and I understand…me, I don’t like drilling on any tank. I use canister filters on my 90g and I have had no problems in all the 30+ years I have kept fish. It takes very little space, makes no noise whatsoever, and installs in seconds.
Sumps take up the entire lower portion of the stand, they sound like something is dripping all the time and setting it up is Latin to me too.
Just my .02

 

[rtlimpus]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3262581

Everyone likes sumps and I understand…me, I don’t like drilling on any tank. I use canister filters on my 90g and I have had no problems in all the 30+ years I have kept fish. It takes very little space, makes no noise whatsoever, and installs in seconds.
Sumps take up the entire lower portion of the stand, they sound like something is dripping all the time and setting it up is Latin to me too.
Just my .02
Flower- I was at the fish store to buy a canister for my existing tank and she told me that canisters are no good for salt water because they use carbon, which is bad for SWF. Do you use carbon on your canister? I know everyone has many dollars worth of .02, but I was wondering about your experience.
Thanks!