Must have a sump?
- Thread starter tecster81
- Start date
oceana
Active Member
sump =more water and more places for filtration methods other then in your display.
great please for deep sand beds and skimmers.
i also helps with water turnover and give you a place to dose your tank so it can mix before going to the display
many many reasons to have one.
simply hanging a filter on the back of your tank will not really cut it in the long run.
more info on your plans would be helpful in recomendations
reef/ fo/ fowlr???
great please for deep sand beds and skimmers.
i also helps with water turnover and give you a place to dose your tank so it can mix before going to the display
many many reasons to have one.
simply hanging a filter on the back of your tank will not really cut it in the long run.
more info on your plans would be helpful in recomendations
reef/ fo/ fowlr???
mudplayerx
Active Member
You don't need a sump at all, but as Oceana said, it gives you a handy place to put all your equipment (so it doesn't cluter up the display).
Take note that if you want to use a sump you will need an overflow. You can buy a tank with an overflow already built in or you can buy a hang-on overflow.
Never drill your tank yourself if it is glass. Glass tanks utilize tempered glass which has a tendancy to crack or shatter when drilled. It will void any warranty as well
Take note that if you want to use a sump you will need an overflow. You can buy a tank with an overflow already built in or you can buy a hang-on overflow.
Never drill your tank yourself if it is glass. Glass tanks utilize tempered glass which has a tendancy to crack or shatter when drilled. It will void any warranty as well
tecster81
New Member
Im using a 55gal as my first tank... I have had many fresh water tanks and now i am making the transition to saltwater... So 55gal tank and FOWLR for a while... do you guys recommend a sump for that? If so what size fish tank could i use for it, i have a 10gal, big enough? Also how do you build a sump, and what equipment is needed? Know any good sites or anything... All information is greatly appreciated... THANKS
mudplayerx
Active Member
A ten gallon tank should be sufficient in size as a sump for a 55 gallon. If you have the money/patience, I highly recommend that you buy a tank that already has an overflow in it.
An overflow looks like a vertical, rectangular box on the back of the aquarium. It has holes drilled near the top, just below where the water line would be. The water flows down the overflow underneathe the tank into the sump.
The sump generally has a filtering system, a heater, a protein skimmer, and a pump to return the overflow water back into the main tank. The amount of water overflowing down into the sump, and the gph of the pump should be set to the exact same rate, oviously.
You can have a system as simple as that, or a much more complex one depending on how much money you are willing to invest. The most impressive/expensive systems I have seen utilize a series of canisters that each have their own purpose and are connected by pvp pipe. One cnister may be mechanical filtration, one may be chemical, one may be biological, etc.
The only advice I have is if you are going the sump route, don't skimp on the prices. There's really no reason to go through all the trouble of setting up a sump if the equipment is sub-par and inefficient.
I would have loved to have had a sump, but I got a great deal on a tank/stand without preassembled overflows
I'm sure there are great threads on these forums if you do a search. Unfortunatly most posts that have links to offsite information generally get moderated here.
Hope this helped some
An overflow looks like a vertical, rectangular box on the back of the aquarium. It has holes drilled near the top, just below where the water line would be. The water flows down the overflow underneathe the tank into the sump.
The sump generally has a filtering system, a heater, a protein skimmer, and a pump to return the overflow water back into the main tank. The amount of water overflowing down into the sump, and the gph of the pump should be set to the exact same rate, oviously.
You can have a system as simple as that, or a much more complex one depending on how much money you are willing to invest. The most impressive/expensive systems I have seen utilize a series of canisters that each have their own purpose and are connected by pvp pipe. One cnister may be mechanical filtration, one may be chemical, one may be biological, etc.
The only advice I have is if you are going the sump route, don't skimp on the prices. There's really no reason to go through all the trouble of setting up a sump if the equipment is sub-par and inefficient.
I would have loved to have had a sump, but I got a great deal on a tank/stand without preassembled overflows
I'm sure there are great threads on these forums if you do a search. Unfortunatly most posts that have links to offsite information generally get moderated here.
Hope this helped some
woodymdt
Member
Originally posted by chevcam
I love using a sump it makes water changes so easy and less mess because it is behind the wall in my garage closet. It is a 50 gall with a wet/dry and protien skimmer on the way. attached is a photo pretty simple design.
Hey Chevcam...ANY possible way you could re-insert that pic with some details? I'm presuming that the top tank is your fuge? And the bottom tank is your sump?
Being new to sumps, I'd like to know I'm on the right track with this.
chevcam
Member
My sump is a 50 gal 36x18x16 I have a wet/dry it consists of a plexiglas box with a shelf where I put filter gauze or my micron sock and below is bio balls. I,m using a gen-x water pump out put 4100 LH and I have a overflow on the back of my show tank. I also use a 5 gal bucket above that drips into my sump to allow for evaporation. and I put the pump in a seperate container fill my sump up just above the container so if there is a siphon failure it will only pump about 5 gallons into my show tank instead of pumping all 50 gal into my Living romm!!!