Newbie here, what size Sump for a 55 gallon tank
- Thread starter stern
- Start date
flower
Well-Known Member
Hi, Welcome to the site!
It would be a good idea, and very easy to divide up the tank so you can have a small refugium section as well, you can put macroalgae in it, and keep your tank's water quality pristine.
jay0705
Well-Known Member
To clarify u mean in the sump? Lol
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
There are many alternatives to using an aquarium or pre build tank for a sump.
For instance, plastic storage containers from wallmart/building supply places and the like. A large(r) container for a refugium with a smaller container for the actual sump area. I used a $5 15-20g container on my 55g with the long dimension for and aft in the stand. So it poked out the back of the stand. I could then run the drain straight down to the refugium.
You and also put the smaller container in the larger to serve the function of baffles.
One thing I did that worked out really really good was to cram in 1/4 square plastic grid (lighting diffuser/egg crate) about 3" from the back glass. And added cheapie 2 tube shop lights behind the tank pointing forward. The area between the back glass and egg crate formed a lit refugium where macros and pods thrived. And the fish grazed on the macros that poked through. Nitrates dropped to 0 in three weeks and phosphates followed a couple of months later.
If you do use an external sump be sure to adjust for power out, power return, and drain blockage. I forgot the latter. The idea is to adjust sump level so that when a drain is blocked the sump runs dry before the display floods.
my .02
For instance, plastic storage containers from wallmart/building supply places and the like. A large(r) container for a refugium with a smaller container for the actual sump area. I used a $5 15-20g container on my 55g with the long dimension for and aft in the stand. So it poked out the back of the stand. I could then run the drain straight down to the refugium.
You and also put the smaller container in the larger to serve the function of baffles.
One thing I did that worked out really really good was to cram in 1/4 square plastic grid (lighting diffuser/egg crate) about 3" from the back glass. And added cheapie 2 tube shop lights behind the tank pointing forward. The area between the back glass and egg crate formed a lit refugium where macros and pods thrived. And the fish grazed on the macros that poked through. Nitrates dropped to 0 in three weeks and phosphates followed a couple of months later.
If you do use an external sump be sure to adjust for power out, power return, and drain blockage. I forgot the latter. The idea is to adjust sump level so that when a drain is blocked the sump runs dry before the display floods.
my .02
flower
Well-Known Member
LOL...As for what I said... Yes, you can use a glass pane to create a small chamber that is shorter then the rest of the sump, the water from the display would flow to it before overflowing to the rest of the sump where your skimmer is located. There are lots of different designs for sumps with a refugium chamber.
Thanks for all the replies everyone and thanks for the creative idea beaslbob, I guess the container dimensions would have to be the same as a 20 gallon if I purchase a 20 kit?
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily.
The largest container of any dimension that will work is fine.
When you diy you're not tied to dimensions of 20g tanks.
So here's your chance to be creative. LOL
my .02
Last edited:
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
With storage containers you will not be able to "glue" in dividers/baffles.
I would have that large container on one side of the stand and a smaller container on the other sidr for the sump. The larger refugium can run at a constant height just a little down from the top. It would drain to the small container which is where the water level with change due to evaporation, start up, stopping etc.
Alternatively, you could just place the small container in the larger with the pump in that container. Water would go up the to top of the smaller container, spill over into the smaller. Which forms the same effect as dividers/baffles
my .02