Simple sump plan

[1904]

im I have a 75g tank that im going to be starting a fowlr setup soon. wanna use a 20 gallon sump to house my skimmer and my heater. Ive seen plenty of diagrams and pictures on here. Is a refugium neccesary? how is the size of the baffles determined. if no refugium is used, are they even neccesary?

 

[grubsnaek]

a sump adds water volume, fuge is a great idea for any tank. yes they are very helpful. i would also say neccesary too. i will give you a pic of a set up that i did in a 55g sump and a 10g sump. works great, very easy, very cheap. the size of the baffles are your choice.

 

[grubsnaek]

this is showing the back of the sump, the right has three baffles. out of these three baffles the center one is an inch off the bottom of glass. this acts like a bubble trap, on the left side there is only one baffles wich flows into the return pump chamber. the entire middle is for a fuge.

 

[1904]

simple enough, So i could start with a small glass aquarium and use some acrylic sheets from lowes, they look to be caulked inplace? thanks, it really helps to see pictures.

 

[1904]

also, one more question. What side would the skimmer go on?

 

[grubsnaek]

you always put the skimmer on the side the water first goes in the sump.
again looking from the back of my sump. the water goes from DT down to the right side, thats were the skimmer goes,then through the bubble trap,then the fuge,then the return chamber where i keep the heater. very simple actually. i also keep my digital thermo in the right chamber cause with the heater bieng on the left it goes from the return chamber throgh DT back to right side of sump where the skimmer is then through the fuge back to where the heater is. by me putting the thremo where i do i get a really good reading on my tank temp.

 

[grubsnaek]

and me personally if your going 20g sump if you can fit it, i would go with a 20L instead. better dimensions for a sump. i think atleast.
also yes i used clear silicone to glue them

 

[1904]

thanks, any pics of it all plumbed up? Im going to build one this weekend, brought my tank and stand outta storage for the first time in 5 years, im really excited, now i just need a sump, a skimmer, a pump and a million other things!

 

[grubsnaek]

as you requested

 

[1904]

cool, thanks man.

 

[grubsnaek]

no prob, need any other help just ask

 

[1904]

im sure ill be posting allot more questions, im gonna put together a sump this weekend, then i need to buy a skimmer and pump, could use reccomendation on those.

 

[grubsnaek]

what size tank do you have.

 

[1904]

75g

 

[grubsnaek]

me personally i would look into either ASM or an Octopus skimmer. either one would work great with a 20L sump. i would go with one over rated for your tank. they are great for the money. both are of the better skimmers. but over rated is the way to go.

 

[tarball]

Originally Posted by 1904
im sure ill be posting allot more questions, im gonna put together a sump this weekend, then i need to buy a skimmer and pump, could use reccomendation on those.
Hello 1904

Just offering an opinion, I would wait on building the sump until you've made up your mind on what skimmer & return pump you want.
It would be much better to have the skimmer & pump in place so you know exactly where to start adding the baffles & to finish the last baffle plate.
You may also want to leave a little extra room in the return area, if one day you decide to add a larger return pump for turnover rate...

 

[grubsnaek]

i give an inch on either side of the return pump for a heater and a poss upgrade in the return pump.

 

[1904]

that is good advice, thanks, and keep it coming!

 

[grubsnaek]

without a doubt if your putting in a fuge. deffinetly deffinetly go a deep sand bed, please it only makes sense. also i would look at skimmers rated at 150g or better.