1st sump... Clueless

[Qh2214]

I'm moving from a 20gL reef to a 55g reef and I'm wanting to have a sump for it. I don't even know where to begin with sumps. I know very little about them and don't know the right equipment to start getting or what I will need to have a successful sump.

If you could leave any sump advice how to set them up and what is all needed for a sump that would be great!

 

[DeniseAndy]

A sump by its most basic is a place to hide equipment and add water volume. However, they can be used for many things besides that.

Basic:
Water in one chamber, protein skimmed, into return section. Use a pump with a ball valve or gate valve to return to main display. This will then be where you house your heater too.

Refugium:
Water in, flow to protein skimmer, flow into refug section (can be rock, algae, deep sand bed), then flow to a return section. Again pumped back to main display. If using algae, you will need a light on the refug part running opposite the main display.

Now, there are tons of varieties and amazing plans out there. First, figure out what you need it for. Hide equipment and add volume? Grow pods? Extra biological filtration? Nitrate reduction? trap detritus? This will steer you in the right direction to research.

Also, size is a huge factor. Know what you have room for and look at lots of designs. See what you can do and like.

 

[cloak]

Check these out.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/newbie/index.php

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/gt/index.php

HTH.

 

[melypr1985]

^^ these are very good links!
A sump is really just a place to add water volume and to hide your equipment. The most basic of sumps can just be a tank with a skimmer, heater and a pump to bring the water back to your display. Of course you'd need an overflow box to get the water down to the sump. You can add more things depending on what your wanting to do. Read those links and ask any questions they leave you with.

 

[Qh2214]

Those were great links thank you so much! I feel like I have a lot better grasp on sumps now. Clearly I should get the biggest size sump I can but is there a general size that I should do for
the 55? Also the sump is basically my filter so I don't need any canister filters or anything extra like that? Because I was just given two fluval 304s

 

[DannyB]

a sump would replace your canisters. If you are putting your sump in your stand then you want to make sure what size you get will fit in your stand with enough clearance on top to get equipment in and out for cleaning/maintenance.

 

[cloak]

This is just my opinion, but don't put too much stock, faith, belief in those sumps. In my case it's just a place to hide my equipment, (KISS) but there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that I couldn't get the same results without one. Put it this way, extra water volume is definitely a plus, but what's the difference between a happy healthy 75 gallon DT without a sump as opposed to a 50 gallon DT with a 25 gallon sump. Think about it... It's all relative.

 

[Qh2214]

So I'd have a 55 plus a 10-30 gallon sump so that would make my total water volume 65-85 gallons? So I'd have to find equipment for 85 gallons correct?

 

[DannyB]

65-85 gallons without rock/sand displacement. I have a 55g with 35g sump and have 60g of system water.

 

[NanaReefer]

I have a 40g and 20L sump. After displacement, total water volume is is about 43g.
IMO having run 2 tanks prior to my present tank without sumps, I will never run a tank without one again.
My water parameters have never been more stable. Nothing chemical gets added/dosed directly into my DT, everything goes through my sump first. I add/remove water via my sump. Both top off and water changes. A sump keeps your DT stable and stress free! [emoji56]

 

[lefkonj]

This is definitely a size matters topic. Measure plan measure again and again. Fit what you can and think about pumps size and skimmer. Not just gallons moved but footprint.

 

[Rob Top1]

There are two important things often over looked.
First is critical, the sump has to be large enough to handle whatever water gets back siphoned once the power is turned off. No matter the type of one way valentine or siphon brake some water goes back to the sump. Make sure it's large enough to handle it.
Second is if you can make it large enough to allow for water changes with out having to power down your return do so. So if you are doing a 100 gal system and the sump plan holds 10 gallons and you do 10% water changes can you make the sump able to hold 25 gallons instead. That way you can drain 10% out with out having to turn your return off

 

[Qh2214]

Thank you all for the information! I picked up a 20gL sump, with 500 gph return pump, and a Euro-reef RS80 protein skimmer. I also got a refractometer and a koralia 2 powerhead all for $160. Now I need to get an overflow box, the valves and piping for the sump. I don't know what valves or pipes I need for the plumbing though. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

 

[DannyB]

I used 1" return and 1.5" drain lines. A gate valve on the return to control flow. Use unions around any valves in case you have to replace them.

 

[Qh2214]

do you have any links for any of that? or what I would search in amazon haha. I'm trying to figure out what the best overflow box is to get? I've seen people been talking about there being high points in them and then the sump failing which is probably my worst fear of coming home or just all of a sudden realizing my tank was overflowing.

 

[Harold Green]

I'm a believer in sumps too. They do make it easier to maintain the tank in lots of ways. Size your overflow boxes to match your return pump gph. You'll need to know the actual flow at the head height of the tank. Normally I'd say to have a larger overflow than the return pump but for hob overflows you need to keep the actually water flow through them close to what they are rated for to help prevent air from collecting in the siphon tubes. When you set up the sump fill it and the tank to full allowing water to flow down from the tank until it stops flowing through you overflow. That's your fill point. Turn on the return pump and mark the return pump water level in the sump. This will always be your adding top up water to the tank level. Never add water above this level with the sump operating or the sump will overflow during power outages. It's a good idea to add a float switch on the dt level to shut off the return pump in the event the hob loses siphon to keep the tank from overflowing.

 

[Qh2214]

Great! Thank you I've never used a float switch before what do you wire them too the return pump?

 

[Harold Green]

Exactly. Lots of different styles. Basic float switch, fed by a plug in transformer controls a relay that controls an outlet that your return pump plugs into. Simple kit if you want to do it yourself.

 

[Qh2214]

So I've been looking into it.. Definitely am leaning towards an internal overflow box. Doesn't seem extremely difficult to do myself. Drilling holes through an acrylic. The trick aspect is the plumbing at least from what I've gathered on trying to put it together in my head by myself.

 

[Harold Green]

For internal overflows durso makes a kit with drain and return lines along with bulkheads for tubing. All you need is the holes drilled in the tank for the bulkheads.