Above tank sump?

[Parkerbenz]

I recently was forced to setup a new tank, a 46 bowfront, after my own stupidity caught up to me. Almost lost all of my livestock and corals, but it isnt over yet. Anyways, my 46g bowfront is on a 4’ wide by 2’ deep shelving system. I have freshwater tanks below (I do have A spot for a 10g sump next to a freshwater tank, I just think that might be a little small), so a sump below the display is not a possibility. However, the shelf above (top shelf) has nothing on it...

So my question is, has anyone even heard of a sump above a reef tank? I don’t care too much about aesthetics of the equipment, but I wouldn’td want a submersible pump sitting in the display. Anyone ever attempted anything like this?

 

[sfin52]

Yep have been looking into it. Essentially your DT is the sump and the above tank sump or refugium is the DT. There are some really cool setups.

 

[Parkerbenz]

Yep have been looking into it. Essentially your DT is the sump and the above tank sump or refugium is the DT. There are some really cool setups.

So how is the water pulled out? Id love to make a nice fuge above, maybe add room for a skimmer above too, and have aquaclear 110s for polishing.

 

[fermentedhiker]

I can't see a way to do it without being able to see the pump in your DT. You might be able to camouflage it somehow but it has to be there somewhere. Alternatively you could look at a HOB fuge like a CPR unit.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

You'd have to have the pump in your DT and have a overflow of some sort on your "sump" you'd also have to have enough room in your DT to handle the extra water from the sump in the event on a power outage.

 

[MSB123]

You could make an overflow so it drains down to where the 10 gallon is, and then pump back up from inside the ten gallon. The 10 gallon could be a sort of inter-sump.

 

[MSB123]

 

[Parkerbenz]

You could make an overflow so it drains down to where the 10 gallon is, and then pump back up from inside the ten gallon. The 10 gallon could be a sort of inter-sump.

Thats not a bad idea, but I would think that it increases the chance of a mishap/flood in either the above display- tank, or the so called “inter sump”, but I haven’t completely thought it through.

Lets say I used my lifereef overflow on the display, which would drop the water down to the 10g. In the 10g I could put a skimmer and maybe a carbon reactor. It would then be pumped back up about 6 and a half feet to whatever size tank I would use as a above-display fuge. The top shelf is 13 inches above the display. How would I get the water out of the top tank without causing too many micro bubbles?

This may be a little too complex, but I don’t think 2 aquaclear 110s and a tidal 110 will be everything this tank needs.

 

[Parkerbenz]

Oh and thanks for all of the replies! I really appreciate it!

 

[MSB123]

Oh and thanks for all of the replies! I really appreciate it!

No problem!
I think it could look really cool! If you find a return pump that will work, it shouldn’t be too hard to stop the micro bubbles. I think that if you used a return nozzle and aimed it towards the back wall of the tank, you could disperse the bubbles.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

Also, I run a 10 gallon DIY sump on my 36 bowfront. Works just fine

 

[Saveafish]

Just for safety I'd change your 10 gallon return sump to a 29 gallon. To hold the tank drain waters when off or power fail.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

Just for safety I'd change your 10 gallon return sump to a 29 gallon. To hold the tank drain waters when off or power fail.

He said he only has room for a 10 gallon

 

[Saveafish]

He said he only has room for a 10 gallon

20 tall. Same foot print.

 

[Parkerbenz]

20 tall. Same foot print.

20 xtra high has the same footprint as a 10, a 20 tall is a little wider and longer


Edit: using a 20xtra high would give me 5” of clearance to the next shelf above (which holds the display) and if all I wanted to put in it was a pump, do you think that would work?

 

[DudeBruh]

Could u Use an external pump?
On the way up/ down could plumb in a UV lamp so it’s for some use as well

An above tank mangrove?

A DIY turf scrubber water fall that empties into DT. Or just a plane water fall that empties into DT?

If your light is on an armature you could light the tank and then swing it up to light the fuge... couldn’t out compete tank algae when using same lamp

 

[Parkerbenz]

Oh and I have a 20l sump with acrylic baffles that I could use as the sump above the main display. I just need to figure out a way to safely drain the water out of that and back into the display. It is tempered so no drilling, but I have to remove the baffles anyway for an unrelated reason (used the wrong silicone, it had mold inhibitors and wasnt aquarium safe, I knew better I swear lol). The baffles were purchased from jax.racks on ebay and made for an aqueon 20l tank.

 

[Parkerbenz]

Could u Use an external pump?
On the way up/ down could plumb in a UV lamp so it’s for some use as well

An above tank mangrove?

A DIY turf scrubber water fall that empties into DT. Or just a plane water fall that empties into DT?

If your light is on an armature you could light the tank and then swing it up to light the fuge... couldn’t out compete tank algae when using same lamp

Uv lamp would definitely be possible. Mangroves would be cool, although I do prefer turf scrubbers/chaeto chambers. External pump? Probably a bit out of my price range, unless I can find one for cheap that would give me adequate turnover. I have a sbreefs light comming in tuesday, pretty sure it doesnt turn.

 

[bill120reef]

i use an external pump on one side of my old 180 tanks I drilled out the overflow at the bottom added a bulkhead with a screen in it so it doesnt relying on just overflow water but this tank has 2 overflows.

 

[Subsea]

I recently was forced to setup a new tank, a 46 bowfront, after my own stupidity caught up to me. Almost lost all of my livestock and corals, but it isnt over yet. Anyways, my 46g bowfront is on a 4’ wide by 2’ deep shelving system. I have freshwater tanks below (I do have A spot for a 10g sump next to a freshwater tank, I just think that might be a little small), so a sump below the display is not a possibility. However, the shelf above (top shelf) has nothing on it...

So my question is, has anyone even heard of a sump above a reef tank? I don’t care too much about aesthetics of the equipment, but I wouldn’td want a submersible pump sitting in the display. Anyone ever attempted anything like this?

Yes to a display refugium above the display tank. It is imperative to understand the flow dynamics and most importantly, the volume capacity of each tank at each level. Consider the possibility of a blockage in the drain of the highest tank. If the pump that supplies the highest tank has access to more volume than top tank, THE TOP TANK WILL OVERFLOW.