Brand new 90!

whyzee429 · Feb 27, 2012

I picked one up for a smokin deal this past weekend. It has a corner overflow with two holes drilled in the bottom. This will be my first "reef-ready" tank as I have no previous experience with sumps. Id like to get everything plumbed right and then move everything from my 75 into the 90.

My question is this:
What are some tips, tricks, and just some general info when setting up a sump? How would you run the plumbing, where might you put valves, how would you use the two drilled holes (one is slightly bigger)?

whyzee429 · Feb 28, 2012

Bump. Anyone?

Zoacoral · Feb 28, 2012

The bigger hole is your drain, the smaller is the return.. Do you want a refugium in your sump?

whyzee429 · Feb 28, 2012

Both holes are on the bottom pane of glass inside the corner overflow. I'm not positive but I dont think the return comes up through one if them. I'm assuming one of the holes is a safety feature in case the main drain clogs OR it's used as a means to transport water somewhere else.

I think I would use the center area of my sump as a place for chaeto. Is that consider a refugium?

I'm thinking about buying a used tank on Craigslist and siliconing (sp?) plexiglass in as the dividers. Will this work? I'd imagine nothing bigger than a 30g or 40breeder will fit inside my stand.

allabout · Feb 28, 2012

I have a 90g as well with a sump. Yeah usually a refugium would be in the center and have some rock, sand and macro algae. I used a 29gal tank and siliconed glass that I had cut to specific sizes (quite cheap to have a glass place cut it for you). I understand that acrylic or plexi will not stick to glass with silicone. If you get an acrylic tank you can use acrylic dividers but I don't think you can use silicone, so make sure you research that.

I have mine set up so water comes into the first section with a skimmer there, then the fuge, then the last section just has my return pump.

whyzee429 · Feb 28, 2012

allabout said:
I have a 90g as well with a sump. Yeah usually a refugium would be in the center and have some rock, sand and macro algae. I used a 29gal tank and siliconed glass that I had cut to specific sizes (quite cheap to have a glass place cut it for you). I understand that acrylic or plexi will not stick to glass with silicone. If you get an acrylic tank you can use acrylic dividers but I don't think you can use silicone, so make sure you research that.

I have mine set up so water comes into the first section with a skimmer there, then the fuge, then the last section just has my return pump.

Thanks! I'll have to do a little research as to which materials will stick to each other via silicon. If it comes down to it I'm sure a few small pieces of glass can be had for relatively cheap at a glass shop like you mentioned.

Reef Breeders · Feb 28, 2012

The smaller hole is almost always used for the return, you need to add bulkheads in order to plumb it. I would go with a 40 breeder, that is the ideal diy sump tank. Do a drain section for the sump DIRECTLY bleow the drain hole, the fartehr the drain section is form the drain, the less flow it can handle. Then do a skimmer section right after that, then a chaeto section (should be the biggest section) then a bubble trap before the return section. I myself went with the fuge first, then the skimmer, but the way I mentioned first is better. You can go without the bubble trap, which I did myself, but then micro bubble may make it to the display. GL!

Zoacoral · Feb 28, 2012

My sump is a 40 breeder, i have a skimmer section --- bubbles trap--- return---- and then refugium... My return pump feeds my refugium.

whyzee429 · Feb 28, 2012

These are all good ideas. This is starting to make more sense. However, I'm still confused as to why the return from the sump would come back up through the overflow in the DT. Traditionally, isn't the return on the opposite side of the overflow?

Reef Breeders · Mar 1, 2012

In some cases it comes from the other side, but I have run it with the return in the overflow for a year without trouble, it hides the inflow pipes.

whyzee429 · Mar 2, 2012

I've decided (with help from Troylee) that running a burso standpipe, while having the return come up through the overflow, is going to be the best route for me at this point.