Building a stand, how much room above the sump???

[MoshJosh]

Building a stand to fit a 20 high display above a 10 gallon sump (which will also be visible). not sure what equipment, specifically not sure what skimmer I will use, but want to figure out how much room to leave above the sump. How much room would you recommend?

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Build it 30-36 inches tall. That gives you ample room to remove things, low enough that kids can enjoy the tank, and tall enough you don't have to bend down to enjoy the tank.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

As much room above the sump as possible!

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

I would measure the height of the water level in the chamber you're going to put the skimmer in. Research the recommended water height and total height for some potential skimmers to make sure they can sit in the chamber without having to be elevated. Once you figure that out, build your stand with about 6 inches of clearance over the top of the skimmer's collection cup so that you have space to remove it for cleaning. I did none of this with my first build and can't fit a skimmer in my sump that functions correctly.