Buying Used Sump? Yes or No

[Salt Daddy]

Hello,

New to the hobby. My tank does not have any livestock (Coral or Fish). I currently only have sand, red reef salt, and r/0 water in my tank. I dont have an awesome sump set up currently...pick below:

Im thinking about buying a used sump that is way better than the sump I have... should I do this? I can get it for under $100. Sump Below.

If I do buy this....do I need new BIO-Balls?

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Research your sump options. That looks like a wet/dry system. Hard pass for me.

 

[InvaderJim]

I would also pass. I personally think the wet/dry systems are an outdated design.

 

[Bob Weigant]

personally not a fan of bio balls

 

[Salt Daddy]

Well Dang. Good to know! I will continue the search.

 

[dedragon]

yep wet/dry filters are old tech, dont really have a place anymore. You cud drain the sump (or buy another aqueon tank at petco $1 sales) and add baffles for pretty darn cheap, used sumps arent too bad but you need to water leak test

 

[Salt Daddy]

would a kit like this do me good? As you can see above it's a 20 gallons tall (Not long).

 

[Salt Daddy]

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I used a kit and generally like my sump. You should design it around equipment that you want to fit (which is why a DIY kit isn't a bad option)

 

[brahm]

A simple tank is all you need for a sump. It’s a functional area to house your equipment and things you don’t want in your display. Don’t let all the high dollar build threads whip you up into thinking you need anything more than that. Baffles and stuff make it harder to clean and while look cool, and can provide some very specialized benefits 100% are not needed. I have a single baffle in my sump now and only because it came with the setup. Every other system I’ve had has run a basic open glass tank for a sump or a giant open rk2 bin for my 1000g systems.

 

[Salt Daddy]

A simple tank is all you need for a sump. It’s a functional area to house your equipment and things you don’t want in your display. Don’t let all the high dollar build threads whip you up into thinking you need anything more than that. Baffles and stuff make it harder to clean and while look cool, and can provide some very specialized benefits 100% are not needed. I have a single baffle in my sump now and only because it came with the setup. Every other system I’ve had has run a basic open glass tank for a sump or a giant open rk2 bin for my 1000g systems.

Much appreciated. So I really only need my protein skimmer and the sump tank? No other filter mediums?

 

[brahm]

Much appreciated. So I really only need my protein skimmer and the sump tank? No other filter mediums?

I like filter socks or roller mats but not necessary. In the example above I was using filter socks on my return lines, currently I have a roller mat.

what you don’t need is a bunch of baffles and divisions in your sump. They can be nice but aren’t needed.

 

[Salt Daddy]

After some research... i'm thinking about keeping my current high-sided 20 gallon sump and going the Refugium route. We found an insert and a starter kit. This looks like a very good LONG term solution... Thoughts?

Deluxe Triton Refugium kit - 20 gallon High aquarium | Jax Racks

Refugium / Sump kit is for a 20 gallon High aquarium (24¼ "x 12½" x 16¾"). *AQUARIUM NOT INCLUDED*Compare to eshopps r100 kitsplease contact if you would like kit pre-assembled with the tank (for a seperate price) The Kit is made out of...

www.jaxracks.com

The Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack by AlgaeBarn

The Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack comes with everything you need to cycle, set up, and seed your refugium. Free Shipping & 100% Alive On Arrival Guarantee!

www.algaebarn.com

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I dig the insert kits. I was deep into setting up one with a 20g long on my 120. Ended up with a blemished trigger cube sump. Big must for me was the water level for the skimmer/refugium side

 

[Tamberav]

Hello,

New to the hobby. My tank does not have any livestock (Coral or Fish). I currently only have sand, red reef salt, and r/0 water in my tank. I dont have an awesome sump set up currently...pick below:

Im thinking about buying a used sump that is way better than the sump I have... should I do this? I can get it for under $100. Sump Below.

If I do buy this....do I need new BIO-Balls?

No that is a wet/dry. You can always just have baffles cut and make your own sump from the one you have (need to take it offline and let it dry for several days/week). I went to the glass shop with dimensions and it cost me $40. They sell kits online but the cost was a lot higher than having 1/4 inch glass cut.

 

[dmsc2fs]

Since you are looking at adding baffles for a DIY sump you may wish to reconsider the tank you are using as well. Nothing specifically wrong with a 20g High but take a look under your stand and decide if it is something you wish to deal with long term. It looks like your skimmer is sits low in the tank. Can you remove it under your stand easy? If you raise the water level in the sump the skimmer needs to be raised. This is easy to do with a number of options for DIY skimmer stand, but the higher it is, the harder it is to pull it from that 20 high tank. You may wish to reconsider a different tank configuration and repurpose that 20 gallon as a QT tank. I have no idea how tall your stand is or how receptive you are to puzzling equipment in and out of it.

Don't forget, adding a refugium is going to require a light. Whatever light you pick needs to be suspended at whatever distance above the water also. That may effect your water height also. Good luck1