DIY 30 gallon sump

[Jayson Ledbetter]

im building a 30 gallon long sump, I’m having to cut one sise panel out of my 125 since it’s already setup, to get the sump in the stand. I want to make the refugium on the end of the sump, to use as a display at the end of my stand, because I don’t plan on covering the side panel up on the stand after cutting it. So I want refugium/return pump/overflow-skimmer. Does this sound ok, what should my chamber heights be?

 

[Rakie]

You want to refugium to be the intake. Honestly, the algae and the critters that live in them ARE the filter sock, that's their purpose, and direct feedings from the overflow will help them flourish. As for refuge height, you want it to be high but obviously not soo high that your sump can't handle the volume when return pump is turned off. For your skimmer section, you want probably a minimum of 8-9" so you can adjust the skimmer a little as needed. 9" is pretty deep for some skimmers, but just right for others so it all depends.

Lastly, I would say a 30g Long might not be the best choice. You probably would get more mileage out of a 40g breeder. not to mention, there are lots of kits on ebay for 40g breeder "sump conversions"