Need help with a sump

[reefer newby]

I have a new 55 gal saltwater tank. I am thinking about putting in a sump in my cabinet under the tank. Any suggestions on a overflow box and a return pump. I probably wont have a refugium. Just a sump to house some equipment. I have an Escopps 100 hob skimmer that I will hang on the sump. Will this be ok? What GPH overflow and return pump will I need. Does the overflow box need to have more GPH than the return pump? I am new to all of this. I will have a 20 gallon sump. All comments and advice will be appreciated.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Here is a good read on on Sumps, and how they work, and what you need.
Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums
5-6 times your water volume turn over is fine in a Sump. So you looking at, 300gph+ through a overflow box. What you do for the return pump is get it as close to the overflow as possible, after your head loss. All pumps will show how much gph they will loose due to height.
So lets say we go with a CPR CS50, rated at 300gph. So our return pump would be like a MAG Drive 3, rated at 300gph, and 270gph after 4' of head loss.

 

[Joker79]

I'll be running a 3,000 gph glasholes overflow with a pan world 250 PS pump at a head height if about 10 ft on my 120 gal. I'm hoping it should be enough. Thoughts?

 

[Reefing Madness]

I'll be running a 3,000 gph glasholes overflow with a pan world 250 PS pump at a head height if about 10 ft on my 120 gal. I'm hoping it should be enough. Thoughts?

Sounds like overkill on the return pump at only 10' of head loss. But I can't find a head loss chart for that thing. Then again, you can always branch off using a T, returning it back to the Sump using a Ball Valve for fine tuning.

 

[Joker79]

I'll be running two 1" returns back to the tank. The drains are two 2" drains. Valves on the connection and export sides.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I understand. And my bad, I initially read the pump max flow wrong. If your using a 3000gph overflow, and only returning 1900gph, before head loss, thats way under what you need. Your going to need a pump at the 4000-5000gph range.

 

[Joker79]

My system is a but different.
Check it out:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117801

 

[Reefing Madness]

No different. Your system is going to play constant catch up with a pump that small. Not saying it won't work, but its drastically under gph per your Overflows.

 

[Joker79]

No different. Your system is going to play constant catch up with a pump that small. Not saying it won't work, but its drastically under gph per your Overflows.

Well crap!!!

 

[Trex]

I have a new 55 gal saltwater tank. I am thinking about putting in a sump in my cabinet under the tank. Any suggestions on a overflow box and a return pump. I probably wont have a refugium. Just a sump to house some equipment. I have an Escopps 100 hob skimmer that I will hang on the sump. Will this be ok? What GPH overflow and return pump will I need. Does the overflow box need to have more GPH than the return pump? I am new to all of this. I will have a 20 gallon sump. All comments and advice will be appreciated.

I would go with a LifeReef overflow box -- I have used others, and nothing compares to them. Worth every penny.
Yes, the overflow box should rated higher than your pump --- of course you can always throttle back your pump, but if you have to throttle it back too much you've over bought your pump.

I tend to prefer slower flow though my sump, and create intank flow with powerheads.

All 3 of my tanks have 20 long sumps, and using a Mag5, throttled back about 25%.