Questions for my 10 Gallon Sump

jstone17 · Jan 30, 2018

Hi All,

Looking for suggestions on my 10g sump that I will be building. I really like the Fish Tank Guys 10g sump build.

Would his build support a 54g?
Is a refugium a good idea?
Is a filter sock needed, or any other media?
Suggestions on a return pump? (looking at the Eheim 1260)
1. Are DC return pumps better?

Plan is to start with a FOWLR setup then possibly adding corals once the tank matures.

Current equipment:
- Aqueon 54g corner aquarium
- Synergy Reef 16' Shadow Overflow
- Reef Octopus Classic 110 Space Saver Protein Skimmer

nautical_nathaniel · Jan 30, 2018

I would think that this would support a 54 gallon, you would need to be careful with stocking limits and such though (which is something everyone should be doing with a reef aquarium).

Questions 2 and 3 and going to specific to your preferences and what sort of tank you want to set up. Socks are great but they can clog quickly and they need a holding system but you could also build a rack system to hold filter floss and other media. Refugiums are great for nutrient export but it also depends on how much space you have to work with.

DC pumps aren't necessarily better but they do provide a degree of flexibility since most are adjustable. They are generally more expensive though so keep that in mind.

lbacha · Jan 30, 2018

I have a 10g sump with a refugium and I also own a reef octopus 110sss and I would say you will either need to go skimmer or refugium but not both as space will be tight. I'm actually upgrading as I needed more room. The biggest issue with the 110sss is it needs 7-9.5" of water which doesn't leave a ton of room for backflow into the sump since the 10g is only 12" tall

The last pic is my new sump with a 110sss sitting in it

Jesterrace · Jan 31, 2018

jstone17 said:
Hi All,

Looking for suggestions on my 10g sump that I will be building. I really like the Fish Tank Guys 10g sump build.

Would his build support a 54g?

Is a refugium a good idea?

Is a filter sock needed, or any other media?

Suggestions on a return pump? (looking at the Eheim 1260)

Are DC return pumps better?

Plan is to start with a FOWLR setup then possibly adding corals once the tank matures.

Current equipment:
- Aqueon 54g corner aquarium
- Synergy Reef 16' Shadow Overflow
- Reef Octopus Classic 110 Space Saver Protein Skimmer

It will help some but to me a sump should be a bit bigger in order to get the full benefit (ie 20 gallons or larger). The more flow you have the better the filtration. Also is this a pre-drilled tank or are you using an overflow box? an overflow system is far less efficient and more prone to things like leaking. Personally I wouldn't bother with a sump unless the tank was pre-drilled, but that is just my preference. As for DC Return pumps, it is really hard to argue against the value of something like a Jebao DC return pump. They do an excellent job for the money. I picked up a used DCT-8000 as part of a 29 gallon sump setup and that sucker definitely keeps things flowing in my 90 gallon tank (and I only run it at about 40% power).

jstone17 · Jan 31, 2018

Jesterrace said:
It will help some but to me a sump should be a bit bigger in order to get the full benefit (ie 20 gallons or larger). The more flow you have the better the filtration. Also is this a pre-drilled tank or are you using an overflow box? an overflow system is far less efficient and more prone to things like leaking. Personally I wouldn't bother with a sump unless the tank was pre-drilled, but that is just my preference. As for DC Return pumps, it is really hard to argue against the value of something like a Jebao DC return pump. They do an excellent job for the money. I picked up a used DCT-8000 as part of a 29 gallon sump setup and that sucker definitely keeps things flowing in my 90 gallon tank (and I only run it at about 40% power).

I was planning on drilling the back for my Synergy Reef overflow system

JuiceByCliff · Jan 31, 2018

new sump looks sick

Jesterrace · Jan 31, 2018

jstone17 said:
I was planning on drilling the back for my Synergy Reef overflow system

Just me but I would NEVER drill a tank that didn't come that way from the factory. Too many things to go wrong with it.

lbacha · Jan 31, 2018

Jesterrace said:
Just me but I would NEVER drill a tank that didn't come that way from the factory. Too many things to go wrong with it.

Other than breaking it while drilling what could go wrong

flat6guy · Jan 31, 2018

10 gallon will work fine for a 75G. The sump size has no bearing on display tank size except when pumps are off and water flows back. The only draw back to a small sump on a 75G would be room for equipment. Lightly stocked tank won't require large equipment. Heavy stocked tanks will require larger equipment.

flat6guy · Jan 31, 2018

By the way, Drilling a tank is no big deal as long as you check to make sure the panel being drilled isn't tempered glass. Most larger tanks have tempered bottoms. My last sump was a 125G long that I drilled the side panel for an external pump. Very simple to do if you have a cordless drill with a clutched chuck, plumbers caulk and some common sense.

lbacha · Jan 31, 2018

flat6guy said:
By the way, Drilling a tank is no big deal as long as you check to make sure the panel being drilled isn't tempered glass. Most larger tanks have tempered bottoms. My last sump was a 125G long that I drilled the side panel for an external pump. Very simple to do if you have a cordless drill with a clutched chuck, plumbers caulk and some common sense.

I agree drilling a larger tank is easy, I've drilled a few holes in my 75g and they were a breeze. I've also drilled a Ada nano tank and that was a little more nerve wracking as the glass is thinner so it takes a lot less stress to crack it (the 8g tank also cost more than my 75g lol) The holes were also closer to the edges and its rimless which is trickier. It still went smoothly, took my time on each Hole used lots of water as a lubricant and not I have a nano with a nice everflow and return

Jesterrace · Jan 31, 2018

lbacha said:
Other than breaking it while drilling what could go wrong

Exactly.

lbacha · Feb 1, 2018

If I was buying a large custom tank (key here is expensive) then I would have it drilled when I bought it. Even if I bought a large standard tank I would consider having the store drill it as they assume any risk if it breaks. For cheaper tanks it just isn't worth $50-$100 a hole to have a LFS drill it when it really isn't that hard to do and if you take your time pretty issue proof