Recirculating skimmer in basement below display tank and sump?

[JollyReefer]

Wow, thanks a ton for all the great info. That Tunze skimmer looks like it would work well in my space. The water level is 18 inches in the skimmer chamber and the refugium. The height of the sump is 22". However, I am now leaning toward moving the entire sump to the basement. It would be much more accessible down there and I can just buy a 75 gallon breeder thingy from Petco to make a new sump very easily.

 

[jh2pizza]

FWIW, WHy not move the entire sump to the basement. I have a 220G display. Always had to worry about heat in the summer. Moved my 45 gal sump to the basement years ago and never looked back. It maintains a cool temp. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't require a large return. I run a Pan world 150 through 47ft of 1.5" pipe across the basement and up 8'. Your flow through the sump is better running slower than most like to run them. I run the Tunze 9430 skimmer. the only skimmer I could ever throw in the sump with no adjustments and forget it.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

I'd move the sump into the basement. I did that with my stuff and couldn't be happier.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

I'd move the sump into the basement. Best move I ever made. Tons more working room.

 

[mcarroll]

Wow, thanks a ton for all the great info. That Tunze skimmer looks like it would work well in my space. The water level is 18 inches in the skimmer chamber and the refugium. The height of the sump is 22". However, I am now leaning toward moving the entire sump to the basement. It would be much more accessible down there and I can just buy a 75 gallon breeder thingy from Petco to make a new sump very easily.

Sounds like the 9012 would be great based on size!

A downstairs sump can certainly make perfect sense and like anything does have some advantages.

But IMO I'd rather have everything at hand, in one space....display and gear, et al....whenever possible. I don't want to HAVE to go somewhere else to work on the tank besides at the tank.

Just to explore the way I'd lean... You could install that 9012 in the tank and possibly do away with the sump altogether. They have other gear to facilitate the aspects of this that make you insta-ask "How?"; it works; cost is not out of this world. Yes you can have a 210g AIO. It's certainly not going to be right for every scenario, but could be just the thing for yours. It's a thought.

 

[Jeepguy242]

i am looking for a house right now, part of the requirements for that house is a basement so i can move into a bigger tank and relocate a sump to the basement, and add a frag tank next to the sump... and a bench next to that frag tank that i can work on.....

really does keep the noise down in the main display tank, and the pumps aren't that expensive....

pan world pump.... 1750 gallon per hour max head 39 feet..... 300 bucks at Bulk reef supply.... no brainer!

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pan-...N6KMWo0cP_NTp_M4n_fe-qgA7rJUH-18aAmAcEALw_wcB

 

[mcarroll]

the pumps aren't that expensive....

No doubt, it's not that great a cost in the scheme of things.....only when considered next to the cost of an under-the-tank return pump, which might be as much as 10x less in price and ongoing costs. That cost makes it easier to afford a backup pump* too. But those points aren't everything.

And there are a some great pumps in that category if you do go basement sump, @Jon Bills.

Along with the already-mentioned options, I'd consider the Dolphin Ampmaster. Get the seals with the lifetime warranty...but still have a backup pump around....even if it's a smaller, cheaper pump....ideally compatible with the Dolphin's plumbing, or with it's own plumbing pre-built into the return system.

2¢

*Buy it. Have it. Never need it and consider that the best outcome possible. A backup is the best insurance you can get vs a cruddy potential failure that never ever happens when the LFS is open. Ever. I mean it.

 

[Jeepguy242]

No doubt, it's not that great a cost in the scheme of things.....only when considered next to the cost of an under-the-tank return pump, which might be as much as 10x less in price and ongoing costs. That cost makes it easier to afford a backup pump* too. But those points aren't everything.

And there are a some great pumps in that category if you do go basement sump, @Jon Bills.

Along with the already-mentioned options, I'd consider the Dolphin Ampmaster. Get the seals with the lifetime warranty...but still have a backup pump around....even if it's a smaller, cheaper pump....ideally compatible with the Dolphin's plumbing, or with it's own plumbing pre-built into the return system.

2¢

*Buy it. Have it. Never need it and consider that the best outcome possible. A backup is the best insurance you can get vs a cruddy potential failure that never ever happens when the LFS is open. Ever. I mean it.

while i totally agree that cost can be a factor when having a backup pump, with a 210 gallon tank i bet that there are some corals he has that could easily have been more than the cost of 2 of the pan world pumps....

i have a 125 gallon tank and have spent over 1000$ in 3 weeks ordering frags off of eBay.....


not trying to sound like a pan world fanboy, but i guess i am..... i dont even have one LOL... my business partner had one for 7 years pushing his 210 with stupid mad flow.... his tank was in his basement, and his sump was on the other side of the wall in his garage... total head was like 5 feet, and he had a manifold coming off of it that had 3 reactors, a frag tank that was next to his display, a recirculating skimmer, and like 10 returns to his tank... he didn't use any powerhead in the tank and he never maintained the pump... it looked like a solid ball of rust for years....

he used it to do water changes too, he plumbed a spigot and a garden hose in his manifold and could shoot a solid steam of water 10 feet...

it was an impressive pump...