Shoukd I get a sump ?

[noahg2216]

Should I invest in a sump? Is it worth it and what are the benefits/cons ,and around how much would one be for a 30 gallon tank?

 

[Raising Reef.]

It’s somewhere to put anything you don’t want on display in you tank. It also makes maintenance easier and offers more room for equipment I like sumps and would always incorporate in any tank I own but others get on fine with canister filters it’s not especial but I think it makes the hole experience of owning a tank better.

 

[BadFish619]

Absolutely go sump if you have the room. The filtration total area and water movement are worth the cost alone. You could do with a 10 gallon. could even buy a 10 gallon at petco and convert it. You will need a return pump and plumbing but would be cheaper. Depends though, I got mine free from a local reefer after mine sprung a leak! See if you have a local reef forum. People sell them cheap all the time and it doesn't need to be too fancy

 

[Rjukan]

In addition to what's been mentioned, I love a sump because the evaporation shows only in the return section... no dropping water line in your display tank.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Yes add a sump. Drill the tank for an overflow dont use a HOB overflow unless you like random flooding. Done right a drilled tank and sump will never flood.

 

[Norman's_Tank]

I used to have a system with a sump before I left the hobby and I decided to ease back in with an AIO tank. I sorely miss the sump due to the vast number of benefits. My next build will have a drilled tank with a sump for sure!

 

[Doctorgori]

I dunno.....to me 30g is right on that edge....
but tank cost is 1/gal if you catch that Petco sale... few buck more for bulkheads, adapters, returns, might be another 30-120 ...depends on configuration, if you drill or not, et (plz drill!)

 

[noahg2216]

I used to have a system with a sump before I left the hobby and I decided to ease back in with an AIO tank. I sorely miss the sump due to the vast number of benefits. My next build will have a drilled tank with a sump for sure!

Ok thank u everyone I will get a sump !

 

[PatW]

A 20 long would make a good sump. You cou,d have a filter sock, small protein skimmer, heater, refugium with chaeto, or refugium as frag tank, and as return.

 

[Ebslinger]

Yes sump. Always sump!

Skimmer space. No heater in the tank... just clean and nice.

Sump, Yes!

 

[fish farmer]

I have a 29 gallon DT, drilled with a glassholes overflow and a 20 high sump. I recently have rebuilt it with a better refuge area, ASM skimmer rated for a 100 gallon tank and a return pump. I have and ATO float switch in the sump, a heater( one is still in tank), and also a mini BRS reactor crammed above it for my carbon. I may even have space for a sock holder. I bought a prefabbed sump kit on ebay for around $60.

I initially went with a 10 gallon tank for a sump since that was the space I had at the time, it was too small and close to overflowing, went to a plastic sump for a while.

 

[beaslbob]

you can make a hob overflow with $20 worth of pvc.

the sump can be any old container. I used one with the long dimension for and aft. The aft part stuck out so the drain line was a direct shot.

When setting up a sum do these adjustments:

1) insure no floods with power out.
2) insure normal operation returns with the power returns
3) (and the one I forgot) fail the drain (syphon break or blockage) and adjust so the sump runs dry before the display overflows.

Or you could just partition the tank with eggcrate about 2" from the back glass. then add lights behind the tank pointing forward and add chaeto or other macro algaes between the glass and the egg crate. That forms an in tank refugium for the macros which will balance out and stabilize the system.

my .02

 

[noahg2216]

A 20 long would make a good sump. You cou,d have a filter sock, small protein skimmer, heater, refugium with chaeto, or refugium as frag tank, and as return.

Thank u! Do u kno if theirs any videos or anything on building your own

 

[noahg2216]

Yes sump. Always sump!

Skimmer space. No heater in the tank... just clean and nice.

Sump, Yes!

Thank u!

 

[noahg2216]

Absolutely go sump if you have the room. The filtration total area and water movement are worth the cost alone. You could do with a 10 gallon. could even buy a 10 gallon at petco and convert it. You will need a return pump and plumbing but would be cheaper. Depends though, I got mine free from a local reefer after mine sprung a leak! See if you have a local reef forum. People sell them cheap all the time and it doesn't need to be too fancy

Is their any videos on buling one urself?

 

[beaslbob]

you could get a couple of cheapie plastic containers and set up a test system in the garage. Best to have floods there then in the house. One person some time ago just experimented with a couple of small containers in the kitchen sink. So you get an idea of how it works. and more importantly how it fails. LOL

 

[noahg2216]

you could get a couple of cheapie plastic containers and set up a test system in the garage. Best to have floods there then in the house. One person some time ago just experimented with a couple of small containers in the kitchen sink. So you get an idea of how it works. and more importantly how it fails. LOL

Ok lol thank u! And yes a mess in the garage is much easier to clean up aha