Sump worth it or not???

[Jayson Ledbetter]

my tank has been established for about 7 months. It's a mixed reef. Is the cost worth it to go from my two hob filters and hob skimmer to a sump with a hang on back overflow? The hang on back over flow looking at is at marine depot and has a continuous siphone. Is this worth up graded to and adding a refugium?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

If you have the time to maintain one, with a space for a sump or refugium, it is always a good addition for a SW tank. Having one is good for extra amount of water, a space for live foods to thrive, bigger space for equipment placement and maybe as a temporary detention centre for bad inhabitants. Go ahead.

 

[moseley75]

I have two tanks one with a sump and one aio w/out a sump. The one with is much easier to maintain b/c of extra water volume, fuge and space for larger equipment. IMHO the sump is well worth the extra cost.

 

[mtraylor]

IMO. It depends on what size the aquarium is and what are your maintenance activities. If you have a small tank and you do allot of water changes, then IMO a sump is not needed.

Questions:
How big is your aquarium?
What kind of corals are you trying to keep?
What is the main reason you are thinking you need a sump?

 

[tdileo]

my tank has been established for about 7 months. It's a mixed reef. Is the cost worth it to go from my two hob filters and hob skimmer to a sump with a hang on back overflow? The hang on back over flow looking at is at marine depot and has a continuous siphone. Is this worth up graded to and adding a refugium?

In my opinion, no matter what it's important. You can hide your equipment like skimmers and heaters, a fuge can harvest things like copepods and chaeto to nutrients that grow ugly algae in the main tank, and a sump allows for additional mechanical filtration. You can employ a filter sock, can put reactors there, or throw in a bag of something like ChemiPure blue which you wouldn't want floating around the main tank.

 

[Ryanbrs Verified Sponsor]

My first 90 was all hang on and I would have called it ultra successful. You certainly don't "need" a sump but like anything there are advantages. Larger system water volume, room for better equipment and most important the ability to hide the equipment so it's not in the tank itself.

That said if my options were hang on the back overflow VS not having a sump I would not transition to the sump. Hang on overflows are a pretty significant flood risk. At a minimum, I would look at the damage a flood could do. If you are on tile maybe no big deal. If it is on hardwood floors that's a different thing.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

IMO. It depends on what size the aquarium is and what are your maintenance activities. If you have a small tank and you do allot of water changes, then IMO a sump is not needed.

Questions:
How big is your aquarium?
What kind of corals are you trying to keep?
What is the main reason you are thinking you need a sump?

I have a 125 gallon, mixed reef, that a refugium would be nice to get. I do weekly 10-15 gallon water change with RO/DI and reef crystal salt.

 

[Fishlee]

Yes if you have space.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

My first 90 was all hang on and I would have called it ultra successful. You certainly don't "need" a sump but like anything there are advantages. Larger system water volume, room for better equipment and most important the ability to hide the equipment so it's not in the tank itself.

That said if my options were hang on the back overflow VS not having a sump I would not transition to the sump. Hang on overflows are a pretty significant flood risk. At a minimum, I would look at the damage a flood could do. If you are on tile maybe no big deal. If it is on hardwood floors that's a different thing.

The overflow I'm looking at is not suppose to lose siphone

 

[needbiggertanks]

I switched from HOB to a sump primarily for the larger water quantity, to make more room in the tank and to hide the reactor, pumps and HOB skimmer. I used all the same stuff in the sump and was really glad i had. It looked cleaner and less salinity swing to evaporation (i was manually topping off).

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

I switched from HOB to a sump primarily for the larger water quantity, to make more room in the tank and to hide the reactor, pumps and HOB skimmer. I used all the same stuff in the sump and was really glad i had. It looked cleaner and less salinity swing to evaporation (i was manually topping off).

Do U have a refugium?

 

[Wunderboiy]

While it would definitely be much more effort, you could also just transfer the rocks / fish out of the current tank temporary to drill it & avoid the risks of the HOB overflows.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

While it would definitely be much more effort, you could also just transfer the rocks / fish out of the current tank temporary to drill it & avoid the risks of the HOB overflows.

That's really not an option, it's a full 125 gallon. 150 pound of rock, coral and fish.

 

[mtraylor]

I have a 125 gallon, mixed reef, that a refugium would be nice to get. I do weekly 10-15 gallon water change with RO/DI and reef crystal salt.

BTW. Your Aquarium looks really nice. Doesn't appear to be lacking anything.

That being said. For that size aquarium, I would recommend a sump. You can get yourself a nice size skimmer, an ATO hooked to your RODI unit within the sump, and all of your mechanical filtration centrally located. If you have room under for a small fuge....I would go for it.

 

[needbiggertanks]

Do U have a refugium?

Yep. I actually liked having a refugium so much i made a larger one for my new build and kept the return chamber small.

 

[madweazl]

I've never had an issue with a hang-on overflow in the roughly 15 years I ran one and don't understand the flood risk comments. Sumps have no downside.

 

[Midrats]

Lifereef makes some nice reliable, time-tested overflows. You could also consider some Tunze Comline equipment. It is discreet and effective and easily installed with magnetic mounts into the corner of the tank if you decide against a sump.

 

[madweazl]

I should probably mention that had I known how easy it was to drill a tank, I never would have run a hang-on overflow.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

I've never had an issue with a hang-on overflow in the roughly 15 years I ran one and don't understand the flood risk comments. Sumps have no downside.

What brand over fill was u using?

 

[madweazl]

What brand over fill was u using?

I've had a number of generic ones over the years but the last two were an eShopps and CPR. The CPR was a pain to clean but worked well.