Need help deciding please...$1,500

[Lucky-rc]

They are right...
If you later decide you want a fuge you could be in trouble.
My tank is right in the middle of the living room and is on a brick stand, so I am limmited on what equip. I can add. My sump consumes half the space under it. The skimmer sits beside. I enjoy the site of the skimmer. It also makes a great conversation piece when company comes over.
The u/v and po4 reactor set under the other side and there is enough room for one more GEO reactor... Then things will start to cramp up.
I knew this getting into it. If you stay small with your sump You too will NEED to know this. I don't plan on adding anything else, But you never know? Like the skimmer for example. My old one fit in the sump. The Reeflo wont even fit under the tank.

McCrary:
Not to beat up on you cause you make good points...
But this 75 gallon sump with half of it as a fuge will put you at about 35 gal. for your sump. This is what I refered to above.
So in short, Your sump size can be smaller than what is said to be "adequite" (bad spelling) But It will have limits as to how much equip. you can house directly in it.
The market at one point seemed to have more efficient equip. for "in sump" use. But now you can get things for "external" use that is just as good. Some even better.

Lucky

 

[Lucky-rc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11781036#post11781036 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRaquatics
large sump: larger water volume, room for expansion of extra equipment, fuge possiblity and room for extra Live rock to name a few +s.

small sump: hard to expand, have to work with little space inside sump, have to rely on enough rock in your display, but on the plus side you will have more room under your stand.

FWIW I always put the largest sump possible under my tanks.

Right you are, my friend.
I have about 35 lbs of live rock in the sump (where the bio-balls were) and about another 35 lbs in the overflow boxes.
The space is very limited, in time it will be a pain, but you learn to deal with it and find good ways around it.

Great point though, He MUST know this right up front. Or he may regret his decission

Lucky

 

[McCrary]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11781320#post11781320 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lucky-rc


McCrary:
Not to beat up on you cause you make good points...
But this 75 gallon sump with half of it as a fuge will put you at about 35 gal. for your sump. This is what I refered to above.
So in short, Your sump size can be smaller than what is said to be "adequite" (bad spelling) But It will have limits as to how much equip. you can house directly in it.


Lucky

The only thing that the non-refuge side of the sump is going to be for is holding equipment. Since the Orca reeflo 250 is 32" tall it probably isn't going to be going under the stand, so the space in the sump is going to be largely empty, minus some random stuff (heaters and whatnot come to mind). Its other purpose is to hold water that will drain from the tank when the power goes out. I have always been of the mindset that a big skimmer and a good DSB refuge with macros will pretty much take care of the water quality. Add in a few metal halides and some good powerheads and you have a tank that should be good to go. So I was trying to think of what other equipment might be necessary? The only stuff that seems to be needed would be a pair of 300 watt heaters and a couple phosban reactors.

 

[Tangwich]

Thanks guys, I have decided on the Reeflo 200 which stands at 26" so that should fit under my stand since it's 32 inches. Already contacted my LFS and getting quotes on a custom 75g sump. And will most likely go with the above mentioned website for the Reeflo 200. Thanks guys for all your input. Great info.