Need opinion on doing a sump

delorean

New member
hey everyone,

I wanted to know if it would be ideal to do a sump for my 25gal tall reef setup. The biggest reason for my curiosity is because Its beginning to be a nuisance to clean algae especially coraline off my skimmer and overhead filter. Obviously, this would be a very small sump maybe around 10gal.


Thanks In Advance
Delorean
 
It's always good to increase the total water volume. Get the biggest tank/container you can fit under your tank. Would you move your skimmer and filter?
 
The biggest would be a 10 gal is that ok?

The plan was to move the skimmer and filter to the sump... is that ok too?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13687182#post13687182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by delorean
The biggest would be a 10 gal is that ok?

The plan was to move the skimmer and filter to the sump... is that ok too?

I have a ten gallon sump for my 29. There isn't a whole lot of room, but was enough to hold my skimmer ( ASM 1GX ), heater, return pump and the pump for my reactors.
 
I used a stock 10 gallon tank, some acrylic from Home Depot, and some silicone. Excluding drying time, it took about 30 minutes to make.

Here are a couple of pictures of it,

10galsump.jpg


10galsump2.jpg
 
The simplest would be just the 10gal tank and an overflow box for your display. Add in a pump with a high enough rating, some tubing (hard or flex), a little time, and off you go.
 
There are many many ways to go about it. I recommend doing a fair amount of research before beginning.

Be sure to have enough room for backflow when the pump is turned off. I have a 37g with a 8g sump and my water line rises about 3".

I would like to recommend the use of a micron sock. With such a small sump, it will do a lot to help eliminate bubbles. I find it also helps with sound and evaporation. It needs to be cleaned often, but I say all the better. Helps get that stuff out of the tank before it ever decomposes.

You should consider an 'over'-baffle. Just a sheet the water flows over at water level to eliminate bubbles. The farther upflow the better, but it should come after the skimmer.

Put a ball-valve on your return line. This will let you control pump flow.

If you're putting holes in glass, the hole should be its own width in distance away from the edge of the sheet and never closer than 3/4".

Consider using _reef-safe_ silicone grease on your bulkheads, but be careful how you use it. There are several theories on best practice.


PVC fittings in general are fairly large considering your space. You will need to plan things out very carefully before gluing. Don't forget the importance of unions. You _will_ need to take things apart at some point. Don't paint yourself into a corner. Make disassembly part of your design. But use slip fittings instead of threaded when possible. You'll have fewer problems with leaks or bubbles.

Don't forget, ball-valve handles need room to be turned, and unions need room for a hand to grip and turn.

Try not to use 45* elbows. They can be difficult to align properly and are more likely to give you accidental and irreconcilable angles than a 90* elbow.

Hope this helps, and good luck! :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13689327#post13689327 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by delorean
that is some great info thanks. :) but is a overflow a must??? what is the purpose of the overflow?

Unless your tank is drilled/reef ready, an overflow is a must. It is the only way to get water to the sump, from the tank, in a safe manner.

So, the purpose of the overflow is to get the water into the sump, at a controlled rate that will not overflow your sump when the main pump is off. IMO, the best type of overflow box is a U-tube one. And of those, lifereef is the best one.
 
Ah thats what i figured...... well I went to the LFS that specializes on reef setups. What they told me is that its not worth the cost to build a sump for a 25 gal. It would cost approx. $300 to set one up. $140 for the overflow that is more for a much bigger tank around 55gal. Its beginning to look bad.... . . . . . . .
 
If you don't already have a tank thats set up and your buying new, I would suggest getting the tank drilled.

I'm currently having a headache trying to balance my overflow with my return. I feel like i'm constantly worring about something leaking or overflowing and i'm messing with it everyday.

You can also save money. I know one of the LFS near me will drill a hole for $35.00. I'd be suprised if you can get an overflow box for that cheap. And theres less worry about it not working.
 
yah, that kinda defeats the purpose...... well can i make my own overflow?? or should i just scratch this idea.?
 
For a 25 tall you'll want to drill from the back I would think. I would recommend a 1" drain. I don't know the diameter off the top of my head, but the hole in the glass is a bit larger than the pipe diameter.

I've dealt with glass-holes before and they are great. Good selection of overflow kits and can give you all the answers you need.

http://www.glass-holes.com
 
Also consider placing a gate-valve on your drain. This will allow you to precisely control the flow of draining water and back the waterline up into the drain pipe. This does a great deal to control sound and will also help eliminate bubbles.
 
You can use a siphon overflow if you can't drill the glass, but it's risky. If the siphon gets broken then your tank overflows into the room. Not good.
 
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