Sump Size
- Thread starter cfsindorf
- Start date
Korrine
You could get a ticket!!
I'm going to do the biggest I can fit under my stand. Am considering building a different stand so I can have a 75g sump under my 75g tank. Huge fuge area and lots of water volume. Don't forget to figure out how you're going to fit in your top off (you will need one eventually. Think of going out of town...) and any reactors or anything you may want to add later. I think this is why a lot of people do the sumps in another room. Run the plumbing through the wall to the next room where space isn't constricted.
psteeleb
Team RC
1/2 the size of the main is a good "go by" if you have the space
and the larger the better
as a minimum:
you need to know what your main display will drop with everthing off. this is usually 1/2 - 1", but can be more depending on your return line setup and how fast you return the water (the more flow the more water you will have over your overflows - assuming you are using internal overflows). I think there is a volume calculator on the site you can use to figure how many gallons that is.
once you know what you will need to hold from the main you have to figure that into the total sump volume as extra capacity (or water on top of normal flow over the weirs) generally speaking wier height may be 2/3rd the tank height. That said lets say you have a display drop of 10 gallons, I would not go less then a 30g sump
For what its worth I had a 40g on my 290g main that had a built in refugium, skimmer section and return section. I ended up lowering the weirs after the sump over flowed a couple times. My initial design worked but there were occasions where I had extra water in the tank (like after a water change) or when I bumped my return lowering it a little and my tank drain was more then normal. By lowering the weirs I got a little more surge capacity in the sump to handle some excess.
