What size sump do i need

[Tanker]

What is the minimum size sump required for a 80 gallon tank. the reason i ask is i have limited room in the stand

The tank is Freshwater so i won't need a protein skimmer
but plan on using some filtration medium in it and a place to hide heaters etc...

I plan to build the sump out of Acrylic or use a small used glass aquarium and silicone the required panels into place.

I will siphon water to the sump via skimmer box HOB style because the tank is not drilled and i do not plan on having it drilled.

Any input for this project ?

Thanks.

Tanker

 

[mr_X]

there is no true limit really. it's personal preference. i would say, the biggest you can comfortably fit under the stand.

 

[SnowManSnow]

i agree.

as big as you can get in there.

it increases your water volume and gives you maximum room for equipment.

b

 

[Tanker]

So whats better when building a sump length or hight ?

Nice tank by the way Mr x !

What are the measurements of the sump you are using ?

thanks !

Tanker

 

[mr_X]

thanks.

i am using a basic 75 gallon aquarium.
48x18x21 i think...something like that.

length and height are both important to some extent. you need to understand the function(s) of your sump before you decide dimensions.

what will you use it for? will you have your skimmer and other components in it?
will you have an area for refugium?
will you be partitioning it off or leaving it open?

you also need to remember that you wil not be filling it all the way to the top. in the event of power outtage, your tank will partially drain into the sump. if you don't have enough area under your stand to do all of these things, and still have area for a cushion in the event of an outtage or return pump failure, you'll need to go upwards a bit more.
in my case, i had the 75 gallon tank sitting there doing nothing, so i used it. believe it or not, my new skimmer barely fits in it.
my next and final build will utilize my current display as my sump. :wink:

 

[Tanker]

well i wont have a skimmer in the sump mostly it will act as a secondary filter and a place to keep heaters etc...

I still have an unanswered question though ? does anyone know what amount of water i should have in the sump for a tank 80 gallons ? the reason i ask is that i only have so much room in my stand. right now i can fit a tank approximately 10 - 15 gallons in size. But if i have to i will rebuild the stand to fit a bigger sump id rather not if i don't have to.

Thanks

Tanker

 

[mr_X]

again..it's personal preference. you could use a 15 gallon tank and be fine, as long as everything you need to fit in it, fits. :wink:

you could do without a sump if you wanted to.

 

[Anonymous]

well i wont have a skimmer in the sump mostly it will act as a secondary filter and a place to keep heaters etc...

I still have an unanswered question though ? does anyone know what amount of water i should have in the sump for a tank 80 gallons ? the reason i ask is that i only have so much room in my stand. right now i can fit a tank approximately 10 - 15 gallons in size. But if i have to i will rebuild the stand to fit a bigger sump id rather not if i don't have to.

Thanks

Tanker

i'd advise against a sump in your case-you will flood it in the event of a power failure (or are very likely to)

 

[mr_X]

mine doesn't flood in the event of a power failure, why would his?

 

[Tanker]

Thanks I'm not worried about flooding the place the sump I pan on building will incorporate a over flow box to prevent all the water begin siphoned out of the tank and the return will also be about water level with a one way check valve so that the water can be pumped to the tank but can not return to the sump.

I have also taken some measurements of the stand and have decided to build a two part system this way i will be able to have a sump that can contain approximately 20 gallons of water when filled to capacity.

my next decision is glass or acrylic ? which one will be less expensive ? one plus to going glass is that i can buy the tanks already built then drill and add partitions as needed. the down side is it may be hard to find tanks that fit the dimensions of the stand ? whereas acrylic i can build ( or have built ) to a custom fit.

Any advise ?

Thanks

Tanker

 

[Anonymous]

mine doesn't flood in the event of a power failure, why would his?

well, a 10 gal sump would only have about 3-4 gallons tops reservoir space

checkvalves (all of them) will fail, hoses will backsiphon, etc etc etc-1 inch draining from the tank will flood that sump, imo

 

[mr_X]

if he drills a hole in the return just below the water line and makes sure it doesn't clog with algae and such, he can get away with it.
that's the only safety net i use.

 

[Anonymous]

Tanker:

The size of the sump will depend on what you intend to do. If you want to have live plants protected from cichlids then 1/3 or so of display. Less just to hide heaters and filters.

You may find a refugium for plants would make a good display you don't really want to hide.

But you do have to have enough space so that during power outages the water drained to the sump will not flood the sump.

And you do have to keep both the sump level and tank level low enough so that when the overflow fails (siphon break or blockage) the tank does not flood.

Then mark the running level on the sump and insure you never add water above that line.

IMHO you need to test and adjust both levels to insure that happens.

You can make a simple overflow from pvc pipes like this:

(running level is set by height of 3)

Or a little more work:

You can use plastic containers for the sump.

the less area of the sump the more the water height will change. So it will become easier to adjust.

I highly suggest you setup some containers/tanks/etc in the garage and play around with the setup. Just to get a feel on how to setup is up. You will have floods with that test setup. Better then then with the final setup.

still just my .02.

 

[Tanker]

Thanks for the input. I plan on making both tanks of the sump fairly deep and will be keeping some live plants in it as well.

Good advise on making some practice tanks this I already had in mind. I have made some mock ups from card board to get a better idea of the dimensions i will be working with.

As for the idea on using plastic containers, i was thinking about that too and it might be what I end up doing since my budget is pretty tight with a baby on the way.

Thanks

Tanker

 

[Tanker]

just a update the sump is going to be much bigger i will take the center brace out of my stand and reinforce with 2X4's should be able to get a sump about 30 gallons so that will help allot

 

[Anonymous]

I think sumps are a pain if you don't actually have to have one. Everyone will have an overflow accident in their hobby career...

I would recommend drilling the tank if you really are set on having a sump.

That being said, acrylic is very easy to work with. You can build the sump yourself. Here's the one I just built:

 

[Tanker]

thanks i won't be going acrylic due to budget and was thinking using some bins but know i have decided to build the sump from a used glass tank since i will be taking the center brace out. i'm not worried about having a overflow problem's and im not going to drill the tank either but thanks for the advice.

although the last post leads to a thought....What were you and others over problems ? it would be nice to know what and if any thing help fix the problem

Another reason i am building a sump is i plan on starting a saltwater tank soon and want to get the sump part of the system down before i make the switch from FW to SW

thanks

Tanker

 

[Devilphish]

Sumps are generally atleast 1/3 the size of the display tank. The turnover rate should be approximately 10x the total volume. However, these are general measurements and not steadfast. If you can only do less, any little bit will help. Maybe you can get a nice Rubbermaid tub to fit and hold more.