to sump or not to sump?

[yh1185]

Hey Guys,

So i'm planning on upgrading to a 40b from my 20g i have now. I was originally going to just go without a sump, but after reading a bit about sumps, I like the idea of hiding most of the wires and such from the DT. I don't want to make a super complicated/expensive setup for the sump, so this is my plan. Once the 40b is setup and ready, i would move all my fish/cuc and such into the DT, put the 20g tank under my 40b and connect the reefoctopus BH2000 HOB skimmer on the 20g + heater + ATO. I would leave the live sand/rock in the 20g and possibly a few snails or something to keep the sand/rock somewhat clean. I would run a few gravity fed lines from the DT to the Sump and buy a pump to bring the water back up to the DT.

Would this work? Am I missing something? Any suggestions on the pump to bring the water back to the DT?(haven't looked at pump prices, but was hoping to keep it low) Would i have to keep a light on the sump? Thanks!

[JerseyClowns]

That's basically my first setup (40G DT, 20G sump). If possible, have the 40 drilled. Sand in sump might be problematic due to the flow rate, but if you put in the appropriate type of baffles, you could create a sump/fuge design and keep the sand in the fuge. As for lighting the sump, I would only light it if you keep macro algae in it.

[yh1185]

I plan on keeping a 420gph powerhead in the sump to keep the flow rate up a bit. Sorry forgot to mention that. I don't plan on having any baffles, since i have an ATO, and i'm using a HOB skimmer, so the level shouldn't really matter too much...

[RocketEngineer]

Originally Posted by yh1185

I plan on keeping a 420gph powerhead in the sump to keep the flow rate up a bit. Sorry forgot to mention that. I don't plan on having any baffles, since i have an ATO, and i'm using a HOB skimmer, so the level shouldn't really matter too much...

My first sump used a HoB skimmer as well but the slight changes in the water level cause it to run really wet or coat the neck, never in the middle. My solution was to put the pipe from the tank and the skimmer pump into a plastic container which sat in the sump. The water would overflow the container slightly but since it was in the sump, that wasn't a problem.

I like the plan overall but I would also recommend drilling the tank. I would recommend at least 1 glass baffle in the sump but that only has to have enough space for the skimmer pump and drain pipe.

RocketEngineer

[izzy123]

yep, good advice already, and +1 on drilling the 40G.... if you can, do it, you will not regret it.

and believe me, you're gonna LOVE a sump!

Happy reefing

[yh1185]

Thanks for the advice! I don't have the tools at this point, nor the confidence to drill the tank, so i plan on just running a couple of tubes. (i know it won't look as nice, but it'll be fine for what i'm looking for)

Thanks for the advice about the HOB skimmer, i tested out the skimmer on the 20g that i have up now, and it did seem to have a hard time getting dialed in, so i'll have to look into how to get it dialed in better.

[yh1185]

double post

[T-dub]

Good DIY project but make sure to protect the intakes for your overflow tubes. if they get plugged your pump will still push water into the DT until your sump is empty which will overflow your tank.

[Reverend Reefer]

drill the display tank. drill it. drill it. this is my biggest regret. if you don't drill it, you'll need a siphon overflow which have the potential to fail, no matter how reliable they are supposed to be. break in siphon=flood, snails, crap, algae growth clogging up siphon tube=flood, using a siphon overflow with an aqualifter means if aqualifter fails=flood. power outage for long period combined with evaporation in weir results in break in siphon=flood. too many air bubbles in siphon tube=flood. haha! yes, i sometimes have sleepless nights thinking about all the possible variables that might cause a flood in my system, all becuz i didn't drill my tank. learn from my mistakes and drill it!

if you're not confident drilling it yourself, it isn't hard to find an LFS or glasswork shop that will drill it for you.

[benjc]

If you aren't going to put a baffle in the sump for the return pump, I suggest placing the pump high up in the water, that way if your overflow loses siphon or there is a clog in the line, you won't pump your entire sump into the DT (and onto the surrounding floor).

[Reverend Reefer]

Originally Posted by yh1185

Thanks for the advice! I don't have the tools at this point, nor the confidence to drill the tank, so i plan on just running a couple of tubes. (i know it won't look as nice, but it'll be fine for what i'm looking for)

Thanks for the advice about the HOB skimmer, i tested out the skimmer on the 20g that i have up now, and it did seem to have a hard time getting dialed in, so i'll have to look into how to get it dialed in better.

does the skimmer need to be hanging on the back? meaning, can you not put the skimmer into the sump itself or is there some sort of design that prevents you from submerging it partially in water?

[yh1185]

I'm not sure if the BH2000 reef octopus' pump can be put into water... I'll have to look into that, but the skimmer itself is rather large compared to my 20g, so i don't think it would be a good idea to put it in... but i'll check to see if anyone else has before.

[Sport507]

Sump to you!