Building a sump. need answers to my questions :D

Lorretto · 04/16/2007, 12:18 AM

I'd like to make 10 gallon sump/refugium. My display tank is 14 gallon.

What material would i use to make the sump? Plexiglas? Acrilic? Where would I buy this? Home Depo???

I'm planning on having the sump in the stand below the tank.
I will have overflow chambers but would I use gravity to syphon the water from the tank down to the sump and have a pump for return flow? How would I get the same volume of water flowing from tank, to tank?

Or would I use 2 pumps? 1 to run water to the sump and another to run water to the display tank?

Have been thinking about it all day and it starting to give me a headache. lol

Bergovoy · 04/16/2007, 03:41 AM

you need to have an overflow device that will sit below the surface of the water in the main tank. This usually has teeth so the water as it rises will spill in though the teeth, catching things that should not go into the overflow.

So, as the pump in the sump fills the main tank, it will overflow into the overflow and then gravity will spill it back down into the sump, then repeat...

You wnt to make sure the pupm is not more powerful, (more flow) then what the gravity feed drain can handle or the main tank will overflo the overflow and spill onto the floor.

Soo, basically just enough flwo to sust ovrflow the tank. Less is more...

barbra · 04/16/2007, 10:09 AM

Melevs Reef has lots of info on sumps:

http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

jerryreefrigger · 04/17/2007, 08:44 AM

For a small sump like that, you would be better off buying a little 10 gal tank. Very cheap, under $20 @ wally world.

04/16/2007, 12:18 AM	#1
Lorretto Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 180	Building a sump. need answers to my questions :D I'd like to make 10 gallon sump/refugium. My display tank is 14 gallon. What material would i use to make the sump? Plexiglas? Acrilic? Where would I buy this? Home Depo??? I'm planning on having the sump in the stand below the tank. I will have overflow chambers but would I use gravity to syphon the water from the tank down to the sump and have a pump for return flow? How would I get the same volume of water flowing from tank, to tank? Or would I use 2 pumps? 1 to run water to the sump and another to run water to the display tank? Have been thinking about it all day and it starting to give me a headache. lol

04/16/2007, 03:41 AM	#2
Bergovoy Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Monrovia, CA Posts: 2,163	you need to have an overflow device that will sit below the surface of the water in the main tank. This usually has teeth so the water as it rises will spill in though the teeth, catching things that should not go into the overflow. So, as the pump in the sump fills the main tank, it will overflow into the overflow and then gravity will spill it back down into the sump, then repeat... You wnt to make sure the pupm is not more powerful, (more flow) then what the gravity feed drain can handle or the main tank will overflo the overflow and spill onto the floor. Soo, basically just enough flwo to sust ovrflow the tank. Less is more...

04/16/2007, 10:09 AM	#3
barbra Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Va Beach, VA Posts: 1,408	Melevs Reef has lots of info on sumps: http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

04/17/2007, 08:44 AM	#4
jerryreefrigger Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oxford, MI Posts: 130	For a small sump like that, you would be better off buying a little 10 gal tank. Very cheap, under $20 @ wally world.