Need help with sumps

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

If it is the 2' cube, then you'll probably have a cube shaped stand and should use a cube shaped sump as well. Probably building something like 20" x 20" will work for a sump or even 2' x 2', depending on how spacious the inside of your stand will be. I usually silicone to the bottom and sides one glass baffle to create a "skimmer box" which will maintain a constant water level. Generally 9-10" depth is what a lot of skimmers operate best at, but you should double check on this with the skimmer you plan to use. The water drains from the overflow into the skimmer box (use of filter micron sock is optional). I make the skimmer box large enough to hold a filter sock and the largest skimmer I'm likely to use. I also store my Phosban reactor and heater in this "skimmer box" section. The water then overflows the baffle into a refugium section (could also double as frag section) where you can store some small pieces of live rock, rubble and chaeto. I then would add another baffle that is elevated off the bottom by a cm or so. This last section is my return pump section and the raised baffle eliminates microbubbles (along with the live rock and chaeto acting as bubble traps). If building a cube sump, you may need to silicone a small piece of glass to the top of the first baffle to help guide the water into the refugium section and not the return pump section.

So for me, on a 20" x 20" sump, my skimmer box would be 14" x 20" and 9" tall. I would then divide the remaining sump area into a 6" x 12" refugium and a 6" x 8" return pump box. I would add an extra piece of glass along the 8" section shared by the skimmer box and pump box to guide the water into the refugium and not straight into the pump box.

I hope this description is not too complicated.

Good luck.

Anthony