What Size Do You Like for Reef Sump in 4x2x2 tank Stand?

[mseepman]

When you look at the sizing for a sump, you really need to make a few decisions first...

a) What skimmer will you have? In-sump or external?
b) Will you incorporate a fuge in the design?
c) How much will the display hold, so that during a power outage, your sump can handle the backflow until your siphon break kicks in.
d) Will you have an ATO system?

I'm sure there are even more questions, but once you answer these, it will help you figure out size. If the skimmer will be in-sump, how big is it and how much room will that compartment require. For some reason, the return area reflects all the evaporation in a reef setup, so if you make that area too small or don't have an ATO to refill it all the time, then you really risk going dry and burning your return pump out.

Though it may sound complicated, sumps really do help as they add water volume to your overal project and that means you have more room for error in everything you do.

I hope that gives you a starting point.

[christyf5]

IMO ideally you get the biggest one that fits and go from there.

[bv_reefer]

Originally Posted by christyf5

IMO ideally you get the biggest one that fits and go from there.

ageed. sumps look big initially but by the time you're done adding necessary equipment, it can get crammed pretty quickly, mines already 3/4 packed and the skimmers comin' next week! something to consider..

[my3kidsdad]

Thank you for your responses. As big as can be installed under the stand. I am thinking of building in such a way as to push the sump into the tank stand from one end, filling the inside area. I will begin learning about filters and such with this info in mind. Thanks again.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by my3kidsdad

Thank you for your responses. As big as can be installed under the stand. I am thinking of building in such a way as to push the sump into the tank stand from one end, filling the inside area.

Thats exactly what I had to do because of the way my stand was built (before I had even considered a sump when I first started out with a smaller tank). I ended up cutting out one end and shoving the sump in that way. It was pretty tight but I managed to get it in there. The next stand will be built way smrter

[mark]

another vote as big as you can. really, why not?

[dabandit]

My skimmer is 21 inches tall and sticks out of my sump almost a foot...something to consider. Equipment first trust me lol

[my3kidsdad]

Originally Posted by christyf5

Thats exactly what I had to do because of the way my stand was built (before I had even considered a sump when I first started out with a smaller tank). I ended up cutting out one end and shoving the sump in that way. It was pretty tight but I managed to get it in there. The next stand will be built way smrter

We value all of your opinions. Would you describe what you are thinking about when you say smarter?

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by my3kidsdad

We value all of your opinions. Would you describe what you are thinking about when you say smarter?

Well my dad built this stand and did a fabulous job on it. However the room in the stand doesn't reflect the exterior dimensions. He put some false backing inside (originally it was designed like a bookcase with shelves, I had it oversized for my 48 gallon tank 48"x12"x12". I didn't really think about how versatile the stand needed to be at the time as I was only a year into the hobby, jumped in with not much research on equipment). The stand was built more like a piece of furniture so instead of just putting veneer on the outside to make it pretty, my dad also put veneer on the inside to hide the framing of the stand (it didn't have doors on it back then) which wasted about 2-3" of working space in some spots on the inside. The stand really couldn't be wasted when I upgraded tanks so I took out the shelves and cut a hole through the midsection to accomodate a rubbermaid sump. Eventually an acrylic sump became available which fit but I was limited to only 11.5inches across because of the stand design (4x4s and really heavy materials, I swear an elephant could stand on it easily, maybe even two elephants!).

Here's a pic which might spell it out better, this is the old acrylic sump:




My next stand will have a wider area to work in as finding an 11.5" sump is a real pain in the butt also I'd like to get rid of that brace in the middle but I have no idea how one does that in a wooden stand. I suppose I'll go with a metal stand next time, people seem to have success those ones for "openness" below. I ended up getting a custom tank built for the sump which is 36"x11.5"x16" which is about the maximum I could fit in there, it could have been a bit longer but I wanted to tuck my calcium reactor in the stand as well so I left room for that.


Also:
1)I like internal skimmers, if they overflow, they overflow into your sump, no harm done for your floors. However, I have never had an external skimmer.

2)Not every tank needs a refugium and I think they're more work than they're worth. IMO, they're not for everyone (or me anyways)

3)If the power goes out, a fair amount of water will backsiphon through your return hose. Many people will drill a small hole just above the surface of the water so that the tank won't be drained to the level of the return's entry. This way the siphon is broken and you don't end up overflowing your sump. Always run your sump to a level that can hold the extra water of both the backsiphon and the skimmer in case of a power outage or pump failure. A good way to test this is after getting water in the system, keep the sump level very low and mark it. Drill the hole in the return line just above the level of the tank water. Then shut off your tank and skimmer and watch the sump fill. Then measuring the difference between the two you can find a comfortable level to keep the sump water at.

4). An ATO is an Auto Top-Off system to replace evaporated tank water with fresh water. Many people use a float valve for this. Or you can buy complete systems that work electronically. This way the salinity in your tank is stable and not fluctuating while waiting for you to add topoff water manually (and for larger tanks it can be a gallon or two a day). I have my ATO setup with a rubbermaid reservoir that is hooked up to a float valve in my sump. The reservoir holds about a weeks worth of water so I'm not continually having to make water to replenish it. (you can see in the pic above I used a smaller rubbermaid which wasn't as convenient, I had to fill it every 2 days).

[Myka]

Originally Posted by christyf5

IMO ideally you get the biggest one that fits and go from there.

Yep, that's what I do!