what size of sump for a 75 gallon

mossman604 · #1 04-16-2009, 07:22 PM

what size of sump for a 75 gallon, and do i need a protien skimmer, the 1 i bought has bio balls miracle mud green alge a heater and thats it, is this ok
it is huge like 4ft long, too big for me. id like to build a small 1 for under the tank in the cabinate area. any thoughts. im bringing the tank home within two weeks and want to be prepared. thanks

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #2 04-16-2009, 07:26 PM

Personally, I like big sumps. If you can fit it, that 4' sump would give you lots of options. Otherwise, I would try to fit a 3' breeder tank under your display for a sump.

mossman604 · #3 04-16-2009, 07:32 PM

what kind of options

Dr. Zoos · #4 04-16-2009, 08:08 PM

i have a 36x18 under my 75, it leaves very little room under my stand, but for sure the bigger you can go the better it is.

trouble · #5 04-16-2009, 08:10 PM

im new at this game so by no means am i an expert i probably shouldn't even be voicing an opinion yet but i've been in the process of organizing an overflow and sump for my 72g, and i think the options he's referring to are things like wether or not you want to keep a refugeium, some live rock or sand, with enough space you can keep most of your electronics down there pumps, protein skimmers and heaters. you can set your baffles up with more of them so the water passes through them in such a manner that you don't get as many micro bubbles(still haven't quite figured out why their bad), or so you can run certain filter media between the baffles. more space allows you the room to keep certain live stock down there you dnt want getting eaten in your main display, copepods and such. the volume of your sump adds to the total volume of your system as well, making changes happen that much slower therefore giving you that much more time to react. not to mention the bigger you go the less likely you've pigeon holed your self in the future i agree the more space the better. my sump is going to be 33g. in order to get it in my stupid stand(doors in the center 1/3 of the stand)i have to cut it and weld in steel bracing. super lame but a little extra work im willing to do to get an extra 10 g. any ways hope this helps.

ohh yeah i think you'll definitely want a protein skimmer. but don't be dumb lucky like me shop around a little ask about some good name brands/prices before you purchase. i would fill you in but i don't have that info yet. i bought an instant ocean(around 150$ i think) from the lfs not knowing anything about them and from what i can tell it seems to be doing its job i empty it once a week wether i have to or not and what i dump is gross so it must be doin the job. i also have an oceanic that came with my 33g sump haven't used it yet but the guy i bought it from said it works good(of course he would lol)but he seamed like a very knowledgeable guy

mossman604 · #6 04-16-2009, 08:17 PM

this is what i mean

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #7 04-16-2009, 08:22 PM

My sumps are used as refugiums as well. I also use it as an extra holding space for frags & fish if necessary. A large sump gives me more water volume to work with & any extra equipment can go in there. Bigger skimmers fit better in bigger sumps, for instance.

JDigital · #8 04-17-2009, 03:50 AM

IMO, go with the biggest sump possible for your setup...

I have a 54G (36x18 footprint) as my sump on my 75G tank... The more water volume the better. Plus like mentioned you can run a refugium at one end, large skimmer, possible reactors (Phosban or Carbon)..

Aquattro · #9 04-17-2009, 05:21 AM

Agreed, bigger is better. I have a 125g sump on my 90g tank. Lots of room fo rmy skimmer, zeo reactor, filter socks, heaters, ca reactor pumps, etc. I'm lucky that it's a remote sump, but I'd go with the biggest possible.

Dolf · #10 04-18-2009, 12:54 PM

I would be shocked to see anybody on this forum state anything aside from bigger is better for a sump. If you can fit a 220 gal sump then go for it. More water volume= more stability. More space= easier access and the ability to have a fuge, a skimmer, a place for frags, a... Well anyhow, if you can not fit it then go with the biggest that you can fit.

Now, as for the skimmer (I will duck for cover later) you can keep a successful tank without one. It is a little more difficult, and you need to look at what you are doing, your stocking levels and your feeding habits, but it can be done. I will try to find some links later.

Now for an important part- if it has miracle mud then either leave it intact in the sump or let it cycle for a few months if you transfer sumps. One of the ideas (from what I recall) behind it was that it acted as a deep sand bed- a nutrient sink. If you disturb it you disturb all of the bacteria that breaks down the nutrients and you release gobs of things to your tank that you don't want released. I need to get to sleep, so I will try to remember to get back with some other thoughts...