Building a sump ?

[Reef Nut]

Hello everyone ! This is my first post. I have to say...great site !
I'm turning my 200 gal. salt fish tank into a reef. I just bought a "Euro" G-2 skimmer. I don't have a lot of room for a long sump. I have been using just a rubber maid like container. I would like ideas on where to place the skimmer & pump, carbon, pre-filters, water return pump & line, ect....? Years ago I bought a nice trickle filter unit for this 200 gal. tank but, the sump is way too small. When you turn off the power, it will overflow. I could buy a one way valve but, don't know if it could be trusted ? The access lid to the sump is also very narrow. Need some ideas !
Thanks,
Kevin

[Chuck S]

A rubbermaid container is fine of sufficient size. You can limit how much water flows back into the sump by making sure to have line breaks or checkvalves on the lines that flow water to the aquarium thus preventing flowback. That way the only water that flows back into the aquarium is that which is above the overflow line.

The basic sump design is this and you can get a general idea of how to design your sump. You place the skimmer in the part where the water flows in. You can place heaters and such in there or the main compartment. Here is a basic picture.

[tendar]

That is a pretty good basic design for a sump.
Sumps are only really limited in what you can come up with on paper and build or have a acrylic builder do for you. I have had several sumps maid for me and in the end I am now using a 50 gall plastic sump from Lowes for $20.

[Reef Nut]

I just used a 29 gal. fish tank for a sump with my 75 gal. reef. This time I don't have much room under the tank. The small width of the doors in the stand limit's the length for a sump. the height is'nt very tall either. Whom ever made the stand did not invision a large sump. I may just buy a check valve for both returns. Who makes one that will stand up to the salt enviorment ???
Thanks guys.

[tendar]

The main problem with check valves is that you have to keep them clean or algea and detris builds up in the them and they wont work properly.

[DonW]

I just found out the hard way that check valves fail. A single 1/4" hole in the return line at water level is almost full proof.

Don

[Chuck S]

Well depending on your setup it is hard for Checkvalves to collect detritus or algae with no light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Just a FYI. If you use plastic tubing I can see this happen but with PVC the only thing I would worry about is blockage from baby snails.

[Reef Nut]

If I don't use the check valve method, the 1/4" hole would do the job.

[Chuck S]

yes they would although in my opinion they clog way faster than any check valve. You need to poke them out with a small nail or such as they are in the light and much more prone to algal growth.

[Figstr822]

Tendar, what do you use to attach your baffles to the rubbermaid sump? Do you use glass or acrylic baffles?

[tendar]

Actually I dont have any baffles in my sump I have a bunch of rock rubble that pretty much does the same thing and gets some extra filtraion in the process. I believe most people use acrylic since it is cheaper and easier to work with and just use some aquarium cylicone to hold them in.

[reefrrrrrrrrrrr]

do any of you have suggestions on what kind of sump/refugium I should use for a 700 gallon tank? I know it would have to be atleast 150 gallons in size but what kind of system would be sufficient to make this work?

[ufans]

Would a 20gal aquarium be large enough for a sump? My main tank is 75gal and I am using a Mag7 return pump.

Obviously I would like to go larger to prevent siphon overflow, but I already have a 20gal tank. Is there a water flow issue (water moving too fast through the dividers) when the sump is too small?