I need info about sumps.

[William Spak]

I have recently made the big decision about my filtration. In my 35 gallon hex tank, I am going to get rid of my stupid canister filter, and get a sump. It will involve buying the various parts, and taking apart the aquarium temporarily. I am tired of things dying in the aquarium, I just want my corals to grow, my fish to be happy, and my tank to actually look nice. This will also give me a good chance to re do my aquascaping.. which I will come here to find help for that when the time comes. Am I making a good decision? I just need you guys to tell me a lot of information about sumps, because I've heard they are the elite filters for reefs, thank you guys!

Will

 

[JDnKY]

A sump itself is not really a “filter” but rather a place to add various types of filtration, ie, filter socks/roller, protein skimmer, media reactors, heater, dosing lines etc.... it also adds water volume to your system. Is it a good thing? Definitely!

 

[Biokabe]

There's nothing magical about a sump - it's basically just a second aquarium that's plumbed into your main display tank. Your basic sump design will drain into a filter sock of some type, empty into a protein skimmer chamber, pass through some form of chemical filtration media, possibly flow through a refugium, and finally drain into the return pump chamber. The value of a sump is largely dependent on what you do with it. That said, a sump does a couple of major things for your tank:

1) It increases the water volume of your system.

More water is always better, for a couple of reasons. The biggest reason, though, is that the more water you have, the more volume there is for toxins, pollutants and contaminants to disperse within. I'm going to use some made-up numbers here - they're not intended to reflect reality in any way except to show the impact that having more water can have. Say you have a fish that, net, makes .5ml of nitrate per day. In your current tank, without a sump, that would correlate to a 3.8 ppm nitrate level. Add a 15 gallon sump, though, and without doing anything else, it's only a 2.7 ppm nitrate level. Not a huge difference but it is a difference.

2) It improves gas circulation.

Your aquarium inhabitants need oxygen to survive, and they need water that isn't saturated with carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis does take care of some of that, but the largest contributor to the diffusion of gases is the surface area of the water in your system. Adding a sump will give you a ton of extra surface area for gas exchange.

3) More flexibility in equipment.

Trying to cram all of your equipment into the display area of your tank is a bit of a challenge, and you're limited by the available real estate as to what you can do. Add a sump and you increase your options. As an added benefit, you don't have to clutter up your display with power cords, heater tubes and other things that are clearly not corals. Other equipment choices that aren't really usable without a sump include media reactors, calcium reactors, brine shrimp hatcheries, phytoplankton reactors, UV sterilizers, refugiums and more.

4) Space for ugly, useful things

There are plenty of things - like a big ball of chaetomorpha algae - that are great for your reef tank but undesirable for a display tank. Other possibilities include live rock rubble, algae turf scrubbers, Marine Pure blocks, Xenia farms, Aiptasia farms (not recommended!) and more. Basically, if it's ugly or problematic but good for your tank - into the sump!

 

[William Spak]

There's nothing magical about a sump - it's basically just a second aquarium that's plumbed into your main display tank. Your basic sump design will drain into a filter sock of some type, empty into a protein skimmer chamber, pass through some form of chemical filtration media, possibly flow through a refugium, and finally drain into the return pump chamber. The value of a sump is largely dependent on what you do with it. That said, a sump does a couple of major things for your tank:

1) It increases the water volume of your system.

More water is always better, for a couple of reasons. The biggest reason, though, is that the more water you have, the more volume there is for toxins, pollutants and contaminants to disperse within. I'm going to use some made-up numbers here - they're not intended to reflect reality in any way except to show the impact that having more water can have. Say you have a fish that, net, makes .5ml of nitrate per day. In your current tank, without a sump, that would correlate to a 3.8 ppm nitrate level. Add a 15 gallon sump, though, and without doing anything else, it's only a 2.7 ppm nitrate level. Not a huge difference but it is a difference.

2) It improves gas circulation.

Your aquarium inhabitants need oxygen to survive, and they need water that isn't saturated with carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis does take care of some of that, but the largest contributor to the diffusion of gases is the surface area of the water in your system. Adding a sump will give you a ton of extra surface area for gas exchange.

3) More flexibility in equipment.

Trying to cram all of your equipment into the display area of your tank is a bit of a challenge, and you're limited by the available real estate as to what you can do. Add a sump and you increase your options. As an added benefit, you don't have to clutter up your display with power cords, heater tubes and other things that are clearly not corals. Other equipment choices that aren't really usable without a sump include media reactors, calcium reactors, brine shrimp hatcheries, phytoplankton reactors, UV sterilizers, refugiums and more.

4) Space for ugly, useful things

There are plenty of things - like a big ball of chaetomorpha algae - that are great for your reef tank but undesirable for a display tank. Other possibilities include live rock rubble, algae turf scrubbers, Marine Pure blocks, Xenia farms, Aiptasia farms (not recommended!) and more. Basically, if it's ugly or problematic but good for your tank - into the sump!

Wow, thank you for all of that information! Hey so, what parts do I need.. where do I get them and how much do they cost ?

 

[William Spak]

A sump itself is not really a “filter” but rather a place to add various types of filtration, ie, filter socks/roller, protein skimmer, media reactors, heater, dosing lines etc.... it also adds water volume to your system. Is it a good thing? Definitely!

Once I get the sump what things should I add into it ?

 

[Peace River]

Once I get the sump what things should I add into it ?

Great question! You may want to look at it a little differently and ask what you want to put into the sump and where do you want it to fit so you know what size sump you need.

A few resources that you may want to check out are the pinned thread in the General Equipment, Filtration, and Hardware sub-forum on R2R called SUMPS - The Rundown. Also BRS TV has a video in their 52 Weeks of Reefing Series called Sumps - What they do, and which should you select? Good luck!

 

[JDnKY]

Once I get the sump what things should I add into it ?

You can start with the basics, filter socks and a protein skimmer.
The bigger question is how to get water to from the tank to the sump. The best way would be to get an Overflow box and drill holes in your aquarium. You can find the equipment at Bulk Reef Supply or Marine Depot or someplace like that. You should probably do some research on YouTube about “adding an overflow to an aquarium “ and “drilling an aquarium”. There are a few different types of overflows ie: Durso, Herbie and Animal Bean. Do some research on these as you’re looking at overflow boxes.

 

[t blackwell]

I would recomend that you save the money you might spend on a sump and conversion...and buy yourself a larger tank..the larger the tank..the easier it is to handle water chemistry changes..it doesnt have to be huge but bigger..just get a used one from craigslist thats already drilled and reef ready..you can find some real deals..then you can make your own sump out of whatever you chose...

 

[Aquavaj]

What is your stand like? Cause that can severely limit you on space for a sump if you want to keep it underneath.

You'll need to use either a HOB overflow or drill for an external one. First one is easier but a siphon break can flood you tank. To drill you'll need to find out if any of the panels are tempered cause you can't drill tempered glass.

 

[William Spak]

My sta

What is your stand like? Cause that can severely limit you on space for a sump if you want to keep it underneath.

You'll need to use either a HOB overflow or drill for an external one. First one is easier but a siphon break can flood you tank. To drill you'll need to find out if any of the panels are tempered cause you can't drill tempered glass.

My stand is pretty much just as big as the tank...which is a 35hex.

 

[William Spak]

Can anyone give me a list of parts that I will need to by for various sump options... and maybe some recommendations? I am very lost on this topic... thanks!

 

[Snoopy 67]

Measure the stand inside the door & find a standard tank that will fit. It will not be large with a hex tank.
Anything less than 10 gallons is NOT worth it because it will "run" about 1/2 full anyway.
You will need a pump for water return, Eheim's are great. Flexible hose back is fine but you need something @ the end to flow water through & not fall off.
You have to decide how to get water from the tank to the sump. Either by drilling the tank or a hang on the back overflow.
Forget the CPR unit you need an extra air pump. Eshopps or Lifereef are respected units. They come with everything you need.

 

[High ICP]

Why do you want a sump?

You have a really off the wall tank

Getting a sump that fits underneath it will be hard

 

[Aquavaj]

I would just save the money towards a new tank/setup. A quality hob overflow is already around $100. A sump small enough to fit in the stand wont be worth the trouble since the amount of additional water will be negligible. You'll probably have to go custom which is $$$ or DIY if you're handy.

A sump isn't a magic bullet. Plenty of people are successful with AIO (all in one) tanks which is just a normal tank with a false wall.

 

[t blackwell]

I would def think about not using a HOB..overflow..all the trouble you will have to go through for a 35 ..you dont need a sump..and it will be hard to fit anything in the hex stand...put your tank for sale in craigslist..and just buy one...if you look on cl and letgo you can find steals..you could probably find a 75 or 90 with stand for less than 200 bucks...already reef ready..you will regret it if you drill that tank and crack it or realize how much all these things will cost you..the HOB overflow can be disasterous..I know I thought about it on my first tank a 55 gall...I just didnt know better..

 

[William Spak]

Measure the stand inside the door & find a standard tank that will fit. It will not be large with a hex tank.
Anything less than 10 gallons is NOT worth it because it will "run" about 1/2 full anyway.
You will need a pump for water return, Eheim's are great. Flexible hose back is fine but you need something @ the end to flow water through & not fall off.
You have to decide how to get water from the tank to the sump. Either by drilling the tank or a hang on the back overflow.
Forget the CPR unit you need an extra air pump. Eshopps or Lifereef are respected units. They come with everything you need.

So I need a tank that is bigger than 10 gallons... Should I use a refugium thing?(if that’s what they’re called haha) I need an overhang and a hose? Or, I could buy an Eshopps or Lifereef sumo that dimes with all of the above?

Thanks!

 

[Bryson.bobby]

I don’t think hob overflows are as bad as some make them seem. I have an eshopps pf1000 and haven’t lost siphon since I bought it three months ago.

No, it’s probably not worth adding an sump if it’s 10 gal but it could be done. You probably won’t have room in a 10 gal sump for a fuge, however.

Here is a pic of my 29 gal sump. Refugium>skimmer chamber> return chamber.

 

[Bryson.bobby]

Deleted

 

[t blackwell]

I totally understand your desire to have a sump etc...just trust me..if you have a 35 hex ..which is a cool tank..but you will see what a pain it is to drill the tank and then the money to buy a HOB..overflow..which if it malfunctions could cause you quite a disaster...a sump is not the difference maker if you are having issues losing things..I would recommend skipping it altogether..a canister filter is fine as long as you clean.change the pad once a week..just the pad that catches the gunk...otherwise you can get larger Hob like seachem tidal and maintenance is so much easier...but I promise you..if you have the itch...just buy a used tank from craigslist ( if money is an issue) or buy yourself a new tank thats already "reef ready" for the price of a good overflow..an aqualifter pump..a drill bit..and some thing to make into a sump..you could get a cool tank already drilled and ready..if you are really into the diff shapes..you can find those too on craigslist..im not trying to rain on your parade..Ive been there..just consider what im saying..