Sump for the first time

[Brandon787878]

So I have never used a sump and I think I should considering how much algae I have growing in the tank and growing in my hotb filter. I have a submerged protein skimmer but it's not the best.

So where do I start. I have no clue. I've watched a lot of videos but I'm still not sure of its a good idea considering how much it will cost me. I'm looking for a budget sump.

How much would I need for a skimmer and a return pump. I don't know if I need a refugee right now. I'm sure they are expensive.

Only thing I have found is a premade tank atm. Not sure if it's a good idea either. Might be too much for what it is. If you guys think it's easier for me to do a diy then I rather do that.

Tank parameters are 24x24x24 cube. It's a 60g. I am going to do a drain to sump and return pvc that I seen from the king of DIY on YouTube.

The gentleman wants 60 for the sump.

 

[1WildBill]

General rule with sumps, the bigger the better. How are you planning on plumbing the tank? What return pump are you thinking about?

 

[Peace River]

A sump at its most basic level is a box to put filtration stuff in that is (usually) out of view. As 1WildBill mentioned, you need to figure out how to get the water out of the tank and into the sump, what filtration you want to add to the sump, and how to get the water from the sump back up into the tank.

From the picture that you included it doesn't look like the tank is drilled so you will either need to have the tank drilled (or do it yourself) or add an overflow box to get the water out of the tank and down to the sump. One of the challenges with your 60g tank because it is square it is a different shape than most sumps (which are more long and narrow). Will the sump that you are considering purchasing fit in your stand? It appears to be a standard three chamber sump with a filter sock mount in the first chamber. Your second chamber would typically be for your protein skimmer or for a refugium and the third chamber would typically be for your return pump. A refugium doesn't have to be expensive - if you used the middle chamber for the fuge (instead of a skimmer) then all you would need to get started would be some macroalgae and a refugium light which range from $30 to $300 or more. For the return pump you can do the calculations to determine the appropriate GPH for your system. You can then use (1) the GPH, (1) the quality level and style of pump that you want, and (3) the cost to make a decision of the return pump.

 

[Bryson.bobby]

I would recommend a reef octo 110 classic for that size tank

 

[1WildBill]

Honestly, I don’t see a lot of flow in that Sump. Like Peace River said, GPH is important.

 

[Forsaken77]

I have a 93 cube and I know how tricky finding a sump for a cube is. I would suggest any premade cube sump.

The problem you may have is that you may have to take the tank off the stand and drop it in from the top because it won't fit through the door or back. I had a custom sump made for my 93 and it's a pita to service anything through the small cabinet door.