Sump/Fuge design advice (I might be going crazy)
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Jason Koob
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Ok ..here's a idea if you have a basement or a cawl space ..most people willonly do it one so you should just do it right the first time ..and save money and time in the long run and at the same time double your water volume
Hey - would you mind walking us thru the components of your sump in the attached picture. Thanks.
mcarroll
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Just to be a dissenter:
I don't like any of the plans so far.
One option is if you have two drains and two returns is to at least have dual 20-gallon sumps under there - one for each drain. This means dual return pumps, but other than that shouldn't change your equipment list much. The return pumps can be tiny, and you'll have room for heaters and skimmers, etc.
If by some chance you don't have drain boxes in the tank...it sounds like you may just have drilled holes in the back panel?...I'd give serious thought to capping the drain(s) and running the tank as an "all in one" system and use Tunze's in-tank skimmer (9012) or their whole Reefpack 500 system (also for in-tank) if you want to integrate the ATO and have a filter module for more flow and a place to run filter media. Both are magnetically mounted to the glass. I converted a 150 for a customer this way once several years ago with their older Reefpack 500 model. The new one is much nicer!
I know it's a different mentality from what most people do, but most people are just following trends for the most part. There are definitely advantages to going sumpless....less complexity being one of the main ones, but also dedication of more tank space to critters (not equipment!) is another. Yes, that's contrary to the conventional wisdom....but true.
I don't like any of the plans so far.
- 20 gallons is uselessly small on a tank that big, in a lot of ways...for example, will it even hold the water from when the power goes out?
- A basement sump necessitates a gigantic pump - just seems like a waste for the little benefit.
- I don't know of any HOB skimmers I'd recommend for a 150 that would fit on a 20 gallon tank on the ground.
One option is if you have two drains and two returns is to at least have dual 20-gallon sumps under there - one for each drain. This means dual return pumps, but other than that shouldn't change your equipment list much. The return pumps can be tiny, and you'll have room for heaters and skimmers, etc.
If by some chance you don't have drain boxes in the tank...it sounds like you may just have drilled holes in the back panel?...I'd give serious thought to capping the drain(s) and running the tank as an "all in one" system and use Tunze's in-tank skimmer (9012) or their whole Reefpack 500 system (also for in-tank) if you want to integrate the ATO and have a filter module for more flow and a place to run filter media. Both are magnetically mounted to the glass. I converted a 150 for a customer this way once several years ago with their older Reefpack 500 model. The new one is much nicer!
I know it's a different mentality from what most people do, but most people are just following trends for the most part. There are definitely advantages to going sumpless....less complexity being one of the main ones, but also dedication of more tank space to critters (not equipment!) is another. Yes, that's contrary to the conventional wisdom....but true.
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