Sump Help

[Ang]

Hello I have had my 30 gallon saltwater tank running for about 8 months now. I have been running it with a canister filter with no problems. I am told a sump is the way to go. I have NO idea on how to even begin with a sump. I bought a used 125 gallon tank and it came with what I thought was a sump but it looks nothing like all the ones I have seen in pictures. I am needing help on..I have 3 small fish and rocks it will eventually have corals.
1. What type of sump I need for my 30 gallon non drilled
2. How do I set it up without it being drilled?
I have attached a picture of the “sump” I have
3. Can I use it and how?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

That’s really more of a wet dry sump. Bio balls or other media drip thoughts the media ang get return by the pump in the other chamber. There are ways to modify it, depending on what you need to accomplish. It’s designedto a vacuum or flex hose conne 5to the white pipe up top

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Here is a pic of what it would look like set up. Only real difference is it has 2 drain pipes and your has 1 white one

 

[lapin]

Lets Start with the overflow for a non drilled tank like your 125g or 30g
Bulk Reef Supply Article:
The benefit to an external overflow is that you don’t have to drill holes in your tank. Instead they suck water over the side of the tank by means of a siphon. The unique design of the overflow allows them to maintain a siphon in the event of a power outage by “trapping” water in the bend over the tank so that this area is always full of water and only the excess water that flows into the overflow will drain down to the sump. They do their job and are quiet effective. It is generally advisable to only use an external overflow when it’s not possible to drill a tank because, while its rare, in the event the siphon in the overflow should break (air enters the siphon) water would stop draining to the tank. As your return pump continues to pump water up to the tank and it has nowhere to drain, eventually it will overflow. Modern hang on back overflows like the CPR aquatics overflows include a small pump that draws out any small amounts of air that may enter the siphon and help keep it primed. While I personally haven’t ever seen one fail, nor talked to a person that had one fail on them, it’s still a best practice to use the internal overflow.

 

[lapin]

Question 3 is yes you can use it but it not the solution that a normal sump offers.

I am told a sump is the way to go.

Question 3 Yes you can use it. As you see by Mastiffsrule post . In a normal sump you would have this sort of set up below. You can use a 2 chamber sump like yours and not use the middle chamber. With the sump you have, if you use a skimmer, it will have to go in the return pump section. The skimmer water will not go thru a bubble trap. This might create too many bubbles that get pumped back into the tank. The return section might be a bit tight so you will need a skimmer that fits with your pump. You dont have to use a skimmer but they do help with keeping your water clean.[/URL]
If you want to add corals you might think about where you would put a media reactor. They can be hang on types and require a pump to feed them. You can use your canister. You might already be running charcoal and some other media inside it.

I hope this helps a bit.