Sump kit or not

wynagain · May 3, 2026

Need a sump for a 75g reef tank and have seen kits for regular tanks. Being new not exactly sure what i would want down the road. Should I just spend the money on a ready to go sump or try and build one myself? I'm thinking minimum 25g or should I go larger and how many compartments?

mmorrison55 · May 3, 2026

If you have the know how, im sure you would get more enjoyment building it yourself, but if you just want to get a sump and be done with it, nothing wrong with that either.

What are you planning to run, filter socks or a roller mat, what size skimmer, etc.

As for size, 20-30 gallon should suffice, but I’d say get one as big as your space allows. You can do a lot with a bigger sump, like add live rock in it, make a small refugium, etc.

Fish Fan · May 3, 2026

Maybe consider a pre-made acrylic baffle kit, like the ones from Marine Biosystems on eBay. I think they have the best bang for your buck for these kind of kits, even better than Fiji Cube or Jax Racks, which are also popular choices. You can reach out to Marine Biosystems if you have questions or need customization. By doing this yourself, you'll be well prepared to make a change to the system down the road, if that's even necessary.

Here's an example for a 20 long, but I'm sure he can make something that would fit a 25 if you have the tank already:

REFUGIUM KIT - 20 Gallon Long 5C ezBuild Ultimate Sump Kit Aqueon / Imagitarium | eBay

This is our ezBuild Dual Filter Sock Holder 5 Chamber Sump/Refugium Ultimate baffle kit for 20 gallon Long Aqueon® or Imagitarium™ glass tanks with adjustable water depth. Our exclusive ezBuild sump kits are the fastest and easiest way to convert a glass aquarium to a fully functional sump.

www.ebay.com

One way reefers try to future-proof their setup is by installing a manifold off the return line that allows you to connect other gear in the future if/when needed:

I hope this helps and good luck!

Science/G · May 3, 2026

I think a 20 to 25 gallon sump would be great. What I will tell you though is not to spend your money on it. Invest your money on quality live rock and quality lighting. My sump is a 7 gallon aquarium with a filter sock, a protein skimmer, my return pump, heater, and a small algae scrubber. Cheap, no frills, and works perfectly.

wynagain · May 4, 2026

Fish Fan said:
Maybe consider a pre-made acrylic baffle kit, like the ones from Marine Biosystems on eBay. I think they have the best bang for your buck for these kind of kits, even better than Fiji Cube or Jax Racks, which are also popular choices. You can reach out to Marine Biosystems if you have questions or need customization. By doing this yourself, you'll be well prepared to make a change to the system down the road, if that's even necessary.

Here's an example for a 20 long, but I'm sure he can make something that would fit a 25 if you have the tank already:

REFUGIUM KIT - 20 Gallon Long 5C ezBuild Ultimate Sump Kit Aqueon / Imagitarium | eBay

This is our ezBuild Dual Filter Sock Holder 5 Chamber Sump/Refugium Ultimate baffle kit for 20 gallon Long Aqueon® or Imagitarium™ glass tanks with adjustable water depth. Our exclusive ezBuild sump kits are the fastest and easiest way to convert a glass aquarium to a fully functional sump.

www.ebay.com

One way reefers try to future-proof their setup is by installing a manifold off the return line that allows you to connect other gear in the future if/when needed:

I hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you very much, good information. I checked out the biomarine site on ebay and to make one this way is very doable for me and would save a bunch of money and the manifold for future stuff I would of never thought of. I'm not sure if I will go with socks or roller at this point but would nice to have extra room. I have plenty of space because my tank is going in a wall opening between two rooms and sump on floor in kitchen, might move it to basement later when I get maintenance down better. I'm thinking maybe a 40g breeder for sump

wynagain · May 4, 2026

Science/G said:
I think a 20 to 25 gallon sump would be great. What I will tell you though is not to spend your money on it. Invest your money on quality live rock and quality lighting. My sump is a 7 gallon aquarium with a filter sock, a protein skimmer, my return pump, heater, and a small algae scrubber. Cheap, no frills, and works perfectly.

Yes I'm trying to save money and planning on using live rock. Nice setup btw