What are the most important features to look for in a Sump ?

[J-West]

I've been researching SUMPS for my 90-gallon for a couple of days. I've also been watching YouTube videos and marketing videos from several different Vendors. So now that I've learned that there are "Bare Bone Sumps" that only consist of a small fish tank, with a heater and protein skimmer TO "Super Sumps" with cute colors, shelves, dividers, compartments and lots of bells and whistles, I want to hear from real people who are using or have used some of the various types of Sumps out on the market.
My 90-gallon will be drilled to use a Synergy Shadow Box Overflow. I want something big enough to hold any water that emptys out of the tank due to a power loss (avoiding a flood), and I want something that I can grow Chaeto in. So...
1). What are the most important elements and features I should consider when evaluating all of these different Sumps ?
2). Which Sumps should I stay away from due to poor reliability or flood risk ?
3). Do I really need all of those bells and whistles ? Will more bells and whistles make my water cleaner and more stable ?
4). Cost seems to vary from a couple hundred to several hundred, so which sump is going to give me the most bang for my buck ?
5). Please share PROS, CONS, Likes, Dislikes and Pictures of your Sumps !

 

[FishGuyBri]

I have the Eshopps R200 on my 90. I chose it because of the way water flows through it and the decent refugium size in the center.

I recommend you listing all of the items you want (heater, skimmer, return pump, refugium contents, etc.) and then finding the largest sump you can that will fit in the stand and hold your equipment.

My R200 is set up so that if the power fails or if some backflow occurs, I still have enough room left in the sump that it won't overflow.

Things I like about my sump: it's large. Sturdy. Holds my equipment. Easy to clean for the most part. Good price.

Things I don't like: the lid builds up salt creep fast. There can be some detritus buildup in the refugium section.

Overall I like it, however my next tank will have a custom made sump.

 

[FishGuyBri]

 

[J-West]

Nice !

 

[Frop]

I have the Eshopps R200 on my 90. I chose it because of the way water flows through it and the decent refugium size in the center.

I recommend you listing all of the items you want (heater, skimmer, return pump, refugium contents, etc.) and then finding the largest sump you can that will fit in the stand and hold your equipment.

My R200 is set up so that if the power fails or if some backflow occurs, I still have enough room left in the sump that it won't overflow.

Things I like about my sump: it's large. Sturdy. Holds my equipment. Easy to clean for the most part. Good price.

Things I don't like: the lid builds up salt creep fast. There can be some detritus buildup in the refugium section.

Overall I like it, however my next tank will have a custom made sump.

Just think what you want to run for filtration. Now you need a box to put that all in. That's your sump. I'd shop like that instead of looking for a box first and filtration second. I am always weary since this is a luxury hobby on potential mark ups on products. That's why I made my own refugium.

Here is mine before I put water in it. The most expensive piece was the overflow used on eBay for $30. The baffles were DIY ($10 for glass, $10-12 for appoxy, return piece was like $10 and the pump I'm using now is $9, sand was extra) . The middle is for chaeto. Could put a heater in the middle or the side. And if I wanted a skimmer, a nano one would fit in the right, but I never purchased one. The left is the return. I could put a bag of carbon in there for passive filtration (which I did). The main thing I'm missing is a filter sock. I ended up putting some filters pads between the two sets of baffles at the left. It helps but it could be better.

This is a 5.5gal fuge for my 10gal nano.

 

[J-West]

A couple of months ago (as I was preparing for this build and before I decided to do a Sump),
I purchased a Reef Octopus HOB-90 Protein Skimmer which I won't be able to use "in" my Sump. I mean if I'm going to have a Sump, then I may as well put everything in it. So now I've got a brand new Protein Skimmer (still in the box) that I'm not going to be able to use. Uuuggghhh !

 

[Fin]

Yeah, that was kinda what @Frop was talking about. Make a list of the components you want to put in your sump - keeping the footprint of each item in mind - and then, once you know how much room you will need, then start planning your sump. You can probably sell the skimmer you bought.

Things you will need to keep in mind - you will be using the shadow overflow and it has three drains. You will need to accommodate these three lines for entry into the sump. Filter socks (yes or no), refugium (yes or no), media reactor(s) (yes or no), skimmer size (in-sump or external), return pump (size), auto top off, heater, additional bio-filter media (Marine Pure, Bio Brick, Siporax, etc), probes (if you will be using a controller), or any other equipment, like maybe an ATS (algae turf scrubber).

I take a piece of graph paper and do a scale drawing of the sump and use the footprint of the components to plan what will fit and where. Once you get it the way you want it, then start buying the sump and your equipment.

This is a sump that I made out of a 40B. It took a while getting it the way I wanted it, but it all turned out pretty well and everything fits like a glove.

But, for my new Reef Savvy build, I will be using an Elite-Aquatics 40" sump. Note the three bulkheads on the top of the sump. This is for the three drain lines of a Bean Animal drain system from my Ghost Overflow.

 

[J-West]

Nice build on your DIY Sump @Fin ! Not sure I'm ready to take that on yet, so I'm planning to get one of the "ready out of the box" Sumps from either Synergy Reef or one of the other quality Sump retailers. The Synergy models should be plug-and-play with the Synergy Shadow Box Overflow I will be using after I drill the tank. I just need to decide which model Sump will best meet my needs over the long run as some of them are quite expensive.

 

[J-West]

[QUOTE="Fin, post: 3554324, member: 32683 But, for my new Reef Savvy build, I will be using an Elite-Aquatics 40" sump. Note the three bulkheads on the top of the sump. This is for the three drain lines of a Bean Animal drain system from my Ghost Overflow.

[/QUOTE]

What size tank will you be using the Elite-Aquatics 40" on ? And what do you like about that particular Brand and Sump over some of the others that are on the market ?

 

[chefjpaul]

#1 - Room for skimmer with option of eventually upgrading skimmer in diameter.

 

[Fin]

[QUOTE="Fin, post: 3554324, member: 32683 But, for my new Reef Savvy build, I will be using an Elite-Aquatics 40" sump. Note the three bulkheads on the top of the sump. This is for the three drain lines of a Bean Animal drain system from my Ghost Overflow.

What size tank will you be using the Elite-Aquatics 40" on ? And what do you like about that particular Brand and Sump over some of the others that are on the market ?[/QUOTE]
It will be used on my Reef Savvy 125 - 48" x 24" x 25". There are numerous other good manufacturers: Synergy, Geo, Bashea, LifeReef - to name a few of the higher end builders. There are others, like IceCap, Trigger, etc. that are nice and and maybe a little less in price. Although, Elite will build custom sumps, I liked the layout of this one. Large center area for skimmer & equipment and large return pump area (I will be using two return pumps for redundancy). I did not want to include a reguium, so that is why the center compartment is so large. I had also bought something else that Elite made and liked the quality of their work. Very clean and detailed. He used the clear blue acrylic upon my request for a slight up-charge (he usually uses red). He also ships for free, which not many of the others will. I thought I got the best I could get for the money spent. ONce it got here, I was well pleased. It is still dry though.

 

[Gustavo Martinez]

When I bought my sump, I first looked at the biggest one I could fit in my stand... Then I went with the one that had the biggest refugium. Everything else was secondary..... Just my 2cents

 

[J-West]

When I bought my sump, I first looked at the biggest one I could fit in my stand... Then I went with the one that had the biggest refugium. Everything else was secondary..... Just my 2cents

Great idea ! I'm having a custom stand made for my 90 gallon, so I'm thinking I should probably wait until I can measure underneath to be sure of how much space I have, and how big of a Sump I can actually fit down there. But I'm anticipating that I will be able to fit something with the footprint of a 40 Breeder down there.

 

[Frop]

This is a sump that I made out of a 40B. It took a while getting it the way I wanted it, but it all turned out pretty well and everything fits like a glove.

Nice job! That sump inspires me to remake the used sump I got for my 58 gallon (the tank isn't set up yet and the sump came with the tank).

 

[Fin]

Great idea ! I'm having a custom stand made for my 90 gallon, so I'm thinking I should probably wait until I can measure underneath to be sure of how much space I have, and how big of a Sump I can actually fit down there. But I'm anticipating that I will be able to fit something with the footprint of a 40 Breeder down there.

If you are going to have the stand custom made, if there will be a center brace, maybe plan for a door on the end of the stand, so you can slide the sump in and out easily. I did this on my old 200 and it made the chore of moving the sump a breeze. I would take it out once or twice a year for a good cleaning.

 

[J-West]

If you are going to have the stand custom made, if there will be a center brace, maybe plan for a door on the end of the stand, so you can slide the sump in and out easily. I did this on my old 200 and it made the chore of moving the sump a breeze. I would take it out once or twice a year for a good cleaning.

It would have been great to have an entry door on one end of the stand. Unfortunately the stand is two far past that point now. The stand is supposed to be delivered on Monday. Great idea though !

 

[Fin]

It would have been great to have an entry door on one end of the stand. Unfortunately the stand is two far past that point now. The stand is supposed to be delivered on Monday. Great idea though !

Ah, ok. Does your stand have a center brace in the front? If so, that will have an affect on what size sump will fit. A lot of people make that mistake.

 

[J-West]

HELP !!! I'm stumped !!! I've looked at Synergy, eShoppes, LifeReef, Trigger and a few more on BRS. There are sooooo many different companies and models out there that I just don't know which one to choose. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Tank Size = 90 gallons.

What I do know is that I want a Sump with at least the following specs:

1. Accommodates three lines into the sump from the ghost overflow (eShoppes Eclipse- Large)
2. Accommodates 2 Return lines
3. Returns on side or front. NOT in the back of the sump where I can't see or reach it.
4. Large enough to catch any volume of water that might back flow due to a power outage
5. Has a least 2 Filter Socks
6. Accommodates a good sized Protein Skimmer
7. Accommodate Reactors
8. Has a LARGE Refugium area for live sand and Cheato
9. Accommodates adding some additional filter media if I need run carbon or something special
10. Accommodates a Heater
11. Available to purchase and be shipped within the next 2 weeks. Don't want to have to be on a waiting list.
12. REASONABLY PRICED !

 

[Frop]

Large enough to catch any volume of water that might back flow due to a power outage

That also has to do with how your DT is plumbed.

 

[Fin]

What is your budget? Large acrylic sumps are not inexpensive. And how is your stand constructed? Measurements?