What to do when adding a 15 gallon sump

[Mbernal]

Morning All,

I am very new to the SW world. I have a 55 gallon FOWLR tank at the moment with 2 clowns and a few hermits. The tank is currently cycling on a fluval canister since i converted it from a FW tank recently. As luck would have it, i am getting a sump tomorrow and was wondering about details. When setting up a new sump, how much water to I need to add to it exactly? Its a Coralvue Icecap 15 Reef Sump. Do i need to make 15 gallons of SW to add to the sump, or should i be adding less to it? I imagine 15 gallons is the max but im not sure.


Edit to say that my plan is to add corals and more delicate fish in the future. This is why i am switching to a sump.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Pntbll687]

You need to add enough water to where the return pump is submerged and the water level in the sump is to your liking.

The biggest thing is that when the pump shuts off, the sump has enough room for any water that drains from the display back down to the sump.

 

[Freenow54]

Morning All,

I am very new to the SW world. I have a 55 gallon FOWLR tank at the moment with 2 clowns and a few hermits. The tank is currently cycling on a fluval canister since i converted it from a FW tank recently. As luck would have it, i am getting a sump tomorrow and was wondering about details. When setting up a new sump, how much water to I need to add to it exactly? Its a Coralvue Icecap 15 Reef Sump. Do i need to make 15 gallons of SW to add to the sump, or should i be adding less to it? I imagine 15 gallons is the max but im not sure.

Any help is appreciated!

Is it Partitioned ? Too late to advise you that your canister is enough in my Opinion. Now you need to drill your Tank and make sure you have it set up to be anti siphon. I suppose you can get away with using another pump for return but what if one fails. You need a float valve shut off you should find someone who has done this to get concrete answers I can only speculate. I am doing the same with a 75. I hope your tank is not very old. A 15 is not very large hope you can get a skimmer in it. Hope it works out for you

 

[BryanM]

Before I tried to get this integrate in to your system I'd think about what the real goal is here besides having a sump. @Freenow54 makes very good points above.

I'm just not sure how much value you're adding with such a small sump.

And you definitely need to worry about siphoning, and you will probably only get 12 gallons or so of water in there, as when pumps shut off you need to allow for how much ever water drains back in to the sump won't flood it, putting salt water all over your floor.

 

[Freenow54]

Before I tried to get this integrate in to your system I'd think about what the real goal is here besides having a sump. @Freenow54 makes very good points above.

I'm just not sure how much value you're adding with such a small sump.

And you definitely need to worry about siphoning, and you will probably only get 12 gallons or so of water in there, as when pumps shut off you need to allow for how much ever water drains back in to the sump won't flood it, putting salt water all over your floor.

Yes what good will they be able to do. How much can you hide in a 15. Oh well not like I haven't jumped without thinking it through

 

[Mbernal]

Is it Partitioned ? Too late to advise you that your canister is enough in my Opinion. Now you need to drill your Tank and make sure you have it set up to be anti siphon. I suppose you can get away with using another pump for return but what if one fails. You need a float valve shut off you should find someone who has done this to get concrete answers I can only speculate. I am doing the same with a 75. I hope your tank is not very old. A 15 is not very large hope you can get a skimmer in it. Hope it works out for you

Hi, i appreciate the advice. The sump is partitioned and can fit a skimmer in it. I am adding the sump because i eventually want to get coral in the tank. I understand that without the coral factor, the canister is fine. But i have been advised that i need a sump to get more delicate fish and to even consider coral.

Thank!

 

[Mbernal]

Before I tried to get this integrate in to your system I'd think about what the real goal is here besides having a sump. @Freenow54 makes very good points above.

I'm just not sure how much value you're adding with such a small sump.

And you definitely need to worry about siphoning, and you will probably only get 12 gallons or so of water in there, as when pumps shut off you need to allow for how much ever water drains back in to the sump won't flood it, putting salt water all over your floor.

Appreciate the advice. I am planning on adding corals eventually this is why i am switching to the sump. I forgot to add that into my original post.

 

[Fish Fan]

I agree with the idea that a 15 gallon sump *might* not be worth the hassle of getting it installed. You can definitely run your tank (even packed full of corals) with a canister filter. I would suggest that you load the canister filter almost entirely with rock rubble, and little to no mechanical media, unless you're willing to clean and change the mechanical media every week. Leaving out mechanical media will result in less frequent maintenance of the filter.

I'm going to assume you have this sump or one very similar. If so, it's small, but not a bad little sump. It has a skimmer section that's 10"x9.5", and a freshwater reservoir of 3L. Keep in mind, a skimmer is not a necessity on a tank, it's just a tool, and you could still use hang-on-back skimmers and refugiums in addition to your sump if needed:

IceCap 15" x 15" x 14" Reef Sump

Footprint: 15in x 15in x 14in | Single 1in drain | Single 4in Filter Sock HolderFreshwater Reservoir: 3L/0.8gal | Skimmer Section: 10in x 9.5in

www.aquariumspecialty.com

If you'd like to proceed with the sump install, you're going to need a way to get the water from your tank to your sump. If this is a standard, rimmed 55 gallon it will likely not be predrilled for an overflow. There are hang-on-back overflows that do not require you to drill or modify the tank, so you can look into those, but know that they can sometimes be unreliable. I believe Eshopes makes one that is said to work well.

Best way would be to drill the tank for an overflow, for your particular sump, go with a "Herbie" styled overflow which has two drain lines, a main line you would connect to the input of your sump, and an emergency drain that would go over the middle of your sump and only have water if the main drain gets clogged. I believe the best overflows available right now are the ones from Modular Marine.

Drilling a tank isn't hard, there's lot's of tutorials, and many here on R2R can help you. It is very important that you check to see if the glass is tempered, which is an easy test to do. You cannot drill tempered glass, it will just shatter in a million pieces.

You're also going to need a return pump, and ideally a back-up on hand (since I don't believe two pumps will fit in your sump at the same time; often done for redundancy). I'd suggest looking for a DC controllable pump, rather than an AC pump.

You are also going to need various plumbing supplies, which we can help you with too, if you decide to go with a sump. He's a real basic overview of sump setups that may help, but ignore that they only show a single drain "Durso" styled overflow - don't use only one drain, get a Herbie overflow with two drains:

How to Plumb a Sump - Plumbing Diagrams For Your Aquarium Sump

Learn how to build and plumb a sump that is specifically designed for you and your tank.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Good luck with whatever you choose; let us know if you still have questions!

 

[Pntbll687]

Hi, i appreciate the advice. The sump is partitioned and can fit a skimmer in it. I am adding the sump because i eventually want to get coral in the tank. I understand that without the coral factor, the canister is fine. But i have been advised that i need a sump to get more delicate fish and to even consider coral.

Thank!

You don't need a sump for coral.

Things you need for coral
1. Tank
2. Sufficient lighting
3. in tank flow, usually from powerheads
4. Auto top off system

My favorite tank I ever ran was a 33 long (same length and width as a 55, just shorter). No sump, no skimmer, nothing fancy. Just light, flow, and ATO. I grew zoas, mushrooms, and euphylia like crazy.

Don't overcomplicate the things you "need", and focus on the basics.

 

[Fish Fan]

One last thought I'll through out here, and I don't mean to sounds like I'm hating on your project, but if you have a standard 55 gallon tank that's about 48"L x 13"W x 21"H, that 13" front to back dimension is very hard to aquascape when setting up a reef tank. For saltwater tanks, usually reefers value greater front to back dimensions rather than length and height. For this reason, and if at all feasible, I might suggest going with either a 40 gallon breeder or a 65 galloon tub tank. Both of these tanks are 18" front to back, and would be easier to 'scape than your 55 gallon.

That's not to say you can't make a great looking reef in a 55, you certainly can, so if this is the tank you have and want to use, then go for it!

 

[FUNGI]

Appreciate the advice. I am planning on adding corals eventually this is why i am switching to the sump. I forgot to add that into my original post.

Did someone tell you that you need a sump in order to keep corals?....cause you don't.

 

[Freenow54]

One last thought I'll through out here, and I don't mean to sounds like I'm hating on your project, but if you have a standard 55 gallon tank that's about 48"L x 13"W x 21"H, that 13" front to back dimension is very hard to aquascape when setting up a reef tank. For saltwater tanks, usually reefers value greater front to back dimensions rather than length and height. For this reason, and if at all feasible, I might suggest going with either a 40 gallon breeder or a 65 galloon tub tank. Both of these tanks are 18" front to back, and would be easier to 'scape than your 55 gallon.

That's not to say you can't make a great looking reef in a 55, you certainly can, so if this is the tank you have and want to use, then go for it!

Yes I forgot about that. I was talking to someone at an LFS 3500 miles away about a skimmer since they are the only dealer in Canada for Fluval, and he asked me how old my original tank was. He suggested I get a new one. My old one was 55 with the exact dimensions you described. When I went to the LFS keeping in mind I had already installed lights on a homemade support for that height. I spotted a 70 with what I call the depth ie front to back 18 inches. That fact was the biggest reason I bought it, and so glad I did. You can do a lot more. So there is that a Seapora is the manufacturer

 

[Freenow54]

Yes if you did this following someone's advice not to be mean but quit taking their advice This fellow here Fungi helped me a lot because he does it with Canisters as well

 

[Mbernal]

One last thought I'll through out here, and I don't mean to sounds like I'm hating on your project, but if you have a standard 55 gallon tank that's about 48"L x 13"W x 21"H, that 13" front to back dimension is very hard to aquascape when setting up a reef tank. For saltwater tanks, usually reefers value greater front to back dimensions rather than length and height. For this reason, and if at all feasible, I might suggest going with either a 40 gallon breeder or a 65 galloon tub tank. Both of these tanks are 18" front to back, and would be easier to 'scape than your 55 gallon.

That's not to say you can't make a great looking reef in a 55, you certainly can, so if this is the tank you have and want to use, then go for it!

Dude, thank you so much for all the advice. I am going on information given to me by my LFS which are really good people. I have a hang over back over flow already. The guy I'm buying the sump from is giving me the sump, return pump and a protein skimmer. I have been told that a sump is necessary to take care of the corals and more dlicate fish. My plan is to take away the canister filter not run both.

Now im not sure what to do....

 

[Mbernal]

Did someone tell you that you need a sump in order to keep corals?....cause you don't.

I was, not just by one person either....now im not sure what to do.

 

[Fish Fan]

Dude, thank you so much for all the advice. I am going on information given to me by my LFS which are really good people. I have a hang over back over flow already. The guy I'm buying the sump from is giving me the sump, return pump and a protein skimmer. I have been told that a sump is necessary to take care of the corals and more dlicate fish. My plan is to take away the canister filter not run both.

Now im not sure what to do....

I'm not sure who told you that a sump was mandatory for coral, but that person was incorrect

 

[Freenow54]

Dude, thank you so much for all the advice. I am going on information given to me by my LFS which are really good people. I have a hang over back over flow already. The guy I'm buying the sump from is giving me the sump, return pump and a protein skimmer. I have been told that a sump is necessary to take care of the corals and more dlicate fish. My plan is to take away the canister filter not run both.

Now im not sure what to do....

I have no idea why your friend said that. I run both on my 100 I have a sump because that is where all my maintenance is done. and have my in sump skimmer. I have a HOB on my 45 but makes me nervous because it did overflow one dripped water on my power bar which was my placement fault. and could have burnt my house down. So use what are called drip legs and have the power bar higher than that. I also have a large container big enough to take all the water that can possibly be pumped out under and piped to it. I am going to show you my 45 with mushrooms in it. They have not petitioned me for a sump. Maybe if you want to do SPS I don't know. You certainly cant turn down that deal but remember it costs when you have to replace stuff so depends on age of it to me. Not trying to change your mind just being Devils advocate

 

[FUNGI]

I was, not just by one person either....now im not sure what to do.

IMO, If you are getting the sump/skimmer etc for free, go with it...you can always use teh canister for a new tank...LOL

 

[BryanM]

I was, not just by one person either....now im not sure what to do.

Just put together a plan and go for whatever it is you want to do.

Clearly we're all saying a sump is fine, but it just isn't necessary for keeping corals or delicate fish.

 

[Freenow54]

Like I said I use both on my 100. The canister is a refugium I guess. I have redundant ammonia remover, carbon Phosphate remover nitrate remover also acts like a debris catcher with its foam.