Sump For My More Than Likely Tank Upgrade

[craigybaby37]

ok so ime lookin to upgrade my current tank to around a 50uk gallon and need to get my head around what i need in the sump.

ill prob end up using a sump made to 24" wide 12" deep and 14" tall but i dont know what to have in it for the filtration and how many chambers and what to put in for the filtration.

ive seen lots of different designs with people using mirracle mud, live rock, macro algae etc etc so if possible could someone put me in the right direction of whats best to use.

 

[BigC]

Check out this guy, (I'm sure you already have)
http/www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html
But he has various designs and one my be adaptable to your needs
Regards
BigC

 

[craigybaby37]

thanks that great

 

[craigybaby37]

The website crashes when ever i try to go on it.....prob just my computer being odd.

ive come across various designs on other websites ime just still confused what to put in there to help filter the water.

is it nessesary to have a chamber with a deep sand bed?? in the case of a return pump failure whats to stop the pipe back siphoning and spewing water everywhere is there some nort of non return valve that u fit to stop this happening???

 

[SkiFletch]

I personally love a refugium in my sump, but you should use it to combat whateer problems you expect to have.

As for the return, yes, you use a non return or a check valve. Furthermore, you put a siphon break near where the return enters the tank, or just mount the bulkheads as high as possible.

 

[craigybaby37]

at least i got that 1 sorted out now.

What other stuff would you recommend putting into the sump then??

 

[SkiFletch]

at least i got that 1 sorted out now.

What other stuff would you recommend putting into the sump then??

Refugium, Skimmer, Heater, Autotopoff, phosphate reactor, any other type of reactor you want, and maybe if you've got enough room, a filter sock.

 

[craigybaby37]

Here is a quick drawing can you let me know what u think??

 

[SkiFletch]

Try and keep your return pump chamber "sterile" without rock or living things. Less likely to clog the pump that way. You can put a little rock in the refugium.

 

[craigybaby37]

excelent thanks for that. what size bulkhead would u reccomend to and from the aquarium???

 

[SkiFletch]

50gal tank, shooting for around 250gph, I'd go with a 1" drain and single or dual 3/4" returns.

 

[craigybaby37]

Been down the fish shop thats going to build the tank and they shew me a display tank that had 2 x 22mm drains and a single 25mm return and that had some good flow so ime going with that same idea.......and if need be i can always add another return in if needed

Ime going to have the drain points at each top corner of the tank then simply and simply feed the return over the top of the tank then into the water but put a 45 degree elbow on so that i get some good surface disturbance when the water returns to the tank.

I know the man in the shop pretty well now and he has saved me a fortune on the sump, ime going to buy a normal 24" wide tank then use some soil stack pipe from work which is 5" wide and use it as a trickle tower filled with LR then a couple of baffles that ill fit myself then th refugium which the water will enter from the bottom and then into the last chamber where the return pump and a few other bits will be.

As for the lighting i think ime going to go with a single 250 watt metal halide with 2 x 54 watt blue T5's or T8's.......should be plenty for this tank???

 

[SkiFletch]

Will be plenty for the middle of the tank, but might get a little low around the edges, so place corals accordingly

 

[craigybaby37]

thats what i was thinking so was also toying with the idea of a 2 x 150 watt halide that way ill get a much better spread of light.......but obviously the 2 x 150 is more expensive than the 1 x 250 watt ill just have to see how far my pocket can stretch.