Sump Help

[karaim]

I am setting up my 125 gallon reef tank. My live rock has just finished curing (in a separate tank) and I am about to set up my 125 gallon and the sump. I have a few questions:

(1) Right now I don't have a lot of free time, so I will use a regular 30 gallon tank for a sump. Is it ok that there will not be any "compartments" in the 30 gallon tank (for the time being). Basically all I will use the sump for at this time is to hold the skimmer and the return pump.

(2) In a couple of month, I want to build a new sump. My question is how many "compartments" should it have? Should I have a separate compartment to hold the skimmer, the return pump, the microalgae, and a sand bed, or can I combine somethings into 1 "compartment." Also, can somebody explain how the plumbing would work within the sump itself (I know how the water is brought in and out of the sump).

Thanks.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Running it as it is should be fine. Just done have your skimmer too close to the return pump (just to stop too many bubbles getting into the pump, IF your skimmer doesnt get rid of these before its output).

In terms of the sump layout it depends on what you want in it. A basic layout would be something like skimmer in the first section>bubble trap>'fuge+DSB>bubble trap>chemical filtration and return pump.

However you can do a lot more with it if you wanted such as have a low flow zone set up for filter feeders and DSB. The setup inside the sump is normally just using dividers with overflows to the next section.

Its difficult to explain without pictures but using different heights of dividers or have side dividers with holes in that dont have water going into them through the overflow can create different flow rates through the sump.

Have a look at http/www.melevsreef.com for some good sump designs and ideas of what you can do with them.

 

[drag]

when i set up my 170 gallon i didn't have a lot of time either.. so i just used my old 30 gal glass tank i had. i went to Lowes as they cut glass and had me some pieces cut. i made only a couple of compartment live rock, skimmer, bubble traps, and return compartment. only took the time to drive to lowes and have the pieces cut then silicone them together,let it cure 48 and that was it. heres some pics

i latter added the refugium out of another 15 gallon acrylic tank and plumbed it all together
heres the link with all the pics.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...249649&st=0

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks the part