Sumps?

[backley420]

What are sumps for,
how do they work,
why are they important,
are they nescessary for big tanks,
can u buy ready made ones or do u have to DIY,
what is the ratio to sump size to mother tank size?

I just wanna know everything about them

 

[dthoffsett]

Here's a very long, but extremely informative article on sump systems.
[URL="http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/gt/index.php"]http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/gt/index.php[/URL]

While he focuses on reef tanks, sumps can be utilized on freshwater tanks as well.