were to drill

[moneywastedonfish]

Hi im converting to a sw tank and am going to have a sump for my 3ft tank.
How big of a sump should i get?

I've read that once you get live rock setup that youre supposed to remove all biological filtration, which would mean all the bio balls and stuff in the sump right? So whats the point of having a sump that doesnt filter the water?

Also were should i have my tank drilled, it can't be on the bottom? By this i mean what height should i get the in and out lines drilled?

Where should i position the skimmer? before the sump or after the sump, likewise for a refuge?

And does anyone have a decent schematic of a cheap homemade sump? OR should i just fork out for a trickle filter?

Thanks so much for any replies.

 

[Ed4567]

How big of a sump should i get?

For a 3' tank, as big as you can comfortably fit.

which would mean all the bio balls and stuff in the sump right? So whats the point of having a sump that doesnt filter the water?

Yep, the sump is a place for extra water volume (=more stability), equipment, refugium etc.

Also were should i have my tank drilled, it can't be on the bottom? By this i mean what height should i get the in and out lines drilled?

If you can't drill the base something like this would probably work best:
http/www.reef-eden.com/DIY%202%20.htm
The return lines need to be near the top of the tank, so that if the returning pump stops (eg. in a powercut) not too much water drains into the sump.

Where should i position the skimmer? before the sump or after the sump, likewise for a refuge?

I would say have the skimmer first so that it can remove as many organic compounds as possible, and refuge last so that 'pods etc. produced have the maximum chance of making it to the main tank.

And does anyone have a decent schematic of a cheap homemade sump

http/www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

HTH

 

[moneywastedonfish]

thanks mate,
helped alot.

 

[Paul_MTS]

have a look where and how i set up my wier for my 2ft tank,

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=92117&hl=

what with the screw end cap i can adjust the ammount of oxygen the system sucks in and therefore adjust it to get the perfect level in the weir so it's silent!

the only mod i did after all this was put a reducer in the end of the pipe to the sump so the water didn't slush aorund everywhere making alot of noise.