My New Tank is Up!!

[rwynn]

Haha, well I'm pretty new as well. But for the most part a sump is used to increase the total water volume in your system, many people use this hidden sump area to put their heater, skimmers, and the like out of site so the Display has a cleaner look to it.

Generally in the sump you place the skimmer and a return pump to pump the water back into the DT(Display Tank) The drilling of the tank is so that you can install an overflow and other related plumbing back into the tank.

Many people also use the sump as a combo refugium and place Macro algae such as chaetomorpha(Chaeto) to remove nitrates, more LR and LS to improve the natural filtering ability of your system.

In a saltwater tank your main filtration happens via the Skimmer and your LR and LS. The HOB or Canister filters are less effective for what we want as they simply trap nitrates and if the filters are not changed weekly can lead to massive nitrate spikes and nuiscance algae blooms.

If cost is a thought check out aquatraders.com they have a nifty HOB Fuge/Skimmer combo or seperate skimmers and very low cost lighting solutions. I am currently waiting on a replacement ballast for my 150w MH pendant from there. In the past they got some bad reviews for cheap products, but since have upgraded components and reviews are mostly good. I plan on getting the HOB fuge/skimmer on the 20th and will do a product review in the appropriate section once I do.

The fuge is also useful for growing pods(amphipods and copepods) as a food source for fish/coral and the like.

I hope that answered some questions. I'm sure everyone here can correct me where wrong and add to this.

 

[mng777777]

+1 Rwynn. I'll just add to that, that if you hope to keep certain corals that are PH sensitive down the road, the Fuge will become extremely important. We use the fuge area with macroalgae, not only as a nutrient export and pod breeding ground, but also to stabilize the tank's PH. PH is directly affected by the process of photosynthesis that occurs as plants and corals turn light into energy. We all set our sump/fuge lights on a schedule that is directly opposite from our DT so that at night while the DT is in it's lights out phase, there is still photosynthesis occurring in the fuge and thereby, maintaining your water's PH.

 

[PRC]

Ok, Rwynn, I took your advice. I dismantled the 55g, I'm going to use it for the sump. I found a 90g tank on CL for $40.00. It was ugly as heck, but it cleaned up real good.

I began cutting the hole in the wall, and will get the 90 into place tomorrow. So now as far as the sump goes, I'm going to drill the hole(s) myself. I use a drill everyday at work, so I'm comfortable with that. I don't know the manufacturer of the tank, so I'll find some polarized glasses tomorrow to make sure it's not tempered. The guy I bought it from said it wasn't on the sides, but you know what they say about assuming.

So here are my next questions. (Everybody feel free to jump in) I'll make you a deal, you guys give me good advice and I'll post as many pics as you want!:^:

1. Where do I drill the holes in the DT? or what is typical anyway. 90g tank 24x48x18

2. Where do I drill the hole in the sump?

3. Besides the obvious bulkheads and pvc pipe, new skimmer, egg crate, what else do I need?

4. What return pump do you recommend for me?

P.S.- Don't blame me for all of the questions. You started it. :D

I watched a sweet litle youtube video on drilling the holes. so I don't need any help with the actual process of drilling, just go slow, and stay wet.

(MOVING THIS TO THE TANK SHOWCASE SECTION)

 

[mng777777]

Where you drill will depend on what type of overflow you want to use. You can really put the holes anywhere, they just need to end up in the overflow box. Mine are all along the top and I used a calflo style overflow that I built myself. If the bottom's not tempered, you can put them through the bottom and use a traditional style overflow. Check out this thread for overflow ideas. You can buy the oveflow boxes pre-made on Ebay and just use silicone to glue them in to place.

There is no need to drill the sump unless you are using an external return pump. Either way, your overflows will just go over the top of the sump into your skimmer section. If you are using an external return, then your pump will dictate the height of your hole.

You'll need some pieces of plexiglass to make baffles in your sump to make the different compartments and create a bubble trap. Also check out LocLines for your returns.

Your return pump needs to move at least 5x the tank volume per hour though some of us move quite a bit more than that. I wouldn't recommend any more than 10-15x GPH max. So for your 90g you should be looking for something between 500-1000 GPH. If you go external, they tend to be a bit noisier, but if you go internal, they can raise the water temp. Some good brands are Rio, Little Giant, Iwaki, and Mag-Drive.

Keep the questions coming. We are here to help!

 

[PRC]

Thanks for the great input MNG777777. That loc-line is pretty sweet, I have the feeling it's much more espensive than PVC. Besides the flexibility of it, what are the other reasons I should consider the locline?

 

[mng777777]

It's just nice because it's easily adjustable so you aren't stuck with returns in one fixed spot. The LocLines are only used for the visible part in the tank. You only need a few 6" pieces and the nozzles. you do the rest behind the tank in PVC. Your LFS should be able to get them for quite a bit less than posted on the manufacturers site.