Sump.

[SeriousDude5]

Hello, I am in the process of setting up a new tank 30 gallons, and I've been considering adding a sump. Where I could house a refugium, liverock, as well as keep most of my equipment. And to add water volume.

My question is how do you go about setting it up? My old 65 gallon tank had a sump with two bulkheads drilled into the glass. . . it was so freaking loud it was rediculous. I'm not sure what went wrong, but I want to know if its possible to silience the beast, or if theres a way to do it with no drilling.

P.S. Is there anyone near the CT region who can perhaps help me out with this part? I would like this tank to go together perfectly. Let me know!

P.S.S. I'm sure this questions been posted before, but the search button up top wasn't working so I decided just to start it. If you have a link to another thread please share.

[neilanh]

There are hang-on back overflows that will work the same as a drilled tank. Also, there's the possibility of actually drilling your tank as well if you wish to go that route.

[copi]

Originally Posted by SeriousDude5

if theres a way to do it with no drilling.

Here is an example of an overflow for doing it without drilling:

Reef Aquarium Filtration: Eshopps Overflow Boxes

[Ziggy953]

Overflow boxes are not 100% reliable they can and will fail. Drilling or internal overflows is a far better option for getting water to a sump. The reason your 65 was so loud was because it was sucking air into the drain line along with the water and you go that nice "flushed toilet" sound. The easy way to get rid of that is to put a "T" on the end of your drain line (in the sump) one end of the "T" pointing up and the other pointing down towards the water. Extend both with PVC, the end going to the water, extend it below the surface water of your sump. This will allow the air to get out and the water to flow silently. Unless you build a durso style standpipe you will get the gurgling sound.

Here is what I mean with "T" I have no noise at all and no bubbling.

[copi]

Originally Posted by Ziggy953

Overflow boxes are not 100% reliable they can and will fail.

I agree that the "S" type are at greater risk of failure as the syphon may not / does not automatically restart.

Please describe how the "U" type is unreliable. The physical set-up seems to be identical to a drilled tank -- U or J-shaped tube that automatically begins the syphon, even if broken. I have only ever had drilled tanks, however I was under the impression that this type of box was reliable.

Thanks.

[Ziggy953]

Any overflow box that has to pull water up and over the edge of a tank can fail. I personally trust only drilled. There is no way for them to fail.

Now the CPR style overflow has a better reputation then the ones that use the "U" Tube. Either way they can fail.

[copi]

Originally Posted by Ziggy953

Any overflow box that has to pull water up and over the edge of a tank can fail. I personally trust only drilled. There is no way for them to fail.

Now the CPR style overflow has a better reputation then the ones that use the "U" Tube. Either way they can fail.

I am not trying to be argumentitive, only to understand...

I have always heard that the CPR style ("S") are at greater risk, and require a small pump to function. Unfortunately I do not have those sources in front of me and so cannot quote them.

As I look at my drilled tank I see a tube that is the same shape as the "U" type overflow. Here is my understanding of how each works: In both cases, the tank level rises as the return pump delivers water to the tank. At a certain level, water flows through the plastic "teeth"(?), either into the box or into the built-in overflow area. Both the overflow and the drilled tank deliver water to the sump via a u-shaped tube that rises above the water level and then below it again.

So I do not see the difference. Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just asking if you can help me understand at what point (specifically) the overflow might fail while the drilled version would not.

I would like to be able to explain this to others and supply full resoning.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Ziggy953]

Drilled tank - With a drilled tank the hole is either at the bottom of the tank inside the overflow area or in the back of the tank inside the overflow area. Either way the hole is going to be below the water line in the tank. The pipe with the "U" at the top is the standpipe. This determines the level of water in the overflow. When the return pump is on water flows up and over the teeth in the overflow but it also flows in from slits in the middle and bottom of the overflow. When the water level reaches the "U" water flows into the standpipe and down into the sump. The "U" is there to keep the intake below the surface of the water and eliminate the gurgle sound.

Overflow boxes that are on non-drilled tanks can fail. The siphon can be broken from air bing trapped in the "U" tubes. The overflow box works on the similar to the other but water has to flow up and over the edge of the tank.

A drilled tank isn't going to fail because it doesn't work on a siphon.

[SeriousDude5]

K looks like I will go for the drilled system, since it is going to be at my parents house and I am in college, I can't afford the posibilty of a problem, but I will be able to come home once a week to clean the tank ect, while they dose it. Is there a good site to go to to learn how to set up the plumbing properly? Let me know thank you.

Also I was thinking of a 30g sump (same as the tank) I figure this would provide ample room for algea, and extra live rock. This isn't a bad thing correct? Becuase then it will up my water volume to 60 gallons actualy more like 50 w/ live rock / sand.

[cmor1701d]

Check out Melev's Reef - Sumps & Fuge's