New project

[MrMasoner]

So I just paid $200 and I got,

-55G tank with cabinet stand
-60Lbs of live rock
-50Lbs of live sand
-reef octopus classic 100 HOB protein skimmer
-4 stage RO/DI unit
-100w heater
-API nitrate & copper test kits
-electric TDS meter
-2 submersible thermometers
-2 Rio+ powerheads 800
-magnetic tank scrubber thing
-Aqua culture aquarium air pump
-full bottle of phosguard
-and a bunch of dumb fake plastic corals and plants (currently in the garbage)

So my plan is to make this my first tank with a sump underneath. So I'm looking for basic plumbing advice. How large the sump should be and how it should be divided with the baffles. Do I need to make it, or are there decent stumps assembled worth buying? Should I drill my tank?

 

[Sniperhank]

The sump can be as large as you can support. I'm sure there are ones worthy of purchase, but you can save yourself a ton of cash by doing it yourself. The division in the sump would depend on what you are going to do with it. Having two baffles for an 'intake' and 'return' chamber is pretty standard.
A drilled tank is usually preferred, but a HOB overflow will work as well if you aren't comfortable drilling a tank yourself.

 

[MrMasoner]

The sump can be as large as you can support. I'm sure there are ones worthy of purchase, but you can save yourself a ton of cash by doing it yourself. The division in the sump would depend on what you are going to do with it. Having two baffles for an 'intake' and 'return' chamber is pretty standard.
A drilled tank is usually preferred, but a HOB overflow will work as well if you aren't comfortable drilling a tank yourself.

I'll be fine drilling it. So the basic idea is to have pipes go into the back of the DT in an overflow box, attached to a pump running water into the intake portion of the sump, then would you typically have a baffle, into the second chamber? What would go into the second? Then I'm guessing the third would be like protein skimmer, another baffle and the fourth chamber the return pump? Should I keep live rock and live sand in t he sump? If so should I also have lights on it just like the DT? Sorry for all the questions I just don't want to mess it up.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, gravity and displacement will keep the sump filled rather than a pump. A pump is needed to return the water to the display. This is rated higher than the overflow in terms of gallons per hour so it can be dialed back with a gate valve plumbed in after the pump so it matches perfectly.
The second chamber would be your skimmer and other equipment like turf scrubbers or refugium. No need for sand or rock due to meeting 1 lbs per gallon in the display.

 

[Dubble]

In my opinion you dont need to over complicate your sump. If your just starting i would use a 20g long with two or at most three sections. One skimmer one for other things like ATO, heater and reactor. An the third for a return pump.

 

[Dubble]

Be sure to look in to if your tank is tempered glass or not.