Overflow and sump questions

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Fishking22

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
87
Location
Oklahoma
I have a 100g fresh that will be saltwater soon. I'm going to have a sump and refugium separate 10g s because of my odd stand. How many gph does my overflow box to the sump need to have? All that will be in my sump is skimmer, and can my sump go directly into the fuge after? Thanks...
 
You want aprox 5x-10x your tanks water volume to pass thru the sump, so 500-1000 gph.
Yes, you can go from the sump to the fuge.
 
Will a 800gph be fine? And I would need 2 800 pumps right? 1 to the fuge and 1 from the fuge back to tank?
 
no you'd need one pump you can plumb the sump through the fuge and to the return pump one 800 is fine. what is your skimmer pump rated for?
 
I'm still looking at protein skimmers, not too sure. And how would I plumb from the sump to my fuge without a pump?
 
you can drill holes in line with eachother if you are using seperate tanks for it. the water will flow from the sump through the pipe into the fuge like normal
 
If you use 2 pumps, you could end up having some big problems. If one pump goes a little faster then what it says, and one goes a little under, then somewhere one of your sump tanks will overflow. It is best to use one pump to take the water from the last part of the sump to the DT. The rest is all plumbing, from the DT to the sump, and from sump 1 to sump 2.
 
If you aren't a DIY type of person, or if you are worried, you can get some professionals to do it. Usually anywhere you can buy glass can drill some holes AFAIK. If you are up to it, you can get a diamond tip hole drill bit (or similar name, you get the point) and drill a hole yourself. You might want to look into it more, because I'd be getting mine drilled myself, or my father would do it for me lol. But basically you just take it slow, and put some water on it as you go to keep it cool. Just make sure the glass isn't tempered, because if it is, you have a handful of glass and an aquarium frame in your hands.
 
Yea, I'm only 14, but at home depot I saw dome acrylic that I will have them cut for bubble traps, can I take my aquariums there and have them drill it? My father and I are DIY's but out of his hundreds of tools he doesn't have things to drill holes in glass without breaking it or a table saw for cutting glass, so I'm guessing home depot is the place for me.
 
You could ask, but they may or may not do it. Also, I'd have to second the Octopus skimmer suggestion. I've heard so many great things about them.

Also, for drilling, all you need is a drill, and one of those drill bits. Those diamond tipped ones are what you should use I guess. I've heard take it real slow, and use water to keep it cool. Although I haven't done it myself...
 
I saw reef octopus but they cost a lot more and don't come with a pump :-/ but I'll keep looking
 
That model was the one I was thinking of getting for my tanks. I've heard good things about it.
 
I really couldn't tell you. It depends on the dimensions of the tank, and your height you can work with.
 
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