SUMP OR NO SUMP!!!!!!

[GoodFish]

Anyone's input will be cosidered.....

Do you reccomend that I use a sump for my 50 gal. oceanic tank or should I buy the BakPak 2R only....keep into mind I am going to put coral and reefs in my tank later on throughout this SW tank process......i need help to decide!! !!

Consider my wallets feelings too..

 

[Morticus]

A sump adds water to your system, making it more stable. It is also a great place to keep all your heaters/hydrometer/protein skimmer etc instead of taking up room in your main tank.

 

[GoodFish]

So do you sugest I buy a sup instead of a bakpak 2R or no? im confused :?

 

[fishfreek]

The BakPak 2R is not a substitute for a sump. I avocate both. You dont have to buy a sump but you can make one out of just about anything that holds water.

 

[GoodFish]

Im starting to undertand the process its just, what do you suggest I use as a pump for the water to go from the sump to the tank....also, what is the overflow tank that will go on my 50 gal. tank??

 

[Guest]

i say sump pump but i dont know anything about them

 

[GoodFish]

well thanks lol but im gonna need a specific name because I've got to reasearch them so i kno wut im talking about when i try to install it on my tank

 

[GoodFish]

so anyone with some background information on sump ant how to install them please HELP ME OUT! ! it woul be greatly appreciated

 

[GoodFish]

In the above post i meant AND*

 

[Guest]

you could just hit the edit buttonwhrere you post to the right and click the edit button

 

[GoodFish]

thanks lol

 

[boardsurfer]

so anyone with some background information on sump ant how to install them please HELP ME OUT! ! it woul be greatly appreciated

Here is a good link that might help:

http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

 

[phishead]

Why not look at the article section for sump and DIY?

But I don't think you are going to get much of a response that says "no."

A sump makes almost everything easier. I went a year with out and no after 3 months, I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

If you really can't figure it out, I will post pictures of mine.

 

[fishfreek]

You want to size your pump to fit the flow capacity of your overflow. If your tanks not reef ready then you will need a hangon style overflow. You can get these in various flow capacities from a few hundred gal per hour to well over 1000 gph. For a 50 gal tank I would suggest something in the 500-700gph range. Pumps will push less water the higher they have to push the water up. This is called head pressure and the resulting measurement is how much head height you have. Most anks will have between 4 and 5' of head height. If your going to use a submersible pump I would look at the Mag brand of pumps and for your install the Mag 9.5 might fit. Just figure your head height and then reference the Mag flow chart to pick the right sized mag for the job. Most online shops will have the flow chart available for reference.

A hardware store style sump pump will not work for this type of use. They are not designed to be used in 24x7 operation.

 

[GoodFish]

how do i measure head hight??

 

[fishfreek]

<smart response>

In inches with a ruler

</smart response>

Ok sorry. That was just to easy and its been a tough day at work.

Head height is measured from the pump location vertically to the top of the tank. This height is often 4' or so. Just use a tape measure to get the vertical rise the pump must push the water up. That will be your head height. Then reference the head height flow chart with the pump manufactuer that your looking at getting the pump from.

 

[phishead]

As I understand it you are going to have the return come down lower into the tank, you can gain a little faster flow since the water will be flowing down hill and actually creating a siphon with the water behind it.

In other words, if the return comes all the way down the back of the tank to the substrate the flow of the pump is actually faster than if it just ended at water level or at the top of the tank.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[GoodFish]

What can i use to transport the water from the tank to sump???does it come with the material...If not can i use rubber tubing??

Also, can you give me a list of all the materials i will need for my sump....remember, I dont want to build my own like the DIY forum....I want to buy it all..so whatever i need to buy please give me a list of...

I've already got the thing to hold the water(sump) i just need everything else.

thank you so much..I dont know why, but this is a very confusing topic for me...

 

[flame82]

a sump can only add to the vaule and stability of your tank. i dont have a sump for my tank right now but i just recently bought a few pounds of crude from the rock pools from premium aquaitcs and there are all kinds of little creature that i am sure will only help my tank age along

 

[GoodFish]

What can i use to transport the water from the tank to sump???does it come with the material...If not can i use rubber tubing??

Also, can you give me a list of all the materials i will need for my sump....remember, I dont want to build my own like the DIY forum....I want to buy it all..so whatever i need to buy please give me a list of...

I've already got the thing to hold the water(sump) i just need everything else.

thank you so much..I dont know why, but this is a very confusing topic for me...