55 gallon sump.

[Hondatek]

Hey everyone. If I am making a 3 chamber sump from a 55 gallon how big should I make the chambers if I would have skimmer and heater in the first. Live rock and macro algae in the second and the return in the last.do i just make the first and third big enough for the equipment or does it need a little extra room to work better?

 

[coffeetwitch]

when i made mine i looked around at all the different models of skimmers and returns that i may buy for my tank. then used those footprints as the determining measurements for my compartments. give yourself room to grow or upgrade.

 

[Hondatek]

Ok I see what your saying. So I would need to know what my return pump is going to be before i do more planning.if it's 180 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump I would need about 1000 gph pump. Does that sound about right?

 

[mr_X]

i'm currently using a mag 9.5 as a return on a 250 gallon tank and it's fine. you can use a stronger pump if you like, but after a certain point, it's personal preference. all you need is adequate flow to feed your components, like skimmer reactors and such.
i agree with coffee, that you need to determine the footprint of your components in order to figure on partition placement.

 

[Hondatek]

Ok cool thanks x. And is it the correct layout to have the skimmer and heaters before the fuge or is it better to have it after?

 

[Hondatek]

Also would I need a skimmer for a 180 gallons or do I need one for 235 gallons minimum? I would think the 235 plus but i want to be sure since this is my first sump and only second sw tank. Thanks

 

[mr_X]

i would definitely have a protein skimmer on any tank larger than a 40 or 50 gallon. i would also choose a skimmer that's rated for 1.5-2 x my total water volume.
the skimmer goes before the refugium.

 

[Hondatek]

Ok i figured i would need a big skimmer. That mag drive 9.5 you referred to is that the pondmaster brand?

 

[mr_X]

yes, that's the one, but i'm only using that because i got it with the 120 i bought. i would probably use a Quiet One 4000, or even an external pump if you didn't mind drilling the sump.

 

[Hondatek]

I'm not big on drilling out tanks it kinda freaks me out. I been looking at skimmer and the biggest i found is the 220 gal corallife brand for $180. So i would need 2 of them. Do you have links for bigger equipment I'm kind of looking at sites that are more for the average smaller tank fish keeper.

 

[mr_X]

that's not a good quality skimmer.
check out bulk reef supply, marine depot, salty supply...etc. look for something like a reef octopus.

 

[Hondatek]

Ok I have been looking at the reef octopus and bubble magus skimmers. If I don't have the sump built yet how would I know how deep the water is going to be ? For example one I looked at said 9-11 inches of water. Is it the size of the first baffle that determines water level or the amount the return is pumping?

 

[ccCapt]

I drilled my 55g sump for an external pump. it wasn't hard to do.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/125-reef-build-100035-3.html

Here's how my sump is setup. The skimmer is sitting on a platform I built with egg crate. It's sitting in about 7" of water on the platform.

 

[Hondatek]

You don't know how helpful that picture is capt. So I'm not worried about how deep the skimmer would be because I can just build a platform like you did. Thank you so much. This tank is going to take a long time so I'm just working on pricing and selecting equipment and making lists. I was stuck on the skimmer part all morning.

 

[Hondatek]

Is the reef octopus needle wheel skimmer any good?

 

[coffeetwitch]

supposed to be very good. i think the latest update is a pinwheel. but pinwheel and needle wheel could be the same thing. kio707 is using an octopus. i think he highly recommends them.

 

[ccCapt]

The skimmer in my sump is an Octo NW200 needlewheel skimmer. It's a great skimmer.

 

[mr_X]

yep, i also agree that the octo skimmers are pretty good for the money. i still say you should choose one rated for 1.5 to 2 times your total water volume.
the trouble is, a 55 gallon sump may not hold a footprint like that.
i'd consider this one if i had your setup-
Reef Octopus Diablo 2500 Protein Skimmer

 

[Hondatek]

Ok I just saved that link for the diablo . Hopefully I'll order that soon. Any recommended overflow boxes?

 

[mr_X]

drill the tank. believe me it's very easy and you'll be so glad you did. don't rely on siphon. rely on gravity. one hole in the back pane about 4" down and 4" in from the corner is all you need.
this place sells what you need plus has video tutorials-
http://www.glass-holes.com/