Sump

[Yao]

This my be a completely stupid question... but, what is a sump? I have seen other people talk about it in their posts, and have no clue what they're taking about. What does it do and what do you need it for?

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

There are no stupid questions, only a lot of inquisitive idiots. JK A sump is a type of filter that consists of an overflow (box or drilled), a hose going to a separate aquarium-usually beneath the main-and a pump that sends the water back up. Basically it is a giant open canister filter. It is nice to use in that you can put all the "junk" (heater, filter, aeration, etc.) out of sight under the stand, and have only an overflow box and a water return in your aquarium. Also to some degree it increases the capacity of your tank-a ten gal sump on a 29 gal tank give you 39 gal (but you still need room for the fish to be comfortable). You also have more option for filter media. There are several plans for sumps in the diy section. HTH