New Step into SW

[JDogg]

ok this will not be my first attempt at SW, i had a sucsessful 10 gallon nano, until i moved from Minnesota to south dakota here in september. i sold it all off, instead of trying to move it. the 75 with the oscar was hard enough!

well it is time to start up a SW again... my current plane is to use my 20L with a 10 as a sump... and i am here to get advise on the best way to do it.


my aim is to have a few fish... like a couple False Percula and a scooter blenny, a few inverts..like snails, hermite crabs, ect and mybe an anemone, like condylactic and some LR

i don't want a "reef", i want to get away with just a floresent light on the tank already, maybe just changing out the bulb.

on my nano i did not have a skimmer, just ran a DIY fuge out of an aquaclear hob with lr rubble, and a powerhead...

1. for this i want advice on pumps to turn a 10 gallon into a sump for my non-drilled 20L. so how do i get the water down and back up?

2. best way to turn a 10 into a sump? and what to put on/in it? i was thinking or using plexiglass fror baffils to make three chambers, with the middle full of lr, and a light to grow beneficial stuff like macro algae.

3. i want to put a skimmer in the sump, i am working at petco and we have this in stock what are your thoughts on using this in my setup? can you suggest something better?


that is a good place to start i think, fell free to include anything else i should think about...

thanks!

 

[BucJason]

Sounds like it could be a great set-up.

Just make sure: You want the hoses to attach to some sort of hang-on the back box on the aquarium, otherwise in a power outtage the water could siphon back out of your tank into the sump and flood the floor.

 

[roka64]

The simple solution to that is drill a small hole in the overflow, below the waterline, so if you lose power, the water will siphon out until it hits the hole and the siphon will break.

 

[JDogg]

ok back to this plan

thanks for the responces so far

what are the thoughts about that skimmer? is it a good choice?

does anyone have a suggestion on a pump?

 

[cmor1701d]

Skip the anemone. They need LIGHT and lots of it.

The pump size you choose depends on the overflow you use. Every overflow is rated for x gallons per hour (gph), typically around 600 for a 1" pipe. You want a pump that can pump up to but not exceed that gph rating at the head height (height from the pump to where the return to the tank sits [rim of the tank]).

I don't know about that skimmer. The AquaC Remora PS generally gets good marks.

You should checkout Melev's Reef - Sumps & Fuge's for great information on building yioru sump/fuge.

Great project. Be sure to take pictures as you go and post a build thread.

 

[JDogg]

well i still need to do alot of research, but i think i will fill the tank today, and start the fish-less cycle going