what is a sump?

[luvmyfishies]

hi,
been reading a lot in these forums and not sure what a sump is. also read that you can make a protein skimmer youself. how? my husband is very good at these type of things. can anyone show me pictures so i can see what a sump looks like? thanks. :?

 

[bennerkla]

I have a topic open about this in general discussion. About the BIY skimmer, I have no idea, all I know is that it's tough.

 

[fishlips12]

I personally would not tackle the skimmer even though I consider myself a handyman.

The sump on the other hand is merely a container that usually sits below the tank. It provides several benefits;
1 Adds extra volume to your tank ( bigger the better).
2 Place for you to put your stuff in (return pump,protein skimmer,refugium etc).
3 Easier to do partial water changes.
4 can "medicate" your tank from the sump preventing any shock to the critters.

Mine is very simple I bought a 16gal rectangular storage bin which fits nicely under my corner tank. I also addeda smaller bucket inside of the sump which i now my refugium. HTH