Sump question

[Jack22]

Getting back into the hobby after a few years. I building a sump from a 20 gallon long tank, never set up a sump before. Two questions.

1. How do I determine/set the minimum and maximum water levels in the sump?

2. Where is the best place to put the heater in the sump?

[IHaveAquariums]

Can't answer the first but I'd put the heater in the last compartment so it's heated as it flows up to the tank

[54seaweed]

the water level is regulated with your overflow
as for the heater I put it in the same section I keep my skimmer

I almost forgot I don't use baffles in my sump just a screen with 1/8 inch holes
that keeps my macros from getting to my pumps also keeps the shrimp I keep in the sump to breed only the babys get by the screen for the fish

here's a 3 part article about sumps the links for the other 2 sections are at the bottom of the article

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sumps, Part I by Greg Taylor - Reefkeeping.com

I kept mine simple but functional my water level in a 30g tank aprox 10 inch

[Sniperhank]

Originally Posted by Jack22

Getting back into the hobby after a few years. I building a sump from a 20 gallon long tank, never set up a sump before. Two questions.

1. How do I determine/set the minimum and maximum water levels in the sump?

2. Where is the best place to put the heater in the sump?

The biggest possible sump you can have is the best. More water in the water column the better.
As for the compartment for a heater, the first or middle compartment is where any equipment should go. These sections will not suffer from the water level going down from evaporation like the third compartment will. Our equipment has bad reactions to not being under water and isn’t something that should be tried. If there was an emergency or whatever that would uncover equipment, I’d rather only have an issue with a return pump than a heater left unchecked out of water and lead to possible contamination of the entire system.

[Jack22]

Thanks for the help. My skimmer has a minimum and maximum line on it, but I don’t want to fill the sump up too much and then have it overflow if there is a power outage or other problem.

[Sniperhank]

Understandable. One can even build a small platform to raise it up some if needed.