110gallon tank sump

[jwh0818]

So I just got a 110 gallon tank for 100 bucks with stand and I need a sump for it. I'm going to build one but I need some help here. I have a 300gph pump already and an unused 10 gallon tank. How do I begin this

 

[David S]

get something bigger than a 10g.Also your return pump is too small by the time you've taken into account the head loss it will probably only pump about 100g

 

[mrbee2828]

I 2nd that. I have a 55 tall and a 10gallon is just to small. I'm in the process of going to a 15gallon for mine. What you need to account for is a power outtage or pump failure and how much overflow your sump can handle. My tank has a smaller surface area than a 55 gallon long and based on where my overflow box is I get over 5 gallons of back flow. You should be looking at a 30gallon probably.

 

[David S]

I 2nd that. I have a 55 tall and a 10gallon is just to small. I'm in the process of going to a 15gallon for mine. What you need to account for is a power outtage or pump failure and how much overflow your sump can handle. My tank has a smaller surface area than a 55 gallon long and based on where my overflow box is I get over 5 gallons of back flow. You should be looking at a 30gallon probably.

Why do you get that much back after a power cut?

 

[mrbee2828]

Well you have to account for a few things that I forgot when building mine. #1 for me was pipe volume! I have a dual PVC overflow to a 1 1/4" and I bet it has 1 gallon+ in it at any given moment. You also have back flow from the return pipe even with a siphon break at the top (which I did drill). I have a 3/4" return and it probably have a 1/2 gallon in it.

You then have to figure out the volume over water above the rim of your overflow edge. You can calculate the volume with a site like this Volume Calculators - Unit Conversion, Calculates Volume - Cube, Cone, Cylinder, Square or Rectange Room, Pyramid, Ellipsoid, Sphere

My tank is 30"x18" and my overflow is about a 1/2" or so below the water line. That equals 270sq in which is roughly 1.2gallons. So if the power cuts I will get at least 3+ gallons of water into the sump. Add on the 5gallons in the tank, the pump and media displacement and I'm right at the rim in a failure. Also, you'll be topping that sump off now and then. I add about a liter a day or so. If you're off and add a bit to much one day then its just less room for error.

Mine is working fine but it makes me nervous so I'm upgrading. I'm also stuck with the footprint/size due to my stand. If I had a long I would do a longer sump because you can layout more chambers and such.

 

[jwh0818]

Okay do I understand how to do this now but how big of a pump would I need since its a 110g tank and its gonna be a 6foot rise

 

[carey]

Is it a dual overflow or just a single input? How big of a tank can you put underneath for the sump? The pump would have to be at least 950gph to match up with a single input. The overflow will only allow as much as it can handle to go into the sump. so therefore you can only ump so much based on that figure,

 

[jwh0818]

Is it a dual overflow or just a single input? How big of a tank can you put underneath for the sump? The pump would have to be at least 950gph to match up with a single input. The overflow will only allow as much as it can handle to go into the sump. so therefore you can only ump so much based on that figure,

Its a single and I'm gonna use a 10g sump and set it in a Rubbermaid tub

 

[David S]

Well you have to account for a few things that I forgot when building mine. #1 for me was pipe volume! I have a dual PVC overflow to a 1 1/4" and I bet it has 1 gallon+ in it at any given moment. You also have back flow from the return pipe even with a siphon break at the top (which I did drill). I have a 3/4" return and it probably have a 1/2 gallon in it.

You then have to figure out the volume over water above the rim of your overflow edge. You can calculate the volume with a site like this Volume Calculators - Unit Conversion, Calculates Volume - Cube, Cone, Cylinder, Square or Rectange Room, Pyramid, Ellipsoid, Sphere

My tank is 30"x18" and my overflow is about a 1/2" or so below the water line. That equals 270sq in which is roughly 1.2gallons. So if the power cuts I will get at least 3+ gallons of water into the sump. Add on the 5gallons in the tank, the pump and media displacement and I'm right at the rim in a failure. Also, you'll be topping that sump off now and then. I add about a liter a day or so. If you're off and add a bit to much one day then its just less room for error.

Mine is working fine but it makes me nervous so I'm upgrading. I'm also stuck with the footprint/size due to my stand. If I had a long I would do a longer sump because you can layout more chambers and such.

Yeah I know of the reason why you get water down to the sump after power off,it just seemed you have a lot for a small tank.I have a 60g(uk) and only get about 1/2 g back,

 

[jwh0818]

Come check out my build thread