sharkbait33 Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 How big of a sump would you guys recommend for an 180 gal tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsr Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 How big of a sump would you guys recommend for an 180 gal tank? Personally, I would use a 55G or 75G for that. I have a 135G tank with a 29G sump and dont have room to do what I need to do. My skimmer takes up 1/2 the sump. If you use a 55 or 75, be sure to put it in the stand before you put the tank on there (if you have a stand). If not, you may not get it through the stand doors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wryknow Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 It depends a lot on whether you want an internal or external skimer and how much other stuff you need to squeeze in under there. Generally speaking, the bigger, the better but you need room for other stuff too. I'm not sure that there is a "best" answer for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 One answer is, if you can combine a sump/fuge, then the bigger the better. More volume = more stability plus the added benefit of more room for adding extra goodies. As technology in the industry grows you may want to squeeze one more thing in that sump too. =-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkbait33 Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 One answer is, if you can combine a sump/fuge, then the bigger the better. More volume = more stability plus the added benefit of more room for adding extra goodies. As technology in the industry grows you may want to squeeze one more thing in that sump too. =-) I'm pretty new to this, so what's the difference between a sump and a refugium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semperfimarine1 Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 a sump is just the basic "under" tank which can keep the skimmer and pump to keep water circulation a refugium is in a way a smaller mini tank which you can keep sand, lr, cheato, pods. heck im sure somebody else can explain better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkbait33 Posted December 1, 2007 Author Share Posted December 1, 2007 so besides a protein skimmer, what else would I need to make my sump and actual sump...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4R00P3R Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 you need a skimmer, a return pump, a heater, and preferably a bubble trap. there was a recent thread about bubble traps. if you look it will tell you exactly what that is. some people will also use the sump to keep a UV sterilizer, extra live rock, plants, sand, and a secure area for breeding pods. like they said, the bigger the better, as long as you can afford it(that's where i have problems ). just make sure you get a sump that's not too tall. to check height requirements place your skimmer under the tank as elevated as possible off the floor accounting for clearance necessary while removing the skimmate cup. then measure from the floor up to the recommended water level of the skimmer. some water will drain to the sump when your pump turns off, so you need to know how much cu. ft. of water will drain. add the determined height of drained water to the height of water during normal use,then you will know the maximum water height and how tall of a sump to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkbait33 Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 you need a skimmer, a return pump, a heater, and preferably a bubble trap. there was a recent thread about bubble traps. if you look it will tell you exactly what that is. some people will also use the sump to keep a UV sterilizer, extra live rock, plants, sand, and a secure area for breeding pods. like they said, the bigger the better, as long as you can afford it(that's where i have problems ). just make sure you get a sump that's not too tall. to check height requirements place your skimmer under the tank as elevated as possible off the floor accounting for clearance necessary while removing the skimmate cup. then measure from the floor up to the recommended water level of the skimmer. some water will drain to the sump when your pump turns off, so you need to know how much cu. ft. of water will drain. add the determined height of drained water to the height of water during normal use,then you will know the maximum water height and how tall of a sump to buy. Are there any specific brands for skimmers, heaters, or pumps that you guys would recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semperfimarine1 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 i wonder if a 180g tank is a BIG leap for a newbie? skimmers euroreef is a big plus. or you could get a deltic. i suggest going to rca talk to my boy and he'll get you on the right path for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Coming from a newbie, I'm not sure a 180 is such a big leap. The only big difference that I understand so far is the volume of water changes and the stability (outside of the financial factor). A 180 will be more stable that a smaller tank. The water changes will be a pain, but she may already be used to that if she's had fresh water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Are there any specific brands for skimmers, heaters, or pumps that you guys would recommend? I had better luck asking if there were any to stay away from. And before I buy anything, I ask about it here. That's especially true with livestock. Don't buy anything without asking on a forum, either this one or another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkbait33 Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 Coming from a newbie, I'm not sure a 180 is such a big leap. The only big difference that I understand so far is the volume of water changes and the stability (outside of the financial factor). A 180 will be more stable that a smaller tank. The water changes will be a pain, but she may already be used to that if she's had fresh water. Yes, I have 4 FW aquariums so i'm use to the water changes. And I've helped set up and stock a SW tank, although I left most of the mechanic/plumbing work up to the person whose actual tank it was. SO that's why I'm lacking knowledge on setting up sumps and refugiums and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Well, you've come to the right place. These guys are THE gurus. They'll have you up and running in n time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wryknow Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Wow. There's lots of answers to this one and mostly they just involve my opinion so take it as such. There are two main ways to approach this: 1) Sump only. This is just a simple chamber for water filtration and other equipment. It provides a good, light free area (which prevents algae growth) that lets you incorporate all of the various equipment that you'll need for a salt water tank without any of it being visible in the main tank. Things I would want for a basic sump - a) The actual sump. This doesn't have to be fancy. Folks use second hand aquariums, stock tanks, etc. It just has to fit in wherever you're putting it and be easy to get in and out of to work in. If it's going under the tank then you should have a good 12 - 18" of clearance between the top of the sump and the tank so that you can get in there easily. Filter socks/brackets. These just hang over the side of the sump and you run your drain lines into them. You need to wash these a couple of times a week so you will probably want an extra set of filter socks (I just throw them in the washing machine with a cup of bleach and rinse them twice.) c) In-sump protein skimmer. I recommend the ATI BM200 for a 180 gallon tank but there are lots of other fine choices depending on your budget. d) A canister filter for chemical filtration and water polishing. Any of the main brands are fine IMHO (E-heim, fluval, marineland - just get one that is easy to prime.) I use filter bags packed with carbon and GFO (granular ferric oxide) sandwiched in between fine fileter pads in mine. e) A heater or two. A couple of 250W ebo-jagers would be my choice. f) An automated top-off system. I like the Tunze osmolator and use it in conjunction with a PM kalk reactor to help maintain my calcium/alk/Ph levels. g) An internal return pump. An e-heim 1262 would be ideal IMHO. 2) A combined sump/refugium - this is a bit more complicated but I can out-line a recommended set-up if you're interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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