eaglesnest71405 Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 First off if this is the wrong place to post let me start by apologizing in advance. Ok I'm thinking of adding a sump to a undrilled 210 tank using a 40 gallon breeder and a overflow box. Does anyone have any advice as to if it's a good idea or not. My only worry is if there's a power outage I don't want it to overflow onto the floor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 It would really depend on how high you run the water in the sump and how much water drains out before the siphon is broken on your overflow box. My gut tells me it's a little undersized. I have a 210 and I use a 75 as my sump. It's usually 2/3rds full of water but when the return pump is shut off, it fills up probably probably 4/5ths full. Sent via Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I would definitely prefer larger, but you most likely could make it work as long as your overflow system and return lines aren't going to accidentally flood it. For the main tank you're at about 7.5 gallons per inch, so you can drain a reasonable amount without throwing too much water into the sump. I have my return lines which are locline setup so I drain about 1/2" when I disconnect everything. Even at an inch you should be fine and if you run the sump at a lower level, there should be a good buffer in case you need to drain a few inches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesnest71405 Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 So I should measure under the tank and find the best biggest possible tank to fit in the area. I haven't purchased any of the items yet so if that's the case I can get a bigger tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I'm glad jestep quantified it for practical purposes of planning... try saying that 3x fast. My rule is always go as big as possible for your sump. You'll appreciate in the end. Sent via Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I've done a sump two ways. I had a 180g in 2002 that used an overflow box with a 1.5" single drain. I was pushing 1500gph and it sounded like Niagra Falls in my room. Plumbing was a nightmare and if you looked behind the tank all you saw was PVC. I thought it was a real mess. Even after the introduction of the Durso I found it louder than I wanted and the drain box too small to skim effectively. I used a 60g tank that I had spare as my sump. It didn't fit under my stand and I had to run it next to the tank. It looked awful. In 2013 I started a 150g drilled with a 1.5" single drain. I push 1600gph through the drain pipe and I don't hear a thing. It looks 100% cleaner. I don't see pipes behind the tank and I don't have to worry about fittings or connections at all. The weird is roughly 2x or 3x larger than my old overflow box and I find it does a decent job, but needs to be cleaned more often or it slows down flow. To prevent flooding I run my sump at 75% capacity and keep my return line exit at a dept that will allow less than maximum capacity in the event of a power outage. I also don't buy turbo snails, which are known to clog drain lines. Personally, I wanted to run the maximum sized sump that could fit under my stand, but I also wanted room to have reactors and such hidden from view. I ended up with a DIY 40g breeder, but a custom sump would have worked a lot better. I've done lit and unlit sumps and each have their own advantages. Running a lit sump with macroalgae is cheaper than an unlit sump that requires a nitrate export like GFO or water changes. I think I prefer a lit sump because it's easier to use, but I do wish I had room for an in-sump CaRx and filter socks on my drain lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Pedretti Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I'm glad jestep quantified it for practical purposes of planning... try saying that 3x fast. My rule is always go as big as possible for your sump. You'll appreciate in the end. Sent via Tapatalk Lol I have my old 55g sump on my new 30g...sand bed/rock and macro heaven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesnest71405 Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 So for the overflow box I'm thinking a ehopps. 1200 it's rated for 200 gallons luckily the front opening on my stand is huge so I can fit a decent size tank under there for a return pump I still have to figure how much gph the pump needs to push it's gotta travel 6 feet back up to the main tank at least so I'm thinking it's gotta be able to push alot of water. I'm gonna check around this weekend and price some stuff if it all works out I might put a sump on both my tanks eventually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makena95GT Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I believe somewhere on reefcentral.com theres a head loss calculator to help you out with foguring how much gph youl lose at 6ft of plumbing. Or you can of course search the interwebs for a head loss calculator to get you going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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