Hello, Questions!

nettster

New Member
Hey guys I'm new to the "Big" tank builds and need some help.

Got a 65 gal. got a 40 gal for a Sump .

But... WTH!?!?!

I need some help here guys I am a big DIY fan and my hubby thinks it will be a good project for me since it can be time consuming and keep my concentration (i just miscarried my first pregnancy and before anyone says anything apologetic wise, we are fine and over it for the most part).

I have basic plans for a Sump , overflow ect that i made but while i use to be good at math, apparently NOT anymore lol , how do you figure out what size return pump ect ect you need when doing the plumbing?

Also how do you figure out how much water flows through your overflow to figure out your return pump size?

The Sump plans have a fuge section as well as an area for equipment (skimmer ect ect)

As well any recommendation on a skimmer?

We are doing the DIY live rock (I'm picky with scapeing my tanks). I'm planning around 70 lbs or a little more for the DIY stuff and around 10lbs in rubble and 3 larger live rocks for in the tank.

Aragonite sand for a sand bed ranging from 2-3 inches in the display.

Also what heater recommendations do you have for a setup that size?

Total water would be around 95 gallons...?

Once I get to my moms place to use her scanner I will scan in some sketches of the approx. info stuff for Sump design and overflow.

Dimensions for the tank and Sump are as follows:
Display Tank (67 gallons) : 48"x18"X18"
Sump (40 gallons) : 36"x12"x24"

Any ideas or references would be AWESOME! and ANY recommendations or product reviews you have from experience would be awesome! as well as advice on designing and plumbing this whole thing! Its definitely going to be a long road before I get this baby up (not for another 10 months at least) but if I can get stuff figured out before I move then it will be easier to set up once I get to the new place

Thanks Guys!
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Generally you can figure that each overflow in a tank can handle about 650 gph. Any pump you choose should be returning about that amount of water to the tank, but you don't want to over drive the overflows, as that will result in a flood. So if your tank has two overflows you'd want to use a pump about 1300 gph at a 5 foot head. That is, provided that is all you plan to use the pump for. You might want to also use the pump to send water to a refugium or to various reactors. If so, you need to take that into account also, and go with something larger. You can use a larger pump, but then you will need to install a valve on the output side, so you can reduce flow.

Just about any quality brand of skimmer will work just fine. One word of caution here. Very few people have worked with more than a few brands of skimmer, and many tend to recommend the one they own or would like to own. I recommend you pick out the one you like, and make another post here, and see what others think about your choice. Then purchase based upon this.

Personally I prefer to see a refugium as a separate tank, rather than as part of the sump. There is a lot of great stuff to watch in a refugium, and you can control the water flow through it better. If you are going to build it into the sump. I recommend that you place the return section of the sump in the middle, with the skimmer on one side and the refugium in the other. This has a number of advantages over putting the refugium section in the middle.

As for a heater, you want about 2w per gallon of water. So you'd need about a 200w heater. This is one area you do not want to oversize. Heaters are prone to fail, and a large heater failing in the on position will cook your livestock.

Lastly, always buy top quality equipment. Long term you'll save money since you'll only need to buy it once. Note that top quality does NOT mean most expensive. There are a lot of reasonably priced products out there that are top quality. There is also a lot of junk out there, at all price levels.

Now, you'll likely notice that I don't recommend any specific brands. This is not because I don't have any favorites, but because any quality brand will work just fine. IMO, many people spend too much time trying to find the "best one" when there is really very little to choose between them.
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
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nettster

New Member
Now, you'll likely notice that I don't recommend any specific brands. This is not because I don't have any favorites, but because any quality brand will work just fine. IMO, many people spend too much time trying to find the "best one" when there is really very little to choose between them.

thanks for your very detailed reply :) i asked about equipment ect partially because i haven't got a clue on what quality brand for skimmer ect are as i have had no experience and partially because im lazy and looking up threads takes extra timeout of my very "hectic" lifestyle lol. at the moment i havent had time to research equipment and everyones opinion is always different( using skimmers as an example, allot of people say go by your water volume, while some say volume X2) which makes it very confusing especially when your use to having a fairy self sufficient nano tank that never had the extras just inverts and coral. (had a clown fish for a while and then had seahorses before i had to get rid of the tank) i moved everything up to a 30 gal with a 15 gal sump but then had to sell it all due to moving to a new apartment that didn't allow tanks over 10 gallons (water damage fears ect) stupid landlords >_> lol



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Thank you :)
 

nunlef

Member
Hi,
You're obviously not new to saltwaqter, and I'm not sure how much help my reply will be, but...
I have used marineland stealth heaters and eheim jager (i think that's the name). i don't notice a difference.
I have used a SWC, reef Octopus HOT, and now a bubble magus for skimmers. I really disliked the HOT, though it performed well. I'm surprised how much I like my bubble magus. I haven't noticed a difference in performance for water volume compared to "advertised capability", I opporated a SWC 160 on a 120g (w/30g sump), it did fine i guess. I used a small reef octopus HOT for a 55 (no sump), and I'm about to used the Bubble Magus NAC6 on a 125g w/40g sump (gets here tomorrow :) ) I think skimmers are great, but I've also gone skimmerless, didn't notice a huge difference.
I have been using an overflow for my undrilled tank, I prefer a little less flow. That gives the equipment in the sump a little more time to do it's work - other people may disagree. I would make up for slower flow with well positioned powerheads. I will be using a MAG7 for the return in my 125 corner drilled. I bet most people on this board think that's WAY to little, I thought my MAG9 on my 120 was a little too much. I have come to prefer multiple points of gentle flow, but I also prefer "flowy" corals, and they can't take strong flow.

This may sound annoying and/or preachy, but I think it's really more about husbandry than equipment, though I do really want one of those cool vortechs ;)
 

nettster

New Member
Hi,
You're obviously not new to saltwaqter, and I'm not sure how much help my reply will be, but...
I have used marineland stealth heaters and eheim jager (i think that's the name). i don't notice a difference.
I have used a SWC, reef Octopus HOT, and now a bubble magus for skimmers. I really disliked the HOT, though it performed well. I'm surprised how much I like my bubble magus. I haven't noticed a difference in performance for water volume compared to "advertised capability", I opporated a SWC 160 on a 120g (w/30g sump), it did fine i guess. I used a small reef octopus HOT for a 55 (no sump), and I'm about to used the Bubble Magus NAC6 on a 125g w/40g sump (gets here tomorrow :) ) I think skimmers are great, but I've also gone skimmerless, didn't notice a huge difference.
I have been using an overflow for my undrilled tank, I prefer a little less flow. That gives the equipment in the sump a little more time to do it's work - other people may disagree. I would make up for slower flow with well positioned powerheads. I will be using a MAG7 for the return in my 125 corner drilled. I bet most people on this board think that's WAY to little, I thought my MAG9 on my 120 was a little too much. I have come to prefer multiple points of gentle flow, but I also prefer "flowy" corals, and they can't take strong flow.

This may sound annoying and/or preachy, but I think it's really more about husbandry than equipment, though I do really want one of those cool vortechs ;)


Hello :)

No I'm not entirely new but i have been outta the loop for a little while and definitely need a kick start lol.
I know allot of the basic still its some of the more technical(MATH!) stuff that i tend to be no good with when it comes to equipment.
I'm like you i like a lower flow through my filtration with allot of my flow coming from well placed powerheads.
I'm not sure if thats from preference or that fact that i had sea horses for along time (they need the lower flow).

and the advice on equips is always a great help. :)

thanks!
 
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