WWYD - to sump or not to sump?

[Bling Fish]

Hi everyone

I'm new here. I just picked up a red sea max-c 250 tank only with no cabinet, hood or other gear.

I was planning on running a custom build with sump but my custom build fell over and I couldn't pass up this tank which coincidentally is the right size for my cabinet. So I already have everything sump, skimmer, pumps, reactor ready to go for a sumped tank. I'm trying to decide now if I should drill the Max-C 250 and run the sump or sell and repurchase different equipment and modify some bits to run the built in sump behind. That is an attractive proposition because I need to modify the cabinet I have to fit the sump anyway, and using the C250 without drilling it avoids that.

So owners of red sea max... What would you do? Do you find it is perfectly fine running the max built in sump or would you drill and sump if you had the chance?

Is anyone running a biopellet reactor in their max built in sump? I can make it fit with some minor trimming to the reactor.

Are all of the pumps skimmer etc. Running with no hood going to be noisy?

 

[DaveK]

This is a question that has no right or wrong answer. There are advantages and disadvantages either way.

I'd say that if your fairly new to the hobby, use the built in sump. It will be a lot easier to set up. If your more experienced, then an under the tank sump may be more what your looking for.

You already have most of the under the tank sump items, so if your comfortable with drilling the tank, go that way. However, it does take a lot of "strength of character" to drill a new tank and you may void any warranty on it.

 

[Big Pete]

Hi Bling Fish

i currently run a RSM 250 using the built in sump and it works fine, i also have removed the hood and dont feel that the tank is noisy in day to day situations, you certainly here some noise when i get ready to go to bed at night but again its nothing too drastic.

Personally i would run with the built in sump and see how it goes, then after a few months if you feel you want to go down the sump route then you are ready as you have all the necessary gear to make that happen.

I hope that helps.

Cheers

Peter B

 

[Bling Fish]

Thanks Dave and Pete for your replies. I am not new to the hobby (I've been doing this for 12 years) and have never run a sump-less system, but decided to give the built in sump a go and see what happens.

We got the tank set up yesterday, though ran out of time to ceiling mount the LEDs so excuse the ghetto mount and missing cabinet door.

At the moment it is just live rock, heater, wave maker and return pump running, which is all I had in the temp tank for the past six months anyway. I JUST managed to squeeze my waveline DC controllable 5000 pump which was the return on my old tank into the right chamber. The plan now is:

* mount both LEDs on the ceiling
* slight mod required to JNS (Aqua Maxx) HOB style skimmer to run internally
* DIY auto top off
* another slight mod to get the biopellet reactor to fit
* dosing

Thanks again