extra water capacity for sump

[rotccapt]

hi all i have a 300 gallon fresh water tank set up and i have it running with a 55 gallon sump. i know its a bit on the small side but it does work.

so i am currently running a quiet one 4000 because i had it, i will be installing a mag 18 on it this weekend and i think that i may need more water for the sump to keep up with evaporation. my idea is to add a secondary tank to the sump that is just a water tank.

so should i just drill the 55 and the new water tank so that the water level is constant between the two tanks or set up an auto top off system that will top the sump off when it gets low?

 

[aprime11b]

I just hooked up an ATO to my sump.. so far so good.

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[Pharaoh]

I honestly think an ATO would be easier to setup if you are wanting to account for evaporation.

 

[Dan F]

If you are willing to drill you could just add a float valve - cheaper and more reliable than an ATO. Jehmco has a huge selection of float valves.

 

[DIDYSIS]

What about an auto water change setup like a drip system to keep the sump full always, I dont think changing the pump will change anything for you really. I think a 55 gallon sump should work fine depending how you have it setup though.

 

[rotccapt]

you could be right. im just not sure if the extra gph will change my working water level or not. currently i am at about 600 gph and with the new pump i should be at around 1000. if i can get a week out of the tank with out having to add water it will be fine. im just trying to figure out how to add more water volume if i need it

 

[DIDYSIS]

Do you have covers on your sump and tank? Slow down the evaporation??

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[anarekist]

you can sit a tank next to it and add a tube/pipe that goes from the bottom of one tank to the other bottom, as long as there's no air in the tube/pipe siphon will keep the water level in both tanks the same.

 

[Drstrangelove]

you can sit a tank next to it and add a tube/pipe that goes from the bottom of one tank to the other bottom, as long as there's no air in the tube/pipe siphon will keep the water level in both tanks the same.

This sounds right to me. Maybe 2 tubes just for safety, but yes, it sounds pretty good.

 

[rotccapt]

Yea that was an idea I had. Even if the siphon failed it would not cause problems. I do have a cover on the tank but not the sump. I'm not going to do anything till I get the new pump running