What size sump would I need for a 55 gallon?
- Thread starter KATALEKEEPER
- Start date
10g would probably be a bit on the small side imo. Bigger the better really because it gives you more overall volume. The most important thing to bear in mind with sumps is that it is critical that they are big enough to take the overspill from your display tank in the event of a power outage. If your sump isn't big enough you get flooded!
It is this potential for flooding that scares people when you mention sumps. Truth is, if your sump is big enough in the first place then you eliminate the possibility of flooding entirely.
It is this potential for flooding that scares people when you mention sumps. Truth is, if your sump is big enough in the first place then you eliminate the possibility of flooding entirely.
It's not only the pump but when you have power disrupted the sump will began to fill so very important to configure the system so it will break the siphon at the point of not overfilling the sump.
Don’t chuck the idea to quickly. If you set the water level in the sump correctly it will not flood. The amount of water that drains back is determined by height of the return and overflow. The return is usually drilled so that once the water level drops that low the siphon breaks. Again with the drain once the water has siphoned below the level of the drain it stops.
My main complaint with sumps is evaporation dropping the water level in the sump.
I would recommend finding a hobbyist in your area who runs a sump to give you a tour.
It really depends on the overflow setup imo. Is this a more or less standard "reef ready" 55 with corner or middle overflows bottom drilled or is it a custom build of some kind?
I would at least use something like a standard 29g 30x12x18 though. The bigger the sump you can manage to find and fit in the stand the better imo.
I would at least use something like a standard 29g 30x12x18 though. The bigger the sump you can manage to find and fit in the stand the better imo.
Not drilled at all? It's most likely tempered and not able to be drilled for overflow then. In your case I would probably stick to a can or HOB.
One alternative for an undrilled tank is to configure an overhead sump. In this setup a pump inside the display tank feeds the sump which is mounted above it, and gravity feeds the return line from sump to display. This will require some DIY and ingenuity on your part though. I've tinkered with my own overhead sump designs in the past but never put together anything that got past the prototype stage.
that sounds good! I think the guy from "foo the flowerhorn" uses one of those. Im sure my dad would be very excited to help me with a project, and it would keep me entertained during the winter! i think ive even seen premade ones sold on amazon