400 gallon KISS sump

[megablue]

New 400 gallon tank is on the way next week. Do you think a 40 breeder KISS sump with 7" filter sock, bunch of marine pure and misc bio media and heater will be sufficient for big bioload or should I get more scientific with it? Using a fluval sp6 so approx 2300 gph going through it after head loss.
Big bioload meaning a few peacock bass, blue hooks, and a Lechardti plus a 8" Megalodoras for clean up.
I think I have four boxes of marine pure plus a lot of fluval and aquaclear bio that I put in bags.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Most try to get a sump that is at least 25% of the size of their tank, but bigger is better. A 40 gallon sump on a 400 gallon tank is way to small. If I were you, I would get a used 125 and turn it into your sump. The 40 gallon will most likely overflow every time the pumps are turned off.

 

[megablue]

I wish I had that much height under the stand and 100% agree if I had the room. I have about 28" to work with which was intentional for viewing. I do have an acrylic 90 that I cut down to 16" (it was damaged at the top) that I braced and may use, it just looks less polished. The MarinePure site recommends 1-2 gallons of media for 500 gallons and if I run the sump half full that should leave room for 25-30 gallons of water with the pumps off and I will have siphon holes 1/2" under the water line.
Is anyone running anything like this?

 

[esoxlucius]

In short, fish tank travis hit the nail on the head, for proper filtration on that 400 you need to utilise the biggest sump you can fit in the space available, and use ALL the sumps potential, not half full as you suggest. A 400 is an awesome tank to have, don't botch your filtration, you'll just have hassle further down the line. If i had a 400 but didn't have the space underneath for a proper sized sump, hell, i'd build a new stand to make space.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

To run full siphon you will probably need more than 1/2". If you have 1", which still might not be enough, you will see 15.5 gallons overflow into the sump, if your tank is 10x2.5x2H. If it's a larger footprint then it will flow even more. That means you will have to run your 40 about half full, which will probably not let your pump have enough net pump suction head (the head height for the inlet of the pump).

If you don't want to run at least a 100 gallon sump then I recommend you stick to canisters, maybe with a few HOB's in combination. Or, you could look into an ultima. The ultima would probably be the best option.

 

[johnny potatoes]

I run an Ultima on my 450, works great and the backwash feature is priceless. I still run a small sump with filter socks and heaters. I also have an emergency overflow in the sump in case I loose power.

 

[Imsobored152]

I run a wet/dry for 300 gallons on my 125.
Eshopps wd-300

 

[Jez1992]

bigger sump needed as mentioned. Id recommend 125g k1 sump.

also always double the manufacturers recommended amount for media when keeping big fish

 

[megablue]

I was hoping for a brighter picture since I'm well above the size of high end saltwater sumps. It wouldn't be hard to double marinepures recommendations in a smallish sump. The tank actually backs up to a garage wall and the slab is a few steps down. I've contemplated putting a K1 barrel out there. The tank is a 7x3x30" peninsula from Midwest customs.

 

[robham777]

I was hoping for a brighter picture since I'm well above the size of high end saltwater sumps. It wouldn't be hard to double marinepures recommendations in a smallish sump. The tank actually backs up to a garage wall and the slab is a few steps down. I've contemplated putting a K1 barrel out there. The tank is a 7x3x30" peninsula from Midwest customs.

I think the big difference here is going to be bioload. Having a tank full of live rock for bio is a huge advantage. I think most reefers mainly run sumps for skimming and a place to put their numerous gadgets. With 28" you could use a 125 gallon. You would only have 6" of open space between the stand and sump, but although tight it should allow enough access to the sump for maintenance. Out in the garage would be a great option as long as you can prevent too much heat loss if it gets cold.