I'm planning on running 2 of my 178gal. tanks on 1 sump. Both tank's are Oceanic's with dual overflows. I'm just wondering what size sump would be adequate for both tanks. It will be home made. Also what size pump, or pumps should I go with. Any help would be great. I've been a canister man since I started keeping fish so a sump is all new to me.
How big of a sump do I need?
- Thread starter evojoey
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if your doing both you need a large sump .. because if the power goes out both tanks are going to drain to the sump .. something like this .. http://www.tractorsupply.com/livestock/livestock-equipment/stock-tanks-accessories/stock-tanks/stock-tank-110-ga-2229862
The overflows that are built into the tank will dictate what size pump you shuold use...
What do you wish to get out of your sump... Do you want thorough mechanical filtration or just biological filtration? How heavily will the tanks be stocked and what will they be stocked with?
What do you wish to get out of your sump... Do you want thorough mechanical filtration or just biological filtration? How heavily will the tanks be stocked and what will they be stocked with?
for pumps i would use http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9849
maybe 4000's would work best .. or 6000's for returns ..
nc_nutcase;3929821; said:
I bought the tanks used so i don't know what the overflows are rated at. I can see if I can find out from the manufacturer. One of the tanks will be a community cichlid tank. All small to medium cichlids, nothing over 6". The other will be a ray tank. Small retics and maybe some ocellatus. Would be looking for mechanical and biological filtration. I have a 125 gallon tank and a 300 gallon tub that can be used.
Check out this stickie - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205645
There is a chart in it that tells you how many gallons per hour you should expect froma certain diameter pipe used as an overflow... The sizes listed are inside diameters...
When calculating the flow rates you want/need out of your pump keep in mind the loss of flow due to head pressure.
If you want thorough mechanical filtration from your sump you'll need one of two things... ample water movement in the aquarium to lift waste from the bottom of the tank to the surface. Despite common belief, fish ***** don't float... Or you need to design your overflow's intake to pull water from the bottom of the tank. There are a few ways to do so. List details of what you are starting with if you want pointers here.
Most people here suggest using tons of bio media. Other's will give you suggestions and advice in that regard. I personally do not use any bio media and simply allow bacteria to colonize on surfaces throughout the system. This approach works great on all of my tanks that have typical decor and average stocking, but probably would not work so well on tanks that have little to no decor and are highly stocked.
I think you could serve your needs with something much smaller than either the 125 gal or the 300 gal tub, though nothing would be "to big" unless it was just to gaudy for your taste. I suggest using a 50~100 gal tub of sorts and utilizing the 125 gal aquarium as a display tank.
300 gal tubs are really fun tanks. I had one set up for about 5 years as a Cichlid tank. ;-)
There is a chart in it that tells you how many gallons per hour you should expect froma certain diameter pipe used as an overflow... The sizes listed are inside diameters...
When calculating the flow rates you want/need out of your pump keep in mind the loss of flow due to head pressure.
If you want thorough mechanical filtration from your sump you'll need one of two things... ample water movement in the aquarium to lift waste from the bottom of the tank to the surface. Despite common belief, fish ***** don't float... Or you need to design your overflow's intake to pull water from the bottom of the tank. There are a few ways to do so. List details of what you are starting with if you want pointers here.
Most people here suggest using tons of bio media. Other's will give you suggestions and advice in that regard. I personally do not use any bio media and simply allow bacteria to colonize on surfaces throughout the system. This approach works great on all of my tanks that have typical decor and average stocking, but probably would not work so well on tanks that have little to no decor and are highly stocked.
I think you could serve your needs with something much smaller than either the 125 gal or the 300 gal tub, though nothing would be "to big" unless it was just to gaudy for your taste. I suggest using a 50~100 gal tub of sorts and utilizing the 125 gal aquarium as a display tank.
300 gal tubs are really fun tanks. I had one set up for about 5 years as a Cichlid tank. ;-)