Setting up 150g with 55g sump

[TheFishGame2000]

Hi every one I am new here and this my first post. So I’m planning on setting up a 150 gallon aquarium with a 55 gallon as a sump underneath it. I have been into the hobby for about a year now and this would be my first big setup with sump. I would really appreciate any tips on what pump to use as a return pump.
Thank you
-Jeff

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Jebao DCP series pumps are awesome, and very quiet. Check which one will provide adequate flow for you at about 4ft of head height, and then buy the next biggest size and turn it down. I run two of the Jebao DCP 8000’s on my 220 and they are each only set to about 60%.

 

[TheFishGame2000]

Jebao DCP series pumps are awesome, and very quiet. Check which one will provide adequate flow for you at about 4ft of head height, and then buy the next biggest size and turn it down. I run two of the Jebao DCP 8000’s on my 220 and they are each only set to about 60%.

Hey thanks for replying. I’ll check out the pump.

 

[elting44]

Welcome,

I am in the same boat as you are. I have a 135g that I am going to be running a 55g sump on. It will be my first foray into building/plumbing/running a sump.

After getting advice on this forum, my plan is to run 2 pumps for redundancy. I am leaning toward 2x Jebao DCT 6000s, each running at about 70%. That way in the event that one dies, I can get by while waiting on a replacement.

If my napkin math is right, I should get around 950 gph total with them both at 70% at 5' of head, but I am sure I will tweaking the system so it runs quietly.

As far as the sump goes I plan on having 2x 7" x 16.5" Filter Socks in the first chamber, which I will rotate out weekly give out take. The second chamber I am going to run 6 gallons of K1. Third chamber will be empty to start with, but I eventually want some sort of Nitrate export (UAS algae scrubber or a bunch of Pothos, not sure yet, still doing homework on that part) and then the return pumps in the last section. Each chamber will be sectioned off with .22mm Acrylic. I will post some pictures as I go.

As far as plumbing goes, I am leaning toward a mix of PVC and vinyl. The advice I have gotten here is include as many unions as you can for maintenance sake, or if you need to replace/modify/move any part of the plumbing. So far on my drains I have unions coming pretty much straight off my bulkheads, and then a union ball valve going into each hole in my sump. I haven't started on the return plumbing yet,

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

If you guys want silence, you should really check out the DCP pumps over the DCT’s. The DCP let you adjust the pump from 30-100% by single percent increments. I think the DCT’s only let you jump about 10% at a time. I usually have to bump my pumps up a percent or two in between water changes, because of evaporation.

Also, when choosing the size of your pump, I recommend sizing them so that they only need to run at about 50-60% to reach your flow goals. This is better for the pumps and helps keep them from getting a high pitched whine that some people have experienced.

 

[elting44]

Thanks for the advice, 2 of the DCP 6500 might be the way I lean then