Is there a rule of thumb for the size sump to use for a display tank? I have heard 1/3 the size of display up to 1/2 the size. I ask, because I have a 40 gallon breeder I want to set up as a fowlr tank and was wondering should I build a sump/refugium by using a 10, 15, or 20 gallon tank? Thanks
Sump size
- Thread starter Milpool
- Start date
I think as a general rule most people like to have 1/4-1/3 the size of there tank. There are more factors involved such as bio load, over flow capacity, whether you will have mechanical and bio in the sump. I would use 15G or more just so you'll have the room to get in it and work.
Go with the twenty or larger. Are you putting a protien skimmer in there, refugium, pump well, etc.
You run outta real estate with the hardware.
You run outta real estate with the hardware.
Thanks for the reply's. I am in the planning phase right now, been keeping freshwater fish for 10 years and want to try my hand at saltwater. I don't want to dive right in, so I'm trying to gather as much info as I can. I'm in no rush, I recently picked up the 40 breeder and want to soon grab a tank for sump. I do plan to set up fowlr and want to use a skimmer and incorporate a refugium in the sump. So my best bet would be to go for a 20 gallon?
Also keep in mind that a portion of the sump container will not hold water when the pump is on. So having a tall sump tank is beneficial. With this in mind I would suggest using a 29 Gal tank as a sump. They are easy to come by at a decent price and are plenty tall enough to allow a functional design that allows for plenty of overflow space.
My question which kinda just got answered, the 1/4 to 1/3 size sump that is the amount of water in the sump?
Rules of thumb such as... a sump should be 1/4~1/3 the volume of the tank... should be left to the uneducated...
Those of use who come to places like this to get the real deal should stop trying to simplify everything into such basic formulas and consider the finer details. There are simply to many factors at work here to offer a realistic rule of thumb.
a sump needs room to have each 'stage' of filtration... thus a sump on a small display tank will need to be a larger percent of the display tank than the sump of a larger display tank...
In other words a 50 gal sump would be beneficial to a 200 gal tank (1/4 the volume of the display tank)... but a 5 gal tank would not work very well as a sump for a 20 gal tank (also 1/4 the volume of the display tank). This is simply because a 5 gal tank isn't big enough to divide up into stages.
We must also consider that a sump adds volume, and more volume results in a greater dilution factor. The solution to pollution is dilution. So from that angle, simply put, the larger the sump the better.
Flow rates should also be considered. If you are trying to have 10 times turnover running through your sump then you will need a larger sump than if you are trying to have 2 times turnover pushed through it.
How you plan to use the sump is another detail to consider. Some people want a simple prefilter followed by a bunch of bio media. This approach doesn't require a massive sump. While others want multiple staged mechanical filtration followed by a refugium followed by bio media... often with an additional chamber for heaters, UV or other components. Naturally this approach will require a larger sump.
All in all, the simpler our answers are the less "correct" they become...
For your 40 Breeder... you could use something as small as a 2.5 gal tank. Naturally this would come with a lot of restrictions in how you could set it up and how much water you could flow through it... or you could go as large as you like.
Your decision will be best made when considering what you want out of your sump balanced by how practical the container will be to work with balanced by the cost of all involved.
A rubbermaid container will be quite inexpensive but if you wish to have separated chambers they are not the easiest to work with. These work great to hold a simple bio tower but are not the best choice for multi staged filtration.
My suggestion of a 29 gal tank is because they are easy to come by and are inexpensive. Especially if you find someone with an old scratched up one for sale. The 29 gal (vs a 20 gal) is a tall tank but still offers enough length to give you options for staging. It also will easily fit under the 40 gal in a stand.
Those of use who come to places like this to get the real deal should stop trying to simplify everything into such basic formulas and consider the finer details. There are simply to many factors at work here to offer a realistic rule of thumb.
a sump needs room to have each 'stage' of filtration... thus a sump on a small display tank will need to be a larger percent of the display tank than the sump of a larger display tank...
In other words a 50 gal sump would be beneficial to a 200 gal tank (1/4 the volume of the display tank)... but a 5 gal tank would not work very well as a sump for a 20 gal tank (also 1/4 the volume of the display tank). This is simply because a 5 gal tank isn't big enough to divide up into stages.
We must also consider that a sump adds volume, and more volume results in a greater dilution factor. The solution to pollution is dilution. So from that angle, simply put, the larger the sump the better.
Flow rates should also be considered. If you are trying to have 10 times turnover running through your sump then you will need a larger sump than if you are trying to have 2 times turnover pushed through it.
How you plan to use the sump is another detail to consider. Some people want a simple prefilter followed by a bunch of bio media. This approach doesn't require a massive sump. While others want multiple staged mechanical filtration followed by a refugium followed by bio media... often with an additional chamber for heaters, UV or other components. Naturally this approach will require a larger sump.
All in all, the simpler our answers are the less "correct" they become...
For your 40 Breeder... you could use something as small as a 2.5 gal tank. Naturally this would come with a lot of restrictions in how you could set it up and how much water you could flow through it... or you could go as large as you like.
Your decision will be best made when considering what you want out of your sump balanced by how practical the container will be to work with balanced by the cost of all involved.
A rubbermaid container will be quite inexpensive but if you wish to have separated chambers they are not the easiest to work with. These work great to hold a simple bio tower but are not the best choice for multi staged filtration.
My suggestion of a 29 gal tank is because they are easy to come by and are inexpensive. Especially if you find someone with an old scratched up one for sale. The 29 gal (vs a 20 gal) is a tall tank but still offers enough length to give you options for staging. It also will easily fit under the 40 gal in a stand.
Thanks for the reply. Im gonna head down to petco tomorrow to grab a tank for a sump before their $1 per gallon sale is over