blakey
11/09/2003, 08:41 AM
Hey everyone,
Im in the process of getting the funds together for a new reef tank (84x24x24) or a 7 footer!! and I wanted to get some opinions about plumbing, and sump designs/setups.
My first question, what size (and how many) holes should I have drilled in my tank for overflows and sump returns? Ive been reading that 1 1/2 inch to 2inch over flow holes are about right.. what do you think? how many? What size holes for returns?
Second Question, what size sump should I use? I will only have the ability to place the sump under that tank stand, but Im also planning to use a skimmer and calcium reactor (the cal. reactor wont be added til later). I was thinking of a 48x18x18 tank or 48x20x20?? should provide at least a 1/4 of the main tank voulme as a sump.. Do you think this will be big enough? I can probably go bigger, but I want some space under the tank.. as who knows what I will buy later on that I can add...
Thirdly, the sump set up is as follows, overflows into the sump, then 3-5 baffles to get rid of micro bubbles, followed by intank skimmer which will drop water into either the same section or another section along, which will have dividers in place, as I plan on having some kind of DSB/ live rock in the sump. As water flows over this section it will drop (by use of dividers) into the last section which will house the return pump. A hole will be added into this section to run the pipes to attach to a calcium reactor at some stage. Do this sound reasonable?
I will probably run a closed loop circulation design on this (but its not really the main question at the moment)
Anyway, if anyone has any ideas on if this will work, or anything to add please let me know.. Id like to get it right now.. rather then after Ive gone to far on the wrong idea!!
Thanks
Blake
Im in the process of getting the funds together for a new reef tank (84x24x24) or a 7 footer!! and I wanted to get some opinions about plumbing, and sump designs/setups.
My first question, what size (and how many) holes should I have drilled in my tank for overflows and sump returns? Ive been reading that 1 1/2 inch to 2inch over flow holes are about right.. what do you think? how many? What size holes for returns?
Second Question, what size sump should I use? I will only have the ability to place the sump under that tank stand, but Im also planning to use a skimmer and calcium reactor (the cal. reactor wont be added til later). I was thinking of a 48x18x18 tank or 48x20x20?? should provide at least a 1/4 of the main tank voulme as a sump.. Do you think this will be big enough? I can probably go bigger, but I want some space under the tank.. as who knows what I will buy later on that I can add...
Thirdly, the sump set up is as follows, overflows into the sump, then 3-5 baffles to get rid of micro bubbles, followed by intank skimmer which will drop water into either the same section or another section along, which will have dividers in place, as I plan on having some kind of DSB/ live rock in the sump. As water flows over this section it will drop (by use of dividers) into the last section which will house the return pump. A hole will be added into this section to run the pipes to attach to a calcium reactor at some stage. Do this sound reasonable?
I will probably run a closed loop circulation design on this (but its not really the main question at the moment)
Anyway, if anyone has any ideas on if this will work, or anything to add please let me know.. Id like to get it right now.. rather then after Ive gone to far on the wrong idea!!
Thanks
Blake