New tank plumbing question

D

Diffusion

New Fish
#1
Jun 18, 2007
8
0
0
Montreal
#1
I am in process of setting up a new Aquarium I am using a 33 Gallon Display and just grabbed a 25 Gallon to use for the sump. Currently both aquariums are stock and are not drilled or anything.

What I need to know now is the plumbing, IE how to get the water down to the sump and back up to the display tank.

1) Do I need to get the tanks drilled? What are the advantages?
2) Siphoning the water from the display tank into the sump?
3) What size water pump (kind?) to get the water from the sump back into the display tank.

Other things I should consider that I may not have thought of yet?
much thanks!
 

Joe Fish

Joe Fish

Superstar Fish
#2
Apr 21, 2006
2,126
1
0
Penn State
josy.isa-geek.com
#2
You don't need the tank drilled, but I would recommed it. You can get an overflow to get the water sump. Having it drilled is more reliable and don't have to worry too much about an overflow.

You need to get a pump that will pump the water back up as fast as it drains. Usually an overflow will flow at 600gph so you would need a pump to return it about the same gph.
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#3
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#3
minus head loss that is....pumps will lose pressure for every foot up it needs to pump so a pump that might match a 600 gph overflow may be a mag 7 or 9Given the choice I would definitely recommend getting the tank drilled as there is no chance of a flood that way.
 

D

Diffusion

New Fish
#4
Jun 18, 2007
8
0
0
Montreal
#4
I was looking at a few overflows and it looks like you can get them so that the siphon cannot be broken during a power outage and others still that use a pump to create / recreate the siphon. Anyone have experience with these?

For the tank drilling where could one go to get that done?
 

T

TheFool

Large Fish
#10
Apr 19, 2006
323
2
0
#10
I would get it drilled. Mine is drilled twice near the top of a side wall, and I just use 90 degree bends attached (not glued) to the bulkheads to act as an overflow. Crude, but works.
Assuming you have a 25 gallon sump, you want maybe 100 gallons an hour through there. That will work pretty well as a dsb or algae flow rate, if you choose to do that , and will get enough water down to a skimmer, and get enough warmed water back up. Thus you are like wanting to get a pump rated for 100 gallons at I would guess 4 feet. It doesn't matter if your drilling is rated 100, or 200 or even 1000 (ridiculous) as it will only overflow what you pump up, but a bit of slack doesn't hurt, so don't get it drilled if you want to accomodate 100, go for 200 in case of partial blocking.

How will you split your sump?
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#12
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#12
I always thought it would be great to have your sump sectioned from left to right as follows:

drain in on the left with skimmer compartment flowing into the return chamber and the far right would be the refugium with the return out of the middle section split with 1/2 going back to the tank and the other half flowing into the fuge section......

this is a great site for planning a sump

Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums
 

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