180 Gallon Sump Advice

Rangerbob86 · 03/25/2015, 07:42 PM

I’m hoping to get some advice on a sump for my new reef tank setup. It will be here in about two weeks, and I have everything I need except the sump. Here’s the setup so far:

180 gallon rimless starphire tank
200 lbs Fiji live rock
120 lbs Ocean Direct Caribbean live sand
Powerheads - 2 Vortech MP40QD Quietdrive
Heaters - 2 Eheim Jager TruTemp 300 Watt
Protein Skimmer - Reef Octopus SRO-3000INT
Lights - 3 Radion XR30w Gen3 Pro
Return Pump - Water Blaster HY-7000
Tunze 3155 ATO
Neptune Apex Gold
BRS dual Carbon/GFO reactor

The sump that I’m looking at at my LFS is 36” x 18” x 18” (40 ish gallons). It’s custom made, and looks really nice. It has 3 chambers. The first one is smaller, and is for 2 large filter socks. There is no room for anything else. The two other chambers are about equal size. I would probably put the skimmer in the middle chamber, and the return at the end. I would like to get 1 or 2 green mandarins down the line, and want to make sure I get the right sump now to support them. Originally I was planning on a refugium to throw some cheato into to hopefully raise plenty of pods. But there would not be room for a dedicated refugium chamber in this sump. So I guess my questions are:

1) would my system be able to support 1 or 2 green mandarins as is? (after about a year or so)
2) would I be able to put some cheato into the skimmer or return chamber to increase pod population?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

julie180 · 03/26/2015, 07:53 AM

No cheato in skimmer or return section. It needs a dedicated location.

gone fishin · 03/26/2015, 10:03 AM

as for number one it depends on what else is stocked. If anything else likes to eat pods then the mandarins will be out competed for food.

Julie covered number 2

Just my 2 cents.

thegrun · 03/26/2015, 10:39 AM

I would look into getting a larger sump. An old 90 gallon tank or bigger if you can find a tank that fits under your stand could easily be converted to a sump by adding baffles and it would give you room for a refugium. I would be worried a 40 gallon sump might not be big enough even to handle your drain down water when the return pump turns off.

lllesley · 03/26/2015, 03:05 PM

Agreed with everything above, don't honestly think a 40g will be big enough to handle water volume with power out situation.
Go bigger for sure, then you can have your fuge .

audiophile42 · 03/26/2015, 03:28 PM

I've got a 40g breeder as a sump for my 210g. It handles the drain from a power outage just fine, just have to make sure that you have plenty of siphon break holes drilled in the return lines close to the surface of the water. That and not having really tall baffles in the sump (mine top out at 10" for the skimmer"). Have chambers for skimmer, fuge, and return with ATO and heaters no problem.

billdogg · 03/26/2015, 04:03 PM

I'm going to side with the make your own crowd. Although a 40breeder would be big enough, having something larger would be very much to your advantage. I would use a 75 or 90 as well. Plenty of room for a drain/sump section, a large area for pods, and still have a big enough return section that it won't run dry easily. Combine that with having ample room for drain-down (siphon break holes can fail, ask me how I know) and you will have a great sump, almost certainly for less than any "custom" sump out there. Heck - you could even drill it and use an external return pump.

danil · 03/26/2015, 05:57 PM

Agree with everyone here. 40ish gallon wont do good for you. I run 100 with my system and wish I can go bigger. Get biggest sump you can fit. You can make a side door in your stand to slide it in (very good idea). I would use regular tank and just install few baffles.
GL

Rangerbob86 · 03/27/2015, 08:36 AM

Great thanks for all the advice, Illl look for something bigger!

03/25/2015, 07:42 PM	#1
Rangerbob86 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 59	180 Gallon Sump Advice I’m hoping to get some advice on a sump for my new reef tank setup. It will be here in about two weeks, and I have everything I need except the sump. Here’s the setup so far: 180 gallon rimless starphire tank 200 lbs Fiji live rock 120 lbs Ocean Direct Caribbean live sand Powerheads - 2 Vortech MP40QD Quietdrive Heaters - 2 Eheim Jager TruTemp 300 Watt Protein Skimmer - Reef Octopus SRO-3000INT Lights - 3 Radion XR30w Gen3 Pro Return Pump - Water Blaster HY-7000 Tunze 3155 ATO Neptune Apex Gold BRS dual Carbon/GFO reactor The sump that I’m looking at at my LFS is 36” x 18” x 18” (40 ish gallons). It’s custom made, and looks really nice. It has 3 chambers. The first one is smaller, and is for 2 large filter socks. There is no room for anything else. The two other chambers are about equal size. I would probably put the skimmer in the middle chamber, and the return at the end. I would like to get 1 or 2 green mandarins down the line, and want to make sure I get the right sump now to support them. Originally I was planning on a refugium to throw some cheato into to hopefully raise plenty of pods. But there would not be room for a dedicated refugium chamber in this sump. So I guess my questions are: 1) would my system be able to support 1 or 2 green mandarins as is? (after about a year or so) 2) would I be able to put some cheato into the skimmer or return chamber to increase pod population? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

03/26/2015, 10:03 AM	#3
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	as for number one it depends on what else is stocked. If anything else likes to eat pods then the mandarins will be out competed for food. Julie covered number 2 Just my 2 cents. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/26/2015, 04:03 PM	#7
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I'm going to side with the make your own crowd. Although a 40breeder would be big enough, having something larger would be very much to your advantage. I would use a 75 or 90 as well. Plenty of room for a drain/sump section, a large area for pods, and still have a big enough return section that it won't run dry easily. Combine that with having ample room for drain-down (siphon break holes can fail, ask me how I know) and you will have a great sump, almost certainly for less than any "custom" sump out there. Heck - you could even drill it and use an external return pump. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

03/26/2015, 07:53 AM	#2
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	No cheato in skimmer or return section. It needs a dedicated location.

03/26/2015, 10:39 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would look into getting a larger sump. An old 90 gallon tank or bigger if you can find a tank that fits under your stand could easily be converted to a sump by adding baffles and it would give you room for a refugium. I would be worried a 40 gallon sump might not be big enough even to handle your drain down water when the return pump turns off.

03/26/2015, 03:05 PM	#5
lllesley Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 336	Agreed with everything above, don't honestly think a 40g will be big enough to handle water volume with power out situation. Go bigger for sure, then you can have your fuge .

03/26/2015, 03:28 PM	#6
audiophile42 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 410	I've got a 40g breeder as a sump for my 210g. It handles the drain from a power outage just fine, just have to make sure that you have plenty of siphon break holes drilled in the return lines close to the surface of the water. That and not having really tall baffles in the sump (mine top out at 10" for the skimmer"). Have chambers for skimmer, fuge, and return with ATO and heaters no problem.

03/26/2015, 05:57 PM	#8
danil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Concord, CA Posts: 935	Agree with everyone here. 40ish gallon wont do good for you. I run 100 with my system and wish I can go bigger. Get biggest sump you can fit. You can make a side door in your stand to slide it in (very good idea). I would use regular tank and just install few baffles. GL

03/27/2015, 08:36 AM	#9
Rangerbob86 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 59	Great thanks for all the advice, Illl look for something bigger!