Ok so I was planing on buying a 40 cube but ended up with a 75 rr tank. I have a 20 long that I was going to use as my sump on the 40 cube. Can I use the 20 long for a sump on the 75? My stand is 18 wide but I barely fit the 20 long inside so I am not sure I can even use a bigger sump. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
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75 gal rr tank sump question
- Thread starter dfm34
- Start date
i use a 20 long for my 90 gallon. usually the bigger the better for increased water volume but if the 20 is the biggest you can fit under your tank then you're kinda stuck with that size. remember the main purpose of a sump is for a place to put your skimmer, heaters, reactors etc...
I have a 20L on my 65, two things to watch for.
1) Drain down, my 65 got close to the top of the 20L, but I still had an 1-1/2" to the top.
2) Make the return section for the pump large enough that it doesn't run dry on startup when it's filling the tank.
1) Drain down, my 65 got close to the top of the 20L, but I still had an 1-1/2" to the top.
2) Make the return section for the pump large enough that it doesn't run dry on startup when it's filling the tank.
LOL…..it actually reminded me of the query, “what weighs more, a ton of feathers or a ton of lead?”
In actuality you get more volume per inch with the 20 L….larger surface area. However, if you say you only want the water X inches deep in the sump, you now get more head volume with the 20 H. Six of one, half a dozen with the other.
I was thinking of a 6" return section, bubble baffles 1" apart, 12 fudge section, and 11" skimmer/drain section. All baffles 8" high. Does this work?
The dimensions you just used are for a 20L, which is 30x12x12. I’m not going to consider the extra volume in the return section, only the volume about 8 inches. The 20 L would have 30x12x4 inches of remaining area, which is equal to 6.2 gallons.
A 40B is 36x18x16, so for every inch of backwash that goes down to the sump, this equals 2.8 gallons. This means that you cannot backwash more than (6.2/2.8=) 2.2 inches of water. That shouldn’t be a problem if return lines are kept high or there is a siphon break.
I’m putting my calculator away now!
EDIT TO ADD: Oops, I just saw the title and see that it's a 75 DT.......so here it is for a 75:
A 75 is 48x18x21, so for every inch, that equals 3.7 gallons. So 6.2/3.7 = 1.7 inches…..still do-able!
A 40B is 36x18x16, so for every inch of backwash that goes down to the sump, this equals 2.8 gallons. This means that you cannot backwash more than (6.2/2.8=) 2.2 inches of water. That shouldn’t be a problem if return lines are kept high or there is a siphon break.
I’m putting my calculator away now!
EDIT TO ADD: Oops, I just saw the title and see that it's a 75 DT.......so here it is for a 75:
A 75 is 48x18x21, so for every inch, that equals 3.7 gallons. So 6.2/3.7 = 1.7 inches…..still do-able!
My skimmer area was 9"(x12") and my return area was 8"(x12"). My baffle between the skimmer and fuge was 4" high, and from fuge to return was 8" high.
Ok all so my fear of an overflow took over and I purchased a 30L this is th biggest I can fit in my stand. My next question is sump configuration ? My first plan was a set it up like this: intake/skimmer >fuge>return.
I my research I have see several designs that go: intake/skimmer>return>fuge with the return pump t'd off to feed fuge
any opinions on the configuration?
I my research I have see several designs that go: intake/skimmer>return>fuge with the return pump t'd off to feed fuge
any opinions on the configuration?
In the second configuration you ideally want the overflow split to supply the fuge not the return. That way you have "dirty" water going to the skimmer and the fuge then both into the return area.
My sump is the first config. I like it and with my skills didn't want to deal with splitting the drain.
My sump is the first config. I like it and with my skills didn't want to deal with splitting the drain.
My current sump is also the first config, as a also didn't want to deal with splitting the drains and it looks cleaner in my opinion. I have also ran the second config on my very first sump build on my old 45 gallon build, it worked well and you had full control of the flow in your fuge area.
