this is an odd question
- Thread starter orionduck
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Leroy
Pres. NE Matchcover Club
It's always a good benefit to any tank to have a large sump and or refugium you can fit to export and filter as much of the nutrients to stabilize your tank.
Read what there is to know here and read anything else from Reekeeping to answer a lot of questions. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/newbie/index.php
Sumps have many advantages:
* Increased total water volume - This dilutes the pollutants that accumulate in your tank’s water, and helps to slow issues that arise quickly in sumpless tanks.
* Skims the surface - No more surface scum, just crystal clear water.
* Lowers temperature - I've observed a 2°F drop in temperature after installing a sump.
* Hides equipment - Heaters, protein skimmers, monitoring probes, grounding probes and more can be moved to the sump and out of the display tank.
* Consistent water level - The display tank will maintain the same water level all the time; evaporation occurs in the sump over time.
* Safe place to pour in additives - Adding chemicals or reverse osmosis de-ionized (RO/DI) water in the sump allows it to mix before entering the display tank.
* Increased circulation - The return water from the sump is yet another way to move water in your tank. You can point the return outlet(s) in different directions to create some flow, reducing the need for some of the powerheads needed in your display tank.
* Increased oxygenation - As water drains into the sump, air mixes with it, allowing for beneficial gas exchange -- releasing CO2 and adding fresh O2.
* Refugium on reverse lighting - Helps maintain pH levels during the late night hours.
Read what there is to know here and read anything else from Reekeeping to answer a lot of questions. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/newbie/index.php
Sumps have many advantages:
* Increased total water volume - This dilutes the pollutants that accumulate in your tank’s water, and helps to slow issues that arise quickly in sumpless tanks.
* Skims the surface - No more surface scum, just crystal clear water.
* Lowers temperature - I've observed a 2°F drop in temperature after installing a sump.
* Hides equipment - Heaters, protein skimmers, monitoring probes, grounding probes and more can be moved to the sump and out of the display tank.
* Consistent water level - The display tank will maintain the same water level all the time; evaporation occurs in the sump over time.
* Safe place to pour in additives - Adding chemicals or reverse osmosis de-ionized (RO/DI) water in the sump allows it to mix before entering the display tank.
* Increased circulation - The return water from the sump is yet another way to move water in your tank. You can point the return outlet(s) in different directions to create some flow, reducing the need for some of the powerheads needed in your display tank.
* Increased oxygenation - As water drains into the sump, air mixes with it, allowing for beneficial gas exchange -- releasing CO2 and adding fresh O2.
* Refugium on reverse lighting - Helps maintain pH levels during the late night hours.
Leroy
Pres. NE Matchcover Club
BTW, welcome aboard, enjoy the hobby take your time, patience and learn. Also there are no odd questions or stupid questions. Were we all new to this at one time. If you don't ask you won't get an answer. But do as much research as you can. The internet will have many answers you will want to know about this hobby.
Last edited:
MikeG
Non-member
The others have hit the benefits pretty well. I will just throw in a few negative to balance it out.
-Gives you more water volume to change if something goes wrong.
-Larger water volume normally helps keep the tank cool in the summer but requires more electricity to heat in the winter (this is normally more for large basement sumps).
I have a 140 gallon tank with a 100 gallon sump.
-Gives you more water volume to change if something goes wrong.
-Larger water volume normally helps keep the tank cool in the summer but requires more electricity to heat in the winter (this is normally more for large basement sumps).
I have a 140 gallon tank with a 100 gallon sump.
Blueflu1
The Acan Reaper!
I agree with mike but on the other hand, if something does go wrong (Ex - a anemone dies) then you have more water volume to dilute the toxins which will make a little less of an impact on the inhabitants.
afboundguy
Acan's are inedible candy
The bigger the better 
And welcome!
Walzy to answer your question you can get away without running a sump. I had my 55 gallon with just a HOB skimmer for 3-4 years before it was reef and still had it when I turned it to mixed reef. Each tank is different. Do a search in the photography section and find PVH's FTS's. He's sumpless and has one of the best tanks in the club prob...
And welcome!Walzy to answer your question you can get away without running a sump. I had my 55 gallon with just a HOB skimmer for 3-4 years before it was reef and still had it when I turned it to mixed reef. Each tank is different. Do a search in the photography section and find PVH's FTS's. He's sumpless and has one of the best tanks in the club prob...
walzy444
Sushi Anyone?
ok thanks,yeah it would be a pain because I have a hex tank and the base is a hex shape.. so only a small square tank might fit under there. It just sucks to see the HOB skimmer, its so big and not natural looking.. I was able to jam my heater in it tho after a few attempts lol Im aiming for mainly fish with some soft corals and stuff.. still reading up on compatabilities so I dont buy one fish that wont let me get a ton of different corals... or vice versa
