hang on back vs sump

[bwaller76]

ok so I need some opinions. I am looking at the difference between having a sump setup or just a HOB protein skimmer setup. I had also seen a UV sterilizer and wanted to know exactly what the need for this would be

:bowdown::bounce:

 

[Rcpilot]

There is much more versatility with a sump. Skimmer is easier to maintain. Water level in tank remains constant. Auto top-off systems can be employed to cut down on daily maintenance. Separate refugium.

 

[yote]

+1 Rc
If you've got the room,the sump is the way to go.It'll let you get the skimmer and heater out of the display,makeing it look cleaner.Easier maintance.More water volume which makes for more stable conditions.

 

[Bifferwine]

Sump, all the way. Adds water volume to your system and lets you hide your equipment.

 

[meshman10]

I've had a HOB on my 55 for about 2 years now it works great. got a 90 that I'm setting up and I'm deffently setting up a sump for it (30 gal) the pro's to a sump verse's a HOB are worth it and that's where my skimmer go. building it myself. pic's will be comeing soon..

 

[bwaller76]

yes plz post pics...I would like to do a lot of this myself and need to get some schematics that make sense so that I can start.
:bowdown::bounce:

 

[sen5241b]

Think carefully about the plumbing connection between between the sump and main display so that it doesn't get blocked.

 

[dcantucson]

As for the UV light I would recommend it. This will give you some more information:

UV Sterilization - What Is It, and How Are UV Sterilizers Used in Saltwater Aquariums

 

[bwaller76]

as far as the plumbing that is something that I am very worried about. I am getting a 150 gallon tank 48" x 24" x 30". I know there are calculators out there to help you figure such things but its still one of those unsure things. I am going to probably have a 20 gallon sump but some ppl say ten gallons would be enough. I like the 20 gallon idea just for the fact that if something fails it gives me a lot more room for disaster prevention.
:bowdown::bounce:

 

[daugherty]

the bigger sump you can get the better i have a 50gal sump but any sump will work. i have been thinking about building a bigger one jsut to have more crap and sand in it

 

[Rcpilot]

as far as the plumbing that is something that I am very worried about. I am getting a 150 gallon tank 48" x 24" x 30". I know there are calculators out there to help you figure such things but its still one of those unsure things. I am going to probably have a 20 gallon sump but some ppl say ten gallons would be enough. I like the 20 gallon idea just for the fact that if something fails it gives me a lot more room for disaster prevention.
:bowdown::bounce:

Rule of thumb:
Minimum sump size should be 1/3 the volume of the display. So for a 150g tank, you'd want at least a 30g tank.

Example of overkill:
I just built a 29g frag tank. There is a 20H refugium and a 20L sump. So there's a refugium and sump - each one almost as big as the actual tank - and combined - they are close to 33% more volume than the tank alone. It's dumb and it's overkill, but it'll be nice and stable once it settles in............. sometime next summer. :lol:

I still use a HOB refugium/skimmer on my 30H display. And I used a HOB refugium/skimer on the 10g frag tank for about a year. They work fine on smaller tanks, but for a 150g tank I think you should go with a sump. Can you pick up a cheap 55g tank on craigslist? Other tanks I might consider - 29g, 30L, 40g breeder, 75g, 90g

 

[EliWhitney314]

I got that HOB refugium fever.

 

[Bifferwine]

Rule of thumb:
Minimum sump size should be 1/3 the volume of the display. So for a 150g tank, you'd want at least a 30g tank.

Oh RC! Math fail!! ;)

 

[Rcpilot]

Oh RC! Math fail!! ;)

:frustrat: - got me!! :Cheers:

50g then :mrgreen:

30g would only be 1/5 the tank volume.