Setting up first salt tank Part2.

[Merc Dr.]

OK, I've been giving it some thought. I was planning a HOB skimmer and a couple powerheads. Now I need more info on a sump system. I did look at some of the post and home builds and what not on this site, but have some questions.

First, what are the benefits over a HOB?
Most importantly, which one is quieter? This is going in my family room where we watch TV.
Which one needs the least cleaning(how often)?
How big of a sump do I need for a 90gal tank?

Thanks for the help.
Doug

 

[cvcdrk]

The main benefits of a sump are added water volume for parameter stability and the ability to hide the equipment from the DT (heater, skimmer, filters, etc.). If you include a fuge in the sump, you also have the added benefit of macroalgae like chaeto which can be invaluable.

As far as noise goes, I'm not sure. They're likely going to be comparable. Maybe the sump setup would be a tad quieter if you have a cabinet underneath. I feel like the main noise will come from the skimmer either way. There's always going to be some audible noise, though...

For a sump I've seen a lot of people use 55gal tanks on 90DTs but you can do it any size you want. I would say do the biggest one you have room for. The added water volume will help a lot. It really depends on the space you have available.

I would assume cleaning would be comparable, but someone else who actually has sump can probably answer that better.

 

[Nonfamous]

On my 90 I have a "20 Gallon" sump. In actuality it has 14 gallons. You need to leave room in the sump for drain-back should you lose power.

For power heads I am running 2, 750 gph and 1, 1400 gph Koralia units. Thats LOTS of flow in a 90. I will offer this up though, IF I had it to do again, I would buy 7 or 8 425 gph units instead. Why? So I could customize the flow and place a few lower in the tank. I also have a 250 gph in the sump to keep the cheato going good.

As for noise, mine is in my "office" so noise is not an issue. If it were in my family room, it would be too loud. The drain to the sump splashes a lot, the fans on the LEDs are loud (6 of them running) and the in sump skimmer is a tad noisy.