Hi Nathan,
What part of Idaho are you from? I know a couple good reefers in Idaho Falls area. Anyway if you can get by to see someones established reef and what they are doing it could help.
As for building a sump if you're using a glass tank for the sump then you are going to be attaching the panels with aquarium grade silicone rubber. You can get an acceptable product from Home Depot or Lowe's. The panels can be either glass or acrylic. If you are using acrylic you want to cut the panels a little shorter than the width of the tank, (1/8 to 3/16"), to allow the acrylic to expand without pushing out the glass panels. It is also much more critical to completely clean the acrylic from any oils or contaminants as silicone doesn't stick well to acrylic that isn't completely clean.
If you are using an acrylic sump then you will be using Weldon acrylic solvent to attach the panels.
As for compartments you most sumps have at least 3 chambers. The first chamber usually houses the Protein skimmer and chemical filtration like carbon or phosban, the second is usually for additional biological filtration such as a DSB, Live Rock rubble and macro algae. If you're going to grow macro you will need a light source which is usually run opposite the tank lights. The last compartment is for the return pump if you are using an internal pump or to feed an external pump through a bulkhead fitting.
There are many options available to you as far as sump design which is why I suggest you visit some existing reef tanks and see what they are doing. Generally the largest sump you can fit into the available space is preferred because it gives you the most options down the road and increases the total water volume.
Good luck.
Topic Options
Post Options
Thanks(0)
