Basic Sump

[livebearer_breeder]

Just Wondering what the most basic way to make a sump is?

How do i go about Figureing what sort of return pump i need, and how to regulate the flow from the sump back to the display tank, without having the sump empty or overflow?

Cheers Shae

[ghostface]

any decent size return pump will do, depending on the desired flow rate - via aqua / eheim / laguna etc. the sump level is regulated by only having one pump, from the sump to the display, and installing an overflow box. most peoble have this setup. you would need to drill the tank and get a (hansen) tank fitting, and a standpipe. read up on the "durso standpipe"

(you could just drill the tank bottom and have a standpipe without an overflow, like jansens mt eden coral display tank)

[livebearer_breeder]

Cheers Ghost face. So whats a good LPH and pump for that matter for a 100-180l setup.

Shae

[cracker]

If you want it dead quiet, you dont want a Durso.

[suphew]

Go with an ehiem 1060, heaps of them about secondhand, will cost you $100-$120

Crackers school of submarine plumbing, . LB go with what 99% of reefers do and put in a durso.

[ghostface]

cracker what are the alternatives to durso? i like quiet

LB is this for a marine or FW setup? FW would require less flow than marine

[livebearer_breeder]

Its for marine.

I deffinatly want as quiet as possible, as its going to be in the lounge.

Cheers for that Craig, what are there LPH?

Shae

[suphew]

Think they are 2000-2500LPH check out there website, they are the same as a 1260. I used one on my smaller setup (350 odd liters). You might get away with going to a smaller pump but the head height the smaller pumps handle seems to drop off quickly plus you go going to need at least 10x the tank volume in water movement your return should provide you a good chunk of this saving you from having to add as many extra ugly pumps into the tank.

Crackers overflow is basically a pipe with a tap on it to limit the flow, it is silent because it is under water and therefore doesn't suck any air, the down side is he has had to add a second over flow pipe in case the first gets anything blocking or even slowing it down. Which means twice the plumbing, extra hole(s) in the tank , and I'm not sure how he has adjusted it, i.e. turn the tap off a little to much and the tank slowly fills, a little to little and the tank slowly drains?? SteveA uses a different system again, he basically has two large pipes going out the side (near the top) of his tank so the water just runs out them as it get pumped in, this systems start off noisey but once the algae etc builds up in the pipes it goes quite (or so Steve tells me!).

But as I said when it comes down to it most people use Durso stand pipes cause they are safe and they work, and dont loose sight of the fact that your overflow is just one thing that is going to make noise, add the noise from pumps, lights, skimmer, etc and you wont be able to hear the silent overflow over the noise from everthing else. Go the remote sump!

[livebearer_breeder]

Right, good well ive got the skimmer, pump, lighting and tanks soughted. Cheers for that guys. All i need to do know is get the tanks drilled before there made, ge bulkheads, and figure out what mm Pipeing i need.

Shae

[livebearer_breeder]

Whats your opinions on ViaAqua pumps?

Shae

[livebearer_breeder]

reliable/quiet/qaulity.....anyone use any of these pumps?

Shae

[Ira]

I have two VA1300 powerheads. They work flawlessly.