# Freshwater Sump and max flow rate



## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi all,

Just wanted to know if anyone here has one (specs please) and have any advice about it. I'm building one(26Gal DIY) for my 29 Gal to increase the water volume for some extra fishes. 

I have a choice of a 297GPH or 581GPH pump. Adjusted for head loss and bends it will be 130ish or 340ish GPH. The filter I have on the tank now is a HOB with a 200GPH flowrate and the fishes do fine. So I'm worried that one pump will be too weak and the other, too strong. The overflow should be able to handle 400 so flooding shouldn't be an issue



arc


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

A little more detail will help. So do you have a 29gal tank and you are building a 29gal sump for it?

A few questions
What size if the main tank?
What size is the sump?
Height off the floor?
External overflow or drilled?
If drilled, what size holes?
Bottom or back drilled (location)?
What brand pump?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Can I play devils advocate and say just set up another 29? Split the fish up?


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## powertrip (Mar 13, 2010)

i'm running a big freshwater sump, my suggestion
as many gph as you're overflow/connection can handle, over time the gph will drop as stuff (sediment, algie, etc) builds in the lines, running the sump on opposite lighting will also help many things


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## Marowana (Jul 28, 2009)

i oversized my pump, and its creating too much heat. 
you can also run your HOB in your sump for extra filtering.


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

> Can I play devils advocate and say just set up another 29? Split the fish up?


I already have 2 other tanks that are a QT and shrimp breeding tank at the moment so I don't have the space for more. Plus I'd like to have a large schooling group in the main display tank



> A little more detail will help. So do you have a 29gal tank and you are building a 29gal sump for it?
> 
> A few questions
> What size if the main tank?
> ...


The main tank is a 29 Gal tall I believe, 30x12x18
Sump is going to be a 26 gal Rubbermaid container
The height/head room from the sump to the top of the tank should be about 4.5 feet
I'm planning to use a 1" pvc overflow similar to this one http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-overflow/120.asp
I'm trying to reduce the surface skimming as I've got plants and will be adding more.

The pumps are the Quiet one 1200 or Quiet one 2200. The 3000 is also an option but 500GPH for a 29 gal would be overkill.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/info/356/Quiet-One+Water+Pumps.html



> i'm running a big freshwater sump, my suggestion
> as many gph as you're overflow/connection can handle, over time the gph will drop as stuff (sediment, algie, etc) builds in the lines, running the sump on opposite lighting will also help many things


powertrip, what do you mean opposite lighting? meaning I should stop the return pump when I have the display lights on?


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## powertrip (Mar 13, 2010)

no i mean running a small light on the sump to promote plants and algie in the sump (i run java moss in mine)when the display lights are off, assuming your not on co2 it can alliviate alot of the effects of heavy loading of plants and fish in your display tank


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## powertrip (Mar 13, 2010)

btw on a 1" overflow you probably want to stay low on flow


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

powertrip said:


> no i mean running a small light on the sump to promote algie when the display lights are off, assuming your not on co2 it can alliviate alot of the effects of heavy loading of plants and fish in your display tank


I won't be using co2 as I think there will be enough fish for that. I was planning to run a sponge filter in the sump at night to aerate the water since the plants give off co2 at night but this maybe a better idea


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

Marowana, powertrip

Do you remember what the GPH and overflow (drilled or HOB) are?



> btw on a 1" overflow you probably want to stay low on flow


moving to a 1.25, 1.5' or even 2 overflows at 1" would work with me. kinda like a failsafe


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Keep in mind filtration isn't the only thing preventing a smaller tank from holding a larger amount of fish.

Stress is the #1 fish killer, and an overcrowded tank, no matter how well it is filtered, is going to have problems.


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## powertrip (Mar 13, 2010)

*15G growout with 3" overflow*

3" is overkill but one flood is enough to convince, i used to have 1" overflows but an incident with a pleco caused a major revision, dead silent too i might add


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

Marowana said:


> i oversized my pump, and its creating too much heat.
> you can also run your HOB in your sump for extra filtering.


Marowana, what kind of pump do you have?



> Keep in mind filtration isn't the only thing preventing a smaller tank from holding a larger amount of fish.
> 
> Stress is the #1 fish killer, and an overcrowded tank, no matter how well it is filtered, is going to have problems.


I totally agree but this sump will also act as a place I can do water changes easier and without scaring the fishes. I've only got 12 Glowlights, 7 silver tipped, 4 albino cories, 1 ramhorn with 8 more Glowlights being the final stock to go in.



> 15G growout with 3" overflow


wow that overflow most take up a lot of room


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