# sump size for 5ft cichlid tank



## jacko110 (May 30, 2008)

hey all, im soon upgrading to a 5ftx2ftx2ft for my cichlids and was wondering what type/size sump filter i should have. and what type of return pump.
would a 3ft aquarium be big enough for the sump filter as that iv got one lying around.
pls reply, cheers.


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## fishcurious (Mar 4, 2008)

I am not expert but a few months ago I upgraded to a 100 gallon 5 ft tank. I bought a used sump so I am not sure how many gallons it holds. I did get a mag 12 pump and bought supplies from the following link http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=4090. I plumbed four returns. I used two return lines with a Y fitting (L part show in link) and the ball socket flexible tubing (G part sown in link) and picked four heads. This gives me terrific water movement that i can direct. I also put in two Koralia power heads; a K2 and a K3. I am going to add one more power head. With the Mag 12 I get about 900 to 1000 gph after the plumbing. I would thing a 3 ft aquarium would be great. Will the tank be pre drilled? Mine isn't (bought used) so I have a dual overflow box. Good Luck


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

Ideally you want your sump to house 15-20% of the display tank volume while running. A 5'x2'x2' is 150 gallons so that would be 22.5-30 gallons of water in the sump at all times. What size is the 3' tank you have? Is it a 40g breeder?

Your best bet would be to use a 40 gallon breeder which is 36"x18"x16". That would allow you to run the 22.5-30 gallons with room to hold excess water from a power outage/pump failure. It is also short enough for you to be able to easily perform maintenance.

As for which return pump you should use depends on how much flow you want to have going through the tank. People like to have 7-10x hourly turnover of the tank including all of the methods of filtration whether it be HOB's, canisters, and the sump at the same time. Depending on the height of your stand it could be anywhere from 4 to 5 feet of head on the pump. So that is something you need to take into consideration. After you decide how many gph flow you want and the feet of head we can give you ideas for a return pump.


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## jacko110 (May 30, 2008)

hey, its drilled and the 3' sump is a 25g and will be filled up to 3/4 of its height.
i would like to have good flow and to be able to cycle the tank at least 8-9 time an hr.
so i guess il need need pump around 900-1000gph too.
feet of head will be approx 4-5 feet.
i will be making a cabinet as my brother is a carpenter so i can make a sump fit no worries.
segestions on pumps would be much appreciated, cheers.


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