# Making a ten gallon sump?



## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

I have a 55 gallon mbuna tank with a canister and a HOB filter and I really want to step up my filteration to a sump. I've heard some about them but im not really familiar with them. Could anybody help me make a homemade 10 gallon sump for my tank? Will it do better than the current filtertaion I have now or am I just wasting my time? The fish are farily small now so I want to do this before they get big.

I just now realized I put this in the wrong section but im sure one of the damins wil move it  
My bad...


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

10 gallon sump is not enough for any tank. Further, a sump on your size of tank may not be cost effective, especially since you have two filters. WHat filters do you have? I think sumps are great filters for 75-100+ gallon tanks. Before that you have serious limitations in your stand, for starters.

Sumps rarely have as impressive of mechanical filters as other options, but the bio is significantly better.

Is something inadequate with your setup?


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

No nothing's wrong with my setup I always thaught sumps were just a more elite type of filteration and I thought it would be better to have. I already have a rena filstar xps and a ac 110 aquaclear filter. I think they both are very good im just always looking for something better.


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## Malawi King (Apr 10, 2009)

i got a 10 gal sump on my 55 with like 6 big haps and 6 mbuna's

i am useing a mag 7 wish i would have got a mag 9.5

go to my tanks to get a idea i have pics on there

and here is some links

http://www.melevsreef.com/ go to the diy section.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/newbie/index.php

i love my sump and 10 gal is great i had a 5.5 but it was to small so i made a 10 and there are very cheap to setup if u diy


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Not being a jerk...but...it might sound like it.
You need to take a look through the CF library, previous posts, a google search.
Once you get that out of the way, you have a knowledge base of what kind of sump, overflow, drilling, media, pipe sizes, bulkheads, pumps, hose, fittings, on-and-on.
More to it than you think, but well worth the effort.
Sorry dude(under_control)I have to disagree with your answer.


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

So I can make a sump with a ten gallon? That's great i've heard so many good things about them! Next week im going to be doing a ton of research so I can get an idea of what im doing. I've already found some good sights. So how do sumps compare to the cleaning abilities of other filters(canisters, HOB's, etc)


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

As I said, your mechanical filtering ability will likely decrease significantly. A 10 gallon just isn't very much room for making a sump. It would only have 2 or 3 gallons of water in it. The pump will take up half of the tank.

Your current filtering setup is perfect for your tank.


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

Okay now im confused :-?


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## Malawi King (Apr 10, 2009)

i have a 11 inch heater in mine with a pump etc... bubble trap etc...

10 is a great size for a 55 gal i mean i would like a bigger one but its all i can fit under my tank

take my word rrcoolj its great and its got a great mechanical filter just do lots of research and use pvc not vinyll tube.. thats to each his own but pvc works great...

under_control not to bash but i think u need to use one to leave a comment like that...
and if u have maby u just had a bad experience...


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

Malawi King said:


> under_control not to bash but i think u need to use one to leave a comment like that...
> and if u have maby u just had a bad experience...


I've used sumps from 8 gallons to 70 gallons. I fully understand how to make excellent sumps. I've had very successful sumps. A 10 gallon tank is not going to provide an excellent one. Using the biggest rubermaid you can fit under the tank is a far better option, and then still I don't think you gain anything on the xp and 110 filters on the tank now. Only thing is getting equipment out of tank... but you will always lose a little mech filtering ability. Even using micron socks there is no way around it.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> but you will always lose a little mech filtering ability. Even using micron socks there is no way around it.


Agreed 
Canister by itself does an excellent job on the bio end and an OK job of removing loose debris in the water column. A sump does an excellent job at bio but, again, an OK job at mechanical filtration. The sump is just a whole lot easier to service. 
A combination of sump/canister and a high flow hob, set up to just remove floating debris seems to work the best...for me anyway.


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

So im getting the idea that a sump is very good with biological but not very good with mechanical filteration. Sounds like my current canister. Well for right now I don't think im going to get a sump maybe if I increase to a 75 gallon tank I can get one. SInce 10 gallons won't work will a 20 gallon tank work?


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

I'd just like to add something here.

Besides mechanical filtration and biological filtration, sumps have many other benefits,

1) As mentioned, you can get heaters and other equipment out of the aquarium.

2) A sump will provide a larger surface area for CO2/O2 exchange, plus if you set it up right with spray bars and a lot of agitation, you can make the O2 levels even higher.

3) A sump will add a greater volume of water, therefore keeping your nitrate/ dissolved organic levels even lower. If you can add 5 gallons of water to a 50 gallon tank, you just increased the volume by 10 percent.

**The larger the sump, the better it will be. I'm not sure if you would be happy with a 10 gallon sump to replace your current filters. Personally, I'd keep your other filtration...and I'd add the sump just for the added water volume. But I'd try to get a larger sump than 10 gallons.


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

Okay im getting that ten gallons is too small for a sump. So if I do decide to upgrade tanks could a 20 gallon sump work better or is that still too small?


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

DOn't use an aquarium. But the biggest sterilite or rubbermaid tub that will fit under your tank. Bigger is better. 55g tanks just don't have much room under them.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

If you want a sump, seems you do, and you already have the 10gal..I would use it. 
The sump is, my opinion, the easiest part of the whole setup. 
You can always go bigger. 
For me, on every build I learn something new. A better way to set the overflow. New spray bar configurations. Different ways to hold the media, etc., etc. 
All that said, the pump used would the hardest choice. as well as the most costly. I go with a pump that has more flow than I need..My reasoning is, I can always send the excess flow back into the sump, but once I have reached max outflow, I am done. 
A sump can be a pure joy, or a constant headache. The more research you do will determine which you end up with. 
Ending thought is, go ahead and build it, use it..the experience, confidence you gain is well worth the builds total cost.


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

well there's nothing to loose If I do use a sump right? so why not. And even a small sump will have some benefits so I think I will go for it. It will definatly take some serious research though but there's nothing wrong with that. Plus you can never have too much filteration right?


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## cheesoid (May 31, 2009)

rrcoolj,

I agree with most :wink: of the comments here. Just go for it and build a 10g sump. If you've got the the time, go ahead and experiment. Sounds like you've got adequate filtration already so you'll only be adding to it. Who knows, one day you might be applying new skills to a bigger setup. Better to start small than spend big $ on a DIY project that exceeds skills and doesn't match expectations. Good luck :thumb:


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## rrcoolj (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks cheesoid appreciate the comment


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## cheesoid (May 31, 2009)

NP, just echoing comments already posted 

Have fun and post pics! :thumb:


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> start small than spend big $


Agreed, 100% 
But, don`t scrimp on the pump..that is the heart of your sump. 
Any other piece/parts can be the cheapest stuff you can scrounge for your build.
Good luck to ya.


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## cheesoid (May 31, 2009)

I'm with kaiser on this, having redundancy on your filtration (can, sump, hob etc..) is great. Much better for the critters in your tank. As for sump size, where do you stop? Pretty much whatever you can fit in your stand is the limit, unless you want a giant sump and a mini display which kind of defeats the purpose. Building your own filter (sump) is lots of fun and lets you tinker to your heart's content. I highly recommend it if you follow the lead of many others who have posted here. If you want to experiment however, be kind to your fish and have a backup in place.


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## cheesoid (May 31, 2009)

oops, I'm a year too late :roll:

hope the sump worked out


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