# Need help with sump volume.



## Mephitis

Greetings,

Planning on a sump for an African Cichlid tank (36" x 28" x 24" -- 98.20 US Gal) which will be set up in around 5-6 months. Still doing my bit of research. The setup would operate on an overflow principle.

Here's some information that would help.

*Decoration:*
Basalt Rock

*Substrate:*
Aragonite sand.

*Inmates:*
Pseudotropheus Saulosi (6-9)

*What would be the ideal sump volume for such a setup?*

Here's a picture that might help too. Planning for a similar kind of filtration system. (Source: Cichlid Aquarium Guide DVD)










PS: Do not want to use a Canister Filter.

Thanks & Regards,
*Rohan.*


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## Curator

Im no expert on this, so dont take what I say as Gospel truth, as *** never used a sump be4... however *** read in a few places that normally you want your sump to be around 1/3-1/2 the capacity of your tank... but like I said, this is just what *** read in a few places, and im no expert, so you may want to wait for some more experienced people to chime in be4 you make any plans based on anything I say,lol...


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## prov356

Get the biggest you can fit in the stand. That's usually the limiter. Go with bare minimum and you 
have to constantly monitor for water evaporation so the pump doesn't start sucking air. Make it 
something that's easy to clean. In the pic above, there's filter media below the biomedia. I wouldn't 
do that. Let the biomedia be the last thing the water sees in the way of media before returning to the 
tank. Otherwise, you're going to have to remove all of your biomedia to change that out occasionally 
Personally, I'd fill that third chamber with biomedia alone. Do all of your pre-filtering in the first chamber. 
I also like to place my heaters so that the water passes the heating element after it passes the 
controller. The way that yours is set up, the just heated water passes the controller. Looks a little tight 
for space, so maybe try to place it horizontally.



> PS: Do not want to use a Canister Filter.


Good choice that you've made. Stick to it. :thumb:


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## Mephitis

Thanks! 

Any suggestions on the output of the pump which would be in the last chamber? The top of the aquarium would be around 4-5' from the ground.

Regards,
*Rohan.*


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## prov356

You'll need to look for something that'll give you 600-700 gph at 5' head. The mag9.5 will push 800gph 
at 4' head. I've heard good things about the ocean runners, and eheim would certainly make a quality 
pump, but not sure if there's one large enough. I'd suggest checking the reviews section of this forum 
before making a final decision. Here's a link to some pricing and more info.


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## Mephitis

Great. I'll see what the LFS here have to offer for that kind of output.

Regards,
*Rohan.*


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## Mephitis

Tim, which one would you prefer?

*Eheim 1260 (2400 L/H or 634.08 G/H)*

OR

*Eheim 1262 (3400 L/H or 898.28 G/H)*

Source: http://www.eheimasiapacific.com/prod_pu ... ersal.html

Would an Eheim 1262 be an overkill for my setup?

Have another question related to the terminology used on the Eheim Asia Pacific page. I'm kinda new to this hobby. The specification section mentions "Del.head approx Hmax". Is that the height of the outlet at which the pump would work with optimal performance?

The Eheim 1262 performs at 3400 L/H and the Del.head appro Hmax is 3.6. Since my outlet is 4-5' high, would it drop the output?

Lol, sorry for being a pain.

Regards,
*Rohan.*


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## prov356

> Would an Eheim 1262 be an overkill for my setup?


I'm not sure what that means exactly, but if there isn't a significant price difference, I'd go with the 
larger one. You can always throttle it back with a valve if need be.

I can look more into specifics tonight, but gotta run.


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## prov356

Ok, it's got about a 12' max head height. Flow at 4' is 665, so if you've got 4', it'd be enough. I found the 
info here. Click on 'More info'.



> The specification section mentions "Del.head approx Hmax". Is that the height of the outlet at which the pump would work with optimal performance?


That's the max height it'll push water in meters. Max head height is a pretty useless spec, since the 
flow would be a trickle at that height. A graph or chart is usually needed that shows different gph at 
different heights.

HTH and let me know if you have more questions.


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## Mephitis

Did help a lot! Thanks!

It's going to be the Eheim 1262. 

Regards,
*Rohan.*


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