Recommend a sump for 200g FOWLR?

[Cksnffr]

I'm putting together a 200g FOWLR tank as my first saltwater endeavor. So I'm looking for the right sump. It needs to accommodate a skimmer, and decent mechanical filtration would be nice. I _think_ I should start with a simple refugium in there too, if only for more rock or some macro algae.

I'm a very handy person, but only after I get a really good sense of how a product works. So generally (even though it winds up costing more) I'm better off starting with something commercially available and learning the ropes before DIY.

So, what's a reasonable turnkey solution? Thanks!


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[Cksnffr]

Hmm a little more research has me thinking that a basic large Berlin setup would work. That is, I don't need a dedicated refugium compartment. I would either place some macro-algae balls in a viable place in there or just forgo algae and other fuge stuff until I get everything happy and settled in the FOWLR tank with the Berlin sump running a good skimmer.

So: what's a good large basic Berlin unit?


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[authmal]

I would recommend a dedicated refugium. Why, you ask? If you're going through the trouble to create the sump in the first place, why not build it so it can handle whatever you may want in the future? Wouldn't that be easier than doing it all over again? Options are, many times, very good.

 

[Cksnffr]

Good point. The only reason to do it in phases is to gain enough familiarity with the concept and structures (via a commercial unit) so I can do a very good job when I then make the ideal DIY unit (with refugium).

It's kind of like my first freshwater setup: I bought an off-the-shelf kit to get started, and I very quickly went and pieced together my own custom setup instead. But I couldn't have pieced it all together without laying my hands on the kit and wrapping my head around what each component did.

That being said, two questions:

If one were to purchase a refugium-capable sump and skimmer for a 200g FOWLR tank, what's a reasonable off-the-shelf choice?

Alternatively, can someone recommend a detailed diagram for building a DIY sump for the same purpose? Without any real-world experience, I can't follow general _guidelines_ about sump construction even though I'm very handy. (Surely I would mess up an important detail like water levels, where exactly to drill, general physics.) But certainly I could follow a detailed diagram with measurements, a list of components, and instructions.

Thanks!


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[PhxFish]

I'm in a very similar situation and have spent hours looking up this that and everything else I can get my mouse on. This guy is amazing and has really gotten me comfortable with the idea of building a large amount of what will become my reef tank. http://www.youtube.com/user/uarujoey?feature=watch his channel is very well laid out with specific sections to peruse and his videos are very informative. While I am not sure I will go so far as to build my own glass tank I am planning on doing my own sump and stand now.

http://www.youtube.com/user/27ppatel?feature=watch has some awesome (in my limited knowledge) ideas for refugiums in particular with his scaled down versions of his own designs are simplistic enough that I intend on copying them myself assuming they are viable and I don't find out he is full of hot salt water.

Good luck! I'll be starting a thread here soonish with my own immense pool of questions as I plan out things myself.

 

[Cksnffr]

Cool channel. I'll check out his vids.

For now, I think I might go with an Eshopps R-300 sump. It seems to have the right mix of reputation and price.

Presumably, building my own reliable, effective protein skimmer is out of the question. It looks like an ASM G-4, like the Eshopps sump, has the right mix of reputation and price.

OH LOOK IT'S ONLY $700 FOR MY FILTRATION SYSTEM BEFORE I EVEN ADD PLUMBING AND THE PUMP GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

:|

 

[greech]

Prefab sumps are expensive no doubt. Making a sump out of a tank is easy, cheap and typically much better than prefabs. It really is as simple as siliconing in glass baffle(s) that cost about $5 each from your local glass shop. Best thing is you will get more room for equipment and more water volume out of a tank than most prefabs.

 

[PhxFish]

Ya that's my thoughts on it, just not sure what size is "suggested" for a 150-180 gallon display tank.

 

[ktrom13]

If i were you i go as big as possible on the sump. Thats a large tank so my guess would he that it would need a large sump. I know nothing about sumps but id probably opt for a 40B or larger just because you want to add things in it and also may want a refugium in the future and a larger sump could very well do both those jobs. Just my 2cents but as i said before i know nothing about sumps

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