Installing Sump for first time!

[LJMitchell87]

Hello All,

 

I have a 10g AGA tank I've converted into a basic 3 chamber sump that will hold a Tunze 9001 skimmer, a refugium, and a mag-5, and be installed onto my 7.5g rimless cube. I purchased an overflow box from LifeReef along with all the plumbing, so now my question is just the hooking up part.

 

My perception is that I should fill the sump with heated and mixed saltwater, then turn the return pump on. Do I have to worry about anything as far as getting the correct water level or accidentally overflowing the sump or the tank? This is my first time doing this, so I just don't want to end up screwing anything up!

 

Thanks!

[vlangel]

Hi LJMichell, a mag 5 is a lot of flow for a 7.5g tank. I don't know the maximum flow capacity of your overflow and drain but there's a good chance that the mag 5 will exceed it. If it does it will overflow your display tank.

To check, look up the maximum flow capacity your overflow and drain can take. Then look up the mag 5's flow rate at what ever head pressure your tank is at. Most tanks with sumps have about 3 feet of head pressure from the pump up to the top of the display tank. The loss of head pressure is marked on the mag 5 box, or you can go to magdrives web site and look at the specs for the mag 5.

[vlangel]

I looked it up for you...using 1/2" tubing which is what the output of the pump is, and if your display tank is about 3' high you are going to have 375gph-450gph depending on if your mag 5 is a danner or some other model. My eshopps nano overflow box could only handle 200gph so I am thinking that if you use the mag 5 there is a very good chance that you will overflow your display tank. Probably you will need a smaller return pump. You could install a valve but those pumps are not really made to be throttled back.

[LJMitchell87]

Thank you for that!

 

http://www.lifereef.com/siphon.html

 

I bought the nano model, so it says its rated for up to 400 gph. My return pump is going to be about 4.5 feet from the top of my tank because its under the tank and to the right a little. I guess the best thing to do is test it while slowly opening a valve on the return to make sure it doesn't overflow the display tank.

[vlangel]

Well, it looks like you are good to go from what I see. You may not need any powerhead at all in your tank with that sort of flow going through it.