Preparing For A Sump - Questions...

[dubious49]

hi everybody. i'm planning to upgrade my 10 gallon to a 29 gallon and was thinking of using the 10 gallon as a sump. knowing nothing about sumps i've been researching the topic throughout this forum and the rest of the internet for the past 4 days. so now that i'm armed with information, i've narrowed my sump-newbie-ness down to a few specific questions:

 

1. initially, i'm envisioning a basic setup (i.e. an overflow box connected to the 10 gallon sump that contains a skimmer, heater and a pump/return). would it be a hassle to convert this basic sump into a fuge after the everything is up and running? would it be better to plan out the fuge from the start?

 

2. similar to question #1, if i set up the tank first without the sump, can i get away with no skimmer and weekly water changes until i install the sump? and if not, if i buy a HOB skimmer will i be able to use it in the sump or will i need to replace it with an in-sump skimmer?

 

3. lastly, and probably the stupidist question of all, how do you do water changes on a tank with a sump? if i had to guess, i'd say that you break the flow cycle to/from the sump, cyphon the water from the main tank, replace with new water and then re-establish the flow cycle to/from the sump. is that how it works?

 

i think answers to those three should cover it. but if anyone can think of anything else that i might have missed, i'd be most grateful.

 

thanks!

[offsprg01]

if you have space behind you tank, you can dremel out two bulkheads in the side of you ten gallon. and basically mountit like and evtreamly large hang on back filter. (do not hang it one your tank. make a stand or shelf for it.) thats how i set my fuge up. i just put pvc pipe inthe bulk head andpuot 90's on the end of that. if you place end of thepipe just below the surface of the water will will get no buble and no noise. then just place a ph be hind the rock work of your display and run tubing from it to the sump/fuge. (that probably makes no sense) i'll post pics tomorrow.

[FAC_WNY]

1.) It'll be a huge hassle if you plan on drilling the tank. And I'd never suggest going over the back..I much prefer drilling, more versatile and less likely to get screwed up in my experience..

 

2)No reason you can't use a HOB skimmer on a sump..it just takes up a bit more room in your design (hangs outside the sump rather than sitting in it). I wouldn't try to convert the current 10 gallon into the sump while everything is inside of it..too complicated, easier to just go out and get a new cheapy 10 gal than try and work with all the hassles.

 

3) Waterchanges are incredibly easy with a sump...you just siphon out of the sump (as long as you've got enough water left in it to run the return pump) and put your replacement water back into the sump..no need to shut anything off..and the beauty of it is that the water in the display never goes down, exposing things to air or scaring the hell out of the fish..lol.

 

 

Cheers,

Fred