saltwater setup questions

im still toying with the idea of using my 75 gallon tank for salt atr but have a few questions.thanks in advance.

1.i dont want to have my tank drilled but want to go the sump route what are my options?

2. i have a marineland magum pro 350 canister filter with the bio wheels can i use this at all?

3. would a 10 or 20 gallon tank be ok for a sump?

Her we go Sump time !!
1.PVC overflows or acrylic overflow
2.I think you can use it for flow, no media??(Im no expert)
3. I would go bigger like a 29 but i have seen 20 longs used as sumps

Check this out
https://usafishbox.forumotion.com/t7727-strikingthematch-diy-sump?highlight=sump

thanks ill check it out

Really the bigger the sump you can realistically use the better

There are are several company's that make hang on back over flows here is http://www.cpraquatic.com/index2.html on company I have never used one personally so you might want to look up some reviews on them

You can use the canister filter if you want but I would not use it as the only filter and if your going the sump route seems unecessary http://www.aquaristsonline.com/blog/aquarium-equipment/aquarium-filter/the-canister-filter-any-use-in-the-marine-aquarium/

heres my opinion on your questions and what i would do.

!- I would search craigslist. You can find cheap deals all the time on used drilled tanks. The overflow boxes are accidents waiting to happen. When they lose siphon you could be in for a mess. Id search find a good deal on a used 75 or 90 that is already drilled. Sell your tank to offset the cost. You will be happier with a drilled tank anyways. I picked up my 75 with a beatiful cherry stand and canopy for $200 bucks.

2-Canister filters are Nitrate factories. If you do have to use it ditch the bio balls. But like i said above if you search craigslist you can find a deal on a skimmer even better you may be able to find a package deal.

3- as for a sump. The bigger is better because you have more water volume. But sometimes you dont have the space. I have a 20 long under my 75 and its perfect. I baffled it into three sections. One is where the tank drains down, i have a thick sand bed there, some live rock, and chaeto. Then there is my first glass baffle. It over flows into a small section where i have live rock. Then it goes under the second glass baffle into my equipment section. This is where i have my skimmer and return pump.

With salt waterif you arent patient and wait til you can get the right stuff before starting you are just going to throw a bunch of stuff together and not be happy with it and spend more money in the long run. Trust me i know this for a fact. I am on my 4th tank in one year. I now have the tank i wanted to start with and after i get my new powerheads this month i will have all nice equipment. You want it to be as easy and stress/worry free as possible. That way you enjoy it instead of feeling like its a chore.

08can-am wrote:

The overflow boxes are accidents waiting to happen. When they lose siphon you could be in for a mess. .

You should run two just like filters. One to back the other up just in case one gets clogged. Always test in real time before jumping right in and installing. I run two PVC overflows that can handle double the gph. In other words if one fails the other can handle the full load of the pump. I have never owned a drilled tank so I can't say much on that. There are fail safe methods to stop overflowing of sump or tank out there(floats).

thanks guys for the suggestions and ideas ill look into it more

if you really want the benefit's of a tank with a sump/fuge you really should
wait till you can get a reef ready tank simply because the potential of floods are likely. you can get a HOB fuge that will add beneficial critters, chaeto etc to your tank without the worry of flooding your house. check valves do fail..

well after more research and watching some videos ive decided im gonna make my 75 gallon tank a saltwater tank with a diy overflow & make a 20g long tank for a sump .

i got a killer deal on approx. 100lbs of live rock and a coralife 125 protien skimmer for under $80.00 for both so thats gonna jump start this process. im still going to need the return pump , and some water circulators and sand but im off to a good start .

i have a few questions on the sump and overflow though .

1. what is the best setup to use and how many chambers? i was thinking skimmer/refugium with live rock and sand /return but how much space for each?

2. after i fill the tank ,when setting u the sump with the tank do i fill the sump to a certain level then turn the motor on ? how do i determin how much water to put in the sump?

3.whats the recommended pvc diameter for a 75 gallon tank and what return motor GPH do i need ? i think i read 600GPH but wanna check for sure.

thank you everyone for your help . im open to suggestions on canges on anything i posted .

Start off here and then use the search bar at the top and type in Sump. There are tons of links to your questions.
https://usafishbox.forumotion.com/t9243-sump-question?highlight=sump
https://usafishbox.forumotion.com/search?mode=searchbox&search_keywords=sump&show_results=topics