# Sump?



## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

Does anyone know if I can add a 18 gal sump onto my 10 gal tank?

:| I AM SERIOUS!


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

I cant even read your post.  Or should I say not going to try to read that highlighted text.


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

My rule is any place you can put a sump you could have another tank with more fish in it.

A sump is not supposed to be larger than the tank it is servicing. They are best used for sw tanks and larger fw tanks.


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

o man I wanted a cheaper extention of my tank!


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

DavidDoyle @ Thu Feb 03 said:


> My rule is anypace you can put a sump you could have another tank with more fish in it.
> 
> A sump is not supposed to be larger than the tank it is servicing. They are best used for sw tanks and larger fw tanks.


Ditto


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

no right now I have a tuppaware box that Drs. Foster and Smith says will work as a sump. So are u saying that it is not a good idea to put a sump on my 10 gal?


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Its not necessary. THe tank is to small to need that kind of filtration. It is a freshwater setup correct?


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## aquariumfishguy (Jan 18, 2005)

Sounds like overkill.


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

really I wanted to make my own sump instead of buying a wet-dry filter. I started to like the idea when I saw that any extention would be a sump.

Right now I have a large enough filter to filter the extra water I plan to have. I would only need a small heater and a pump, which I was looking at getting any ways.


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

The sump will not hurt anything and will give the system more water so it should be more stable, but it does sound like overkill on a 10G FW tank.


RC


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

so no go on just pumping water into a big bin


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

I use 2 30G sumps on my Barracks system for my Bettas. They are just plastic containers from Walmart.


RC


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

that is the thing I just got a 18 gal container that is a great fit in this corner in my room. So I was thinking that it might be better to extend my 10 gallon into that then I would not have as much maitnance. This would also allow me to put algee eaters in the "sump" to controll my crazy algee problem.


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

one problem with a sump is unless it's done right it's very easy to end up with a bunch of water on the floor if something screws up when your not there.


RC


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## icp (Jan 18, 2005)

BlackBetta @ Fri Feb 04 said:


> one problem with a sump is unless it's done right it's very easy to end up with a bunch of water on the floor if something screws up when your not there.
> 
> 
> RC


yea have hade my 390g tank almost compleatly drain on the floor because the power turned off and it backflowed out the intake to the sump  :mrgreen:


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

so should I look into a one way valve or something like that to prevent a backflow?


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

maybe I was thinking of getting pumps both into and out of my tank. Will this stop a backflow?


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

unless the pump have the perfect flow rate... and that doesn't change because of a piece of dirt getting in one pump then one tank or the other will over flow because it gets more water from the faster pump.

RC


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## madmatrixz3000 (Feb 3, 2005)

I was gonna get indentical pumps


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

That doesn't realy help. Every pump is a little different and any little piece of plant or dirt can change the flow rate enough to flood one tank and empty the other. You need an overflow for the 10G tank and a pump to pump back up from the sump to the tank.

RC


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## icp (Jan 18, 2005)

what u would need is a overflow with a pump that pushes a little less than the overflow puts in :mrgreen: 


overflow- http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3642&ref=3055&subref=AC&N=2004+22778


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