Skimmer Help Urgent!

[Richard B]

i need some help here as my mind has gone completly blank


here is the things i have.

1 external canister filter
1 spare tank
2 hoses
1 heater

can i have this as the setup

inlet hose > spare tank > Canister head (the pump thing) > skimmer/heater > return hose


Will this in theory work as a makeshift sump as my tank has no holes for a actual sump?


Cheers

Rich

 

[ozzie2011]

If its a case of wanting a sump without drilling your tank why not use an overflow box?

 

[john.o]

In short nope
What you need is an over flow box like this....

http/www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http/www.melevsreef.com/plumbing/refugium.gif&imgrefurl=http/www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html&usg=__1pBMpAhIZ5BIMyo8Wbl-2zOlYLI=&h=500&w=500&sz=686&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=E249Ik3L4ZmDHM:&tbnh=159&tbnw=159&ei=qHJNTcTbAs-xhAea4bitDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Doverflow%2Bbox%2Baquarium%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1123%26bih%3D499%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=922&oei=qHJNTcTbAs-xhAea4bitDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=96&ty=60

 

[Richard B]

i dont want to spend any more money plus i dont want a box on the tank

 

[ozzie2011]

What is the size of the tank you want to use as the sump?

 

[Richard B]

150lts

 

[ozzie2011]

Ok, someone else might want to pipe in here but I would say you would ideally want more turnover through the sump than what your external will give.

Seriously I would spend the £30 or so for an overflow box and get a decent return pump. Be much better in the long run

 

[seffieuk]

Agree with John (and by the way, lovely to have you back we have missed you) and Ozzie, get yourself a tunze overflow box, its got an anti syphob feature

Seffie x

 

[john.o]

Thanks seffie.
Yep this defiantly not some think you won’t to tinker with it needs to been done correctly or you’re going to end up with a lot of salty water on the floor
If you could get the tank drilled {most LFS will do this for you} it would defiantly be the way to go and to be perfectly honest it won’t work out that much more expensive than a over flow box which again IMO you are playing Russian roulette with. I just don’t like the idea of a system that uses a siphon to get the water down to the sump as there is just that risk of it all going pe tong. Now as for flow through the sump then you should be looking for 10x total water volume tern over per hour through your sump with a further 20 x turn over {flow} inside the display
Hope this is of some help john