Although sumps can be complicated, it is possible to set up a simple sump that will add water volume to your system, help with filtration, conveniently keep unsightly equipment out of the display tank as well as improve your reef's health. 

Are you thinking about setting up a sump for your reef tank? Check out our CVtv episode where we go over the benefits of a simple reef sump.

Although sumps can be complicated, it is possible to set up a simple sump that will add water volume to your system, help with filtration, conveniently keep unsightly equipment out of the display tank as well as improve your reef's health.   

...will add water volume to your system, help with filtration, conveniently keep unsightly equipment out of the display tank.

Key Advantages

A sump has many advantages:

Provide a safe refuge for equipment like heaters, protein skimmers, monitoring probes, automatic top off unites, media reactors and more. 

• Keeps that filtration equipment in a hidden location instead of inside the tank where it can be unsightly and take up precious space that can be used more corals.
• It can also increases total water volume, which helps dilute the pollutants that accumulate in your tank’s water. It also helps with gas exchange and oxygenation as water drains from the aquarium into the sump.
• The sump provides added surface area and increased flow that helps lower water temperature.
• The sump makes it easier to control evaporation, as it will occur there instead of within the main display tank.
• The sump also provides a moderate-flow area that can be easily accessed to add chemicals and top-off water.  There the additives will be fully dispersed before they make it back to the display tank. 

The Reef Octopus Sump

The Reef Octopus Sump is designed with the modern reef aquarist in mind. Its simplistic approach allows for easy expansion and service. It is constructed of light yet durable PVC that is less prone to breakage due to impact.

Each Reef Octopus Sump includes a movable sock holder with filter sock, a universal probe holder, and a positional internal baffle to retain stable water height within the skimmer section as well as provide a separate return pump compartment. 

Reef Octopus Sump includes a movable sock holder with filter sock.

 It also includes a universal probe holder.

The sump also includes a positional internal baffle to retain stable water height within the skimmer section as well as provide a separate return pump compartment.

Choosing the Right Sump for Your System

Reef Octopus sumps are available in four convenient sizes for aquariums up to 200 gallons.

When deciding what size sump you need, it is good to know what you are planning  to place in it. Keep in mind that a sump that is too small increases the risk of an overflow if the power fails or if the return pump stops working.   Also, small sumps make servicing equipment more difficult, evaporation rates quickly deplete water volume, micro bubbles are a challenge to overcome and you are limited in the expansion of your filtration system.

Our advice is always to squeeze in the largest sump that can be fit in the available space. The BIGGER the BETTER as increased water volume helps keep your entire system more stable.

Learn more about the Reef Octopus Sumps... 

Mechanical Filtration

Filter socks are used as a effective first stage of an aquariums filtration process and should be placed so that water coming from the tank filters into the sock first to remove uneaten food, detritus, organic waste, dust, and other small particulates from aquarium water. This dramatically improves water quality and reduces maintenance on pumps, the need to clean the sump, and more importantly, it helps biological filtration by removing the excessive waste that would otherwise break down into ammonia, nitrate and phosphates.  

Filter socks are used as a effective first stage of an aquariums filtration process and should be placed so that water coming from the tank filters into the sock first to remove uneaten food, detritus, organic waste, dust, and other small particulates from aquarium water.

Filter socks should be replaced often and it’s a good idea to have several on hand to easily swap out with a clean sock when needed. We recommend a starting point of every three to five days and adjusting it according to your system needs. 

Learn more about filter socks... 

Positionable Baffle

An eight inch movable baffle allows for a compact yet efficient way to properly adjust the chamber sizes within the sump. It creates two basic areas needed in every sump. 

The adjustable baffle creates two basic areas needed in every sump - a skimmer section and a return section.

The main filtration area contains the sock for mechanical filtration and enough space to adequately house the protein skimmer, heater and other devices.

• The return section where the return pump plus automatic top off level sensor are located.

Choosing a Return Pump

The return pump is the most important piece of equipment as it provides the return of water from the sump to the aquarium 24hrs a day.

The ideal return pump for the Reef Octopus Sump will provide a turnover rate of 4-6 times your aquarium size. So if you have a 75-gallon tank, you would want to gear towards a turnover rate of 300-450 gallons per hour.

The ideal return pump for the Reef Octopus Sump will provide a turnover rate of 4-6 times your aquarium size.

Now… How do you measure the flow rate within your sump?

To determine the turnover rate through your sump do as follow:

 Time how long it takes to collect 1 gallon of water from your drain

• Divide 3600 which is the number of second in an hour by the number of seconds it took to collect the 1 gallon of water.  

So if it takes 14 seconds to fill one gallon of water, then your pump is roughly processing 260 gallons per hour through your sump.

3600 seconds / 14 seconds per gallon = 260 gallons

The new RODC pumps are a great option for ultimate control of the flow through your sump as you can simply adjust the flow rate by increasing or lowering the speed of the pump. 

Learn more about the new RODC Pumps...

Automatic Top Off

A nice feature to incorporate into your sump is the ability to automatically replenish evaporated water as needed.

The Smart ATO is a unique Automatic Top Off system with a patent-pending contactless digital sensor that monitors and automatically refills evaporated water.

The Smart ATO is a unique Automatic Top Off system with a patent-pending contactless digital sensor that monitors and automatically refills evaporated water. Best of all, it is very easy to install and contains no moving parts.  It helps keep your tanks salinity stable plus it also prevents your return pump from running dry. 

Learn more about the Smart ATO... 

If you have any questions on reef sumps or the products discussed here, please head over to www.coralvue.com/support and submit a support ticket.