Help My Decision 4 A Sump/Skimmer set up.

Hello. I guess this question is for those that like to teach a little. But let me say that i've done a fair amount of reading about Sumps and Refugiums so im not lazy.

I just dont have actual working knowledge of these things. So I dont know if my ideas are any good. If im gonna cause a flood, or anything crazy like that.

Specs. 41 gallon cube aquarium. about 8 months old. parameters are perfect at the time. Zoas, Candy Cane, Frogspawn corals iin very low amounts (frags). They are all doing great going on the last 3 months from the first coral frag purchased (5. dollar frag as a guinea pig). Feather Duster is very happy. 3 small fish, 8 small snails, 12 small hermits. Handful of Chaeto in one of those breeding pens getting good flow hung near surface for light and H20 turbulence.

My problem. I have a canister filter. I dont have a skimmer. And id like a Sump, and a Skimmer.

My space in my cabinet is 17.5"L X 11.5"W X 16.5"H. That would be the outside limits of my Sump. Is this enough volume to make a decent sump on a 41 gallon thats 25" X 25" X 25"?

So, I was thinking about building one. With a skimmer area, a return area, and a small refugium. Do I have enough space in the size of the sump? with a skimmer inside it too?

OR I found this 12" X 12" X 12" 7.5 gallon cube that might fit in there, and I was thinking of using the extra space in the back for one of those Aquamaxx HOB skimmers. Is this idea worth anything? Or should I use the full 17.5 Length that I have in the cabinet to make the sump longer (deeper into the cabinet) than this 12" cube and just get an in-sump skimmer?


Thanks for any help or points in the right direction

 

A 10 gallon tank without refugium would be best for you. Watch the height on the skimmer you choose.

Jeff


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