New, thinking, of sump/refurgium?

Hey guys i currently have a 20gal High tank setup but am picking up a 100gal soon. So what size sump tank would be good for a 100gal? And how does it all work? I mean everything, the overflow, the sump tank(i want to build my own out of a 20L tank) what do i put in it? Can i put macro algae in it to use as filtration?

 

I would reccomend get the largest sump you can fit and afford. A 20 gallon would work, but i would go larger if possible. Preferably you would want to drill your display tank and install an overflow box. The sump can house anything: heaters, skimmers, reactors, filters, refugium. So yes you could put a macro algae down in the sump provided it has a grow light. You would then need a return pump to pump the water back up to the display.
As for the design of the baffles in the sump, thats really up to you and your personal preference.

 

How do i go about drilling? Where are the best places to drill? Do i have to have an overflow or is there another way to go so i dont have anything hanging off the back?

 

You can drill the tank yourself if you are willing to do so (its not as hard as it sounds). Check out the link below for the products to do it yourself. They also sell the overflows and return kits. These kits are all internal overflow boxes (there would be anything hanging over the edge.

http://www.glass-holes.com/

 

I am going to be building a custom stand for my 100gal tank. Think it would be good to put my 55gal underneath as a sump tank?

 

the bigger the better....a 55 gallon would be awesome. Thats a ton of room to work with and all that added water volume would be great for stability.

 

What are the dimensions of the 100G? If it is 48" long then it could be hard to fit other things in the stand with a sump that is 48" also. For reactors, external pumps, etc.

 

Ok so what do i do? What do i need to put in it? Does it need to be devided? I know nothing about sumps except its good for the tank. lol I am pretty hands on and can figure stuff out. Just trying to get pointed in the right direction

 

Building a custom stand so i can make it as big as i want.

 

He is a thread i found that is a couple of years old but the design on the sump looks good. I would do somethign like this, just on a larger scale if you do end up using a 55 gallon for the sump.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/refugium/my-new-29g-diy-sump-refuge-62181.html