Why Saltwater Sumps Aren’t Overrated

When you have a saltwater fish tank, you need to make sure you have the right saltwater aquarium supplies. First let’s discuss why there is a need for a sump in a saltwater aquarium. To make a protein skimmer work correctly, you must feed the “fractionator” (the correct terminology for protein skimmer). The oily surface protein/peptide–rich top layer in any saltwater tank consists of fish and coral waste, foods, and biological byproducts, which turn into nitrates and lower the aquarium’s pH.

The protein-rich layer is pulled into the “overflow box,” which is a misunderstood term because the water doesn’t overflow the tank. It flows “over” the teeth or dam “box” then through a penetration (or bulkhead fitting), usually in the bottom of the tank, to drain into the sump. Preferably, sumps should be acrylic. Glass can leak over time.

The water usually will flow through a mechanical filter. You should use 100 micron bags to remove solid waste. From there, a protein fractionator (skimmer) extracts the protein/peptides by way of the massive amount of air bubbles in the skimmer. The bubbles are being split up or “fractionated.” The more bubbles created and the smaller they are, the better the skimmer.

The pump that returns the water to the tank is usually connected to an external or a submersible pump. If you plan on having a 55 or 60-gallon saltwater fish or reef tank, a rough cost for the sump idea is as follows:

• Overflow box already installed in the aquarium with drilled bottom $120
  
• Acrylic sump with 100 micron bag holder glued into the sump and bag $100-$300
  
• 1000-gph pump (which will flow more or less 750 at 5’ height or less $70-$180
  
• Lines, fittings, tubing, bulkheads, clamps, return Robo Lines, etc. $100
  
• Protein skimmer (the better the skimmer, the better the aquarium) $200-$400

The total for the least expensive sump is over $590 and up to $1100 for a very good quality one. If it’s a “fish only” tank, we haven’t talked about biological or chemical filtration yet, so add bioballs and a carbon reactor for an additional $50-$200.

An alternative is to scrap the sump and everything above for a high-quality German Tunze 9012 internal protein skimmer that is 1/3 the size of the overbearing “overflow box” mentioned above. These quiet Hi-Tech Skimmers have a world patent that allows the “in-the-aquarium” skimmer to pull the water from the surface, just like an overflow box. For a reef tank add an internal Tunze filter for chemical and mechanical filtration. The total outlay of expenses is only $380 for something that will perform exquisitely.

For a saltwater fish tank we recommend a Cascade 1200 canister filter. On a 60-gallon tank, add a Matrix and Bituminous carbon for extra biological filtration. The Cascade is a stout filter that blows away anything even close to its price range, equaling a total outlay of about $520.

At Aquatic Warehouse, we recommend a sump for systems over 90 gallons so you can add reactors, refugiums, and more, but we adamantly recommend tempering glass tank bottoms if you’re drilling more than one hole because of the high risk of tanks cracking over time. If you’re going to start a mid-sized aquarium, it’s a lot more fun to spend your hard-earned money on animals instead of trying to throw together a labor-intensive, potentially leaky, noisy, sump filtration system. We have sold hundreds of sump systems and have been on the cutting edge of sump design for 18 years with our “True Berlin Filtration System,” which we ship nationally. Times have changed, and things are easier now. There is a lot of misinformation about the filtration you need to make a reef or fish tank work well. We hope this will help you decide for yourself which choice to make.

From a variety of filtration options to submersible pond pumps, Aquatic Warehouse has everything you need to maintain an indoor fish tank or outdoor pond. Check out our products on our website, stop by our store in Kearny Mesa, or give us a call at 858-467-9297.