HOB or Sump?

[gaucho30]

Okay so I am putting together a list of things I want to do to my tank (40g breeder) and after replacing my bulbs a skimmer is my top priority. For a while I was going to go with a sump but after going to my LFS the owner suggested a HOB skimmer as he said overflows can be a pain in the ***. Drilling is out of the question as I have no where to store all my stuff. Another issue is as far as sumps go I would be pretty limited for space as the inside is only 36x18 and I will have to get back to you on the height. As far as HOB skimmers go I was looking at the octopus 100-ss. I would like to be able to have a refug but if I go with a HOB that seems to be out of the question. I going back and forth between HOB or go for the sump. Can anyone with experience with overflows and HOB skimmers give me their two cents?

[imcosmokramer]

I would go with a sump. More room, more options.

[davewbush]

I don't trust overflow boxes but having a sump is the way to go.

[thegrun]

If you can find a way to eventually have both a refugium and a skimmer, that would be the goal. It doesn't really matter where you place them, as long as they are accessible. While I prefer a skimmer in a sump (less likely to flood IMHO), HOB skimmers work fine. I think adding a refugium to my tank helped it as much or more than the skimmer. I think having both is a must if your goal is a health reef tank

[funkngroovy]

Sump, Sump, Sump.

you can go high tech or no tech, eg, a simple plastic bucket.


It looks better, more option to add later, a great place to put all of your ugly equipment, heater, Top up ect.

[DLANDINO]

I have an HOB Deltec MCE 600 skimmer and no sump. I too have space issues under my stand so I am stuck. I think the sump is the way to go but if you decide on an HOB be sure that it has an overflow drain that either flows back into the body of the skimmer or into a tube leading to a container. Also, if you want to check it out I have a friend selling a 100 but it is pending a sale. You never know if it will fall through. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1632558

[gaucho30]

Hmmmm.... decisions decisions. So the sump seems to be the way to go but I keep getting negative feedback on external overflow boxes... I guess its time to look for a drilled 40g tank since I really dont want to pay to have mine drilled especially since there are some scratches on the tank as it is. For the time being I think ill try and nab a HOB for a good price. If I have 30" across underneath my stand do you think I could squeeze a little refug with some live rock and chaeto in? Right now im thinking of just using a tub as sump aesthetics are definitely not a top priority for me right now

[PRDubois]

The octopus 100-ss is a good skimmer and will do what you want.

[Uncle Salty 05]

Don't be afraid of overflow boxes, they work just fine.
Drilled tanks only started showing up about 10-15 years ago.
Millions of tanks have been kept with external overflows and millions more will be.

[anoy1nce]

Drilling a tank is actually very easy and safe as long as you dont apply pressure to the drill. Check out glass-holes.com, they have kits you can buy that come with the drill bit and overflow box. You can find tutorials on there on how to do it, and even on youtube. A sump is one of the best things you can add to a system and you'll most likely regret not doing it as it increases your water volume and makes your system more stable. Not to mention you dont have any ugly heaters in your tank =P