Pro's of a Basement sump

rdavis47 · 05/03/2012, 05:15 PM

Now with everyone switching to LED's is there still value in having a sump located in the basement?

MattyO · 05/03/2012, 06:53 PM

I guess the main thing would be u can have a sump bigger then ur tank, it's easier for maintenance and on ur back lol... Not that I have a basement sump though

eatbreakfast · 05/03/2012, 07:01 PM

Dont have to worry about splashes as much when doing water changes, and often easy to have your main pump valved to a house sump pump or slop sink to do water changes quickly and easily.

jerpa · 05/03/2012, 07:16 PM

Noise is greatly reduced. You aren't confined by a stand when working on your equipment. Your sump can be any size and adding a stand alone refugium or frag tank is very simple. Water changes are a breeze if there is a floor drain nearby. The downside is costs for plumbing and pressure rated pumps. The electricity for the heating in the winter is generally higher. I think the pros greatly outweigh the Cons but to each their own.

snorvich · 05/03/2012, 07:27 PM

All my sumps are in the basement. I would never consider doing it any other way: noise is less, ease of doing maintenance, larger skimmer, large refugium. Con is the larger pump required to overcome head.

James77 · 05/03/2012, 08:08 PM

Some have switched to LEDs, then went running back to their previous lighting

Pros of a basement sump: Easy water changes, I really, really miss the days of rolling a barrel up to the tank and starting a siphon. Now- im lucky enough to live above a walk out basement- I need to go outside, run a hose in and run water into it, then start the siphon. More room, nothing crammed under the sump, less noise if you use loud equipment.

cons- heat loss for me, I had 1200 watts of heat running on a 175g tank almost 24/7 in the winter. Bigger pumps. Nothing other than that, If I had the room and motivation I would do it again.

TheFishTeen · 05/06/2012, 06:30 PM

Hmmm, I think this thread should be "are there ANY cons to having a basement sump?"

Everything is better. Temp and humidity are easier to control (unless you don't have an insulated basement and live in North Dakota). Way more options for, well, basically everything. You don't have to worry about cramming all your pumps, reactors, skimmer, refugium etc into that claustrophobic space under your tank. Granted, I've seen some nice systems with all the filtration under the tank but basement/fish rooms are ten times better.

Take a look at this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1846238

MarkGP · 05/06/2012, 07:21 PM

The biggest pro is how quiet the tank is. For me the only con is having extra heaters for the winter due to the colder basement and the higher electric bill.

05/03/2012, 05:15 PM	#1
rdavis47 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 11	Pro's of a Basement sump Now with everyone switching to LED's is there still value in having a sump located in the basement?

05/03/2012, 06:53 PM	#2
MattyO Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Long Island Posts: 800	I guess the main thing would be u can have a sump bigger then ur tank, it's easier for maintenance and on ur back lol... Not that I have a basement sump though __________________ ~300G System, 180+ 90 plumbed to 75G Sump.. in the making

05/03/2012, 07:27 PM	#5
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	All my sumps are in the basement. I would never consider doing it any other way: noise is less, ease of doing maintenance, larger skimmer, large refugium. Con is the larger pump required to overcome head. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

05/03/2012, 08:08 PM	#6
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	Some have switched to LEDs, then went running back to their previous lighting Pros of a basement sump: Easy water changes, I really, really miss the days of rolling a barrel up to the tank and starting a siphon. Now- im lucky enough to live above a walk out basement- I need to go outside, run a hose in and run water into it, then start the siphon. More room, nothing crammed under the sump, less noise if you use loud equipment. cons- heat loss for me, I had 1200 watts of heat running on a 175g tank almost 24/7 in the winter. Bigger pumps. Nothing other than that, If I had the room and motivation I would do it again. __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

05/03/2012, 07:01 PM	#3
eatbreakfast Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: seymour, ct Posts: 1,636	Dont have to worry about splashes as much when doing water changes, and often easy to have your main pump valved to a house sump pump or slop sink to do water changes quickly and easily.

05/03/2012, 07:16 PM	#4
jerpa Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 2,174	Noise is greatly reduced. You aren't confined by a stand when working on your equipment. Your sump can be any size and adding a stand alone refugium or frag tank is very simple. Water changes are a breeze if there is a floor drain nearby. The downside is costs for plumbing and pressure rated pumps. The electricity for the heating in the winter is generally higher. I think the pros greatly outweigh the Cons but to each their own.

05/06/2012, 06:30 PM	#7
TheFishTeen Registered Member. Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,677	Hmmm, I think this thread should be "are there ANY cons to having a basement sump?" Everything is better. Temp and humidity are easier to control (unless you don't have an insulated basement and live in North Dakota). Way more options for, well, basically everything. You don't have to worry about cramming all your pumps, reactors, skimmer, refugium etc into that claustrophobic space under your tank. Granted, I've seen some nice systems with all the filtration under the tank but basement/fish rooms are ten times better. Take a look at this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1846238

05/06/2012, 07:21 PM	#8
MarkGP Why do I do this? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bristol, RI Posts: 1,015	The biggest pro is how quiet the tank is. For me the only con is having extra heaters for the winter due to the colder basement and the higher electric bill.