Basement sump pros & cons?

[sammy77]

I'm starting up my 220gal fowlr and I'm curious on running a sump in the basement directly below my Tank. It's about a 10ft run. I have a 75gal I could use for the sump or purchase one. Is the only pro the noise reduction? What in addition would be needed? Stronger pumps? Thank you for your help

[matgvr]

the only benefits i can see is noise, and it gives you the option to do more with your tank stand for instance you can make a book shelf or something else underneath your tank. Ps 75 gallons is a good size sump for a 220 gallon

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by matgvr

the only benefits i can see is noise, and it gives you the option to do more with your tank stand for instance you can make a book shelf or something else underneath your tank. Ps 75 gallons is a good size sump for a 220 gallon

Great idea with the book shelf. Is a 75 too big?

[jason2459]

I love my basement sump. More space down there to move around and maintenance is so easy. Plus having a floor drain right there with it is extremely useful. A room compared to a small space under a tank has a lot more possibilities. Biggest downside is needing a more powerful return pump using up more electricity and hotter.

[Lorenz725]

I love my basement sump and would never have a tank with out one again. Pros for me are: noise,space, have a 100 gallon sump, 30 gallon, fug, easy water change, and a ton of space. In the summer time it keeps my tank cool when I run my 3 250 MH. Cons: for me I have none.

[matgvr]

There is no to big when it comes to sumps. Biger is always better

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by jason2459

I love my basement sump. More space down there to move around and maintenance is so easy. Plus having a floor drain right there with it is extremely useful. A room compared to a small space under a tank has a lot more possibilities. Biggest downside is needing a more powerful return pump using up more electricity and hotter.

The tank runs hotter?

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by matgvr

There is no to big when it comes to sumps. Biger is always better

Thank you. I thought so, just checking.

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by Lorenz725

I love my basement sump and would never have a tank with out one again. Pros for me are: noise,space, have a 100 gallon sump, 30 gallon, fug, easy water change, and a ton of space. In the summer time it keeps my tank cool when I run my 3 250 MH. Cons: for me I have none.

It would make life alot easier for me as I have a ton of room in that area of the basement, floor drain, great area for my ro/di setup as well. What size return pumps are you guys running?

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by sammy77

The tank runs hotter?

It possibly could.


Also, you need to watch humidity and an exhaust fan to the outside controlled by a humidistat would be good. I don't have that ability and run two dehumidifiers in two different areas of my basement draining into two different floor drains.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by sammy77

It would make life alot easier for me as I have a ton of room in that area of the basement, floor drain, great area for my ro/di setup as well. What size return pumps are you guys running?

I have about a 10+ foot horizontal run with around a 12-14ft head height. I did all the calculations when I setup and its around those numbers. I use a mag 1800 in sump and get around 700gph which is exactly what I want.

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by jason2459

It possibly could.


Also, you need to watch humidity and an exhaust fan to the outside controlled by a humidistat would be good. I don't have that ability and run two dehumidifiers in two different areas of my basement draining into two different floor drains.

I'm sorry but why would it run hotter?

[jason2459]

Any pump produces heat and that turns the pump into an inline heater. Internal pumps are worse then external. Even external pump s do transfer heat especially the bigger and higher head height capable pumps you get are.

An example is my salt water mixing station using an external mag 1800 for my 32gallon brute (another benefit of a nice fish room) . There's nice increase in temp. Let me find my pics and show the temp increase.

[revobreaker]

I think it depends on how you look at it.

Talking about a sump in a dedicated room or basement vs under a stand

Pros:
more room (and more room to grow)
easier to work on (im kinda tall and hunching over to clean out a skimmer etc is a bit of a pita)
equipment sounds quiet
ability to organize equipment better
ability to create other uses for space under tank

Cons:
could be out of sight out of mind leading to less maintance
more plumbing
stronger needed

[sammy77]

Great points. Thank you.

[jason2459]

Here's from my journal: (note the water temp was the same as the room temp to start with as I only run my pump just before a water change)

Originally Posted by jason2459

I was pretty close. Its getting warmer outside now over 80F during the day the past few days. The basement room was at 70F and the mixing station with the pump running for a few hours is close to 82F.

Room Temp


Brute temp

the mixing station

[matgvr]

my pumps 6000 gph and i still need lots of heaters so i shouldn't be a concern. [shouldent]. specially if your basement is cool like mine. I use a barracuda hammerhead external pump with a T that returns 1000g per hour to my sump and the rest goes to my tank.

[madkeenreefer]

basement wet rooms are great!
pros
no waterchanges on the first floor (hardwood floors)
less noise
easy acess to clean equiptment
more room for add-ons
beer fridge
con
have to walk down stairs

[sammy77]

Great looking setup jason2459. My basement is almost 10degrees cooler than the rest of my house. I'm hoping this works to my advantage.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by sammy77

Great looking setup jason2459. My basement is almost 10degrees cooler than the rest of my house. I'm hoping this works to my advantage.

It definitely can. External is better at not transferring heat into the water and some of those are better then others like posted above. Mag drives run hot. It just met my space requirements, heard heights and flow rate I wanted with fairly decent wattage consumption. It just transfers a lot of heat right into the water.

[sammy77]

What external pump would you recommend ?

[James77]

Originally Posted by madkeenreefer

basement wet rooms are great!
pros
no waterchanges on the first floor (hardwood floors)
less noise
easy acess to clean equiptment
more room for add-ons
beer fridge
con
have to walk down stairs

+1 on alot of these points, especially the beer frisge...what an ingenius idea

I switched back to a under the tank sump to save power from heating, which was the only negative of a basement sump. Water changes STINK on the first floor, i resort to starting a siphon with my garden hose out a window and running in 100 mph before it breaks spihon and pees all over the floor. Space is the best of basement sumps. Cons are basement room used up, and possible more heating or cooling, but they are freezing winters here, so it is unsusal.

I have built small enclosed fish rooms and love them........

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by sammy77

What external pump would you recommend ?

Sorry I don't have enough experience with anything else other then the mag drive. It fits my needs but most likely not others. You'll need to figure out your head height and if you want internal or external. On reefcentral home page is a head height calculator.

[sammy77]

Originally Posted by madkeenreefer

basement wet rooms are great!
pros
no waterchanges on the first floor (hardwood floors)
less noise
easy acess to clean equiptment
more room for add-ons
beer fridge
con
have to walk down stairs

Very nice, thank you for sharing that. Is all that for your 150gal?

[buckeyereefer1]

IMO Iwaki, Blueline, reefflo pumps are hard to beat. these are all external also.