Sump Necessity

[YHSublime]

So I'm having a bit of trouble selling my 55 gallon, at least as a whole (freshwater) package, and I'm getting impatient of sitting around waiting to setup my 40 breeder. I'm planning on selling the livestock, scrubbing the 55, and setting it up exactly where it is now, mounting my new LED's above.

 

I have a fuge that I can hang on the back, I'll be looking for a HOB Protien Skimmer, but other than that, would I need a sump? I figure it wouldnt' hurt, either way. I'll probably even keep the canister filter, scrub it out, and toss as much rubble rock as I can in there, and dose carbon.

[L8 2 RISE]

I would avoid setting up the 55 as a saltwater tank at all costs. It is absolutely the worst dimensions for a reef and you will regret it very quickly. There's a reason 55's are hard to sell. Your best bet is craigslist. You'll have a hard time selling a 55 on WAMAS for anything other than a sump or fuge (which is what I used mine for). When I broke my system down it took me about a year to sell/give away (can't remember which I did) my 55 and stand.

 

If you absolutely have to use the 55, I would drill it and go with a sump over anything HOB. It's much easier to deal with, you'll get better equipment and it will look cleaner. Skip the canister filter all together, it will be more of a pain than it's worth.

Edited January 22, 2013 by L8 2 RISE

[jimlin]

avoid the hob fuge. i had a problem with mines. return pipe busted on me twice. i didnt learn my lesson the first time. if you dont want to drill, get a cpr overflow. i dont have experience with hob skimmers. you can use the 55 for saltwater, but you probably want to plan carefully since you dont have a lot of width to play with. i agree that you should post it on craigslist and setup what you really want rather setup something you dont want just to replace it down the road.

[YHSublime]

Yeah. I looked at the extra width of my 40 and definitely appreciate it more. I'm keeping my options open, maybe a complete setup will pop up in the FS section and the time will be just right, and my 55 will sell. I would break down the 55 and store it, if I didn't have the plants and livestock to be concerned with.

[Jason Rhoads]

You could do a really nice sea grass setup with the 55. That tank would give you enough depth to get a great root system. Plus, you could plumb that into your 40 and have a baller refugium that would produce copious amounts of food for your corals.

[Jason Rhoads]

Oh, also seahorses would be great in a low-flow 55g.