[webbster45]

ive had my tank for about 2 months now and ive been reading several forums about the positive aspects of a sump filtration system. i have a 75 gallon tank with a canister filter on it now. i have 4 fish with a few inverts would it be safe to switch to a sump system. what do i have to do to switch to a sump

[wozza]

it will be fine to add a sump.
im presuming you have not got a drilled tank as you would most probly have a sump already.
If this is the case you will need a way to get the water from you tank to the sump, there a two ways i would go about it.

1) you could drain the tank half way and drill it and install in a stand pipe, this method is the most relible way of getting water form a tank to a sump in that you dont have to worry about the siphon breaking.
but it is also somewhat risky and i would not reckomend it as there is allways the possibilty of the tank cracking whilst drilling it.
2) this is the safer option yet not as reliable, as the siphon might break but if you get a relible overflow box i think chance of it happening will be reduced.
to install this simply purchace an overflow box, plonk it on your tank plumb it up to your sump and plumb in the ruturn pump, one thing people have done is to attatch a pice of airline tubeing to the very top of the overflow and then attatch that to the venturi attatchment of a powerhead then if any bubbles form in the over flow box they should be sucked out.

hope this helps, james

[Reefland]

This might help:
http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/overflows_sumps.php

[jackryan]

strongly recommend that you employ a tank... my first salt water tank only run on canisters and i had high casualty turn-overs...

my newer thank now employs a sump tank that has a DSB and a refugium...

[salt-rookie]

Its NEVER too late to add a sump, fuge or any additional water volume! I just added a second supm to better utilize my skimmer and UV.

[JR719]

Originally Posted by salt-rookie

Its NEVER too late to add a sump, fuge or any additional water volume!

+1. I did not know better until about after a year of my first reef tank (was FO before). Very easy to add to my system. I did not have the built in overflow's like on today's tanks. I bought a HOB overflow which went into a rubbermaid tub. Added about 20 gallons to my system and a nice place to put a big protein skimmer. I had most of my equipment operating from that rubbermaid tub without any problems. Yea, it looked ugly, but it worked. That is what is important. Oh yea, made water changes a little easier.