55g Sump Price?

I'm wanting to get a sump for the 55 gallon mbuna tank I'm planning. How big would it have to be and about how much would it cost?

 

Are you going to buy a premade sump, or are you going to build it yourself? It would be much cheaper if you made it yourself - $55 for the tank + baffles and silicone.

 

I have no problem making my own and if it's cheaper I'll go that route. How big should the tank be? And how would I do the overflow box??

 

Oh I misread that. I thought you were making a 55 gal into a sump.

A 40 breeder would be a great size, but you could go smaller if you needed to.

I considered an HOB overflow box but I read too many horror stories online, so I drilled my tank and siliconed an overflow box in instead.

 

How hard is it to drill a tank? I've never done it before and I'd hate to mess it up. Would a 20 or 30 gallon work?

 

It's not hard, but you need the right equipment. There might be people around you who know how and can do it for you? I asked a friend with experience do it for me. I sat and watched, and it only took around 15 minutes for him to do 3 holes.

 

I know a bunch of people who can probably do it for me. I also want to ask something else. Is a sump even worth it cost wise on a tank of that size? It seems like it would run more than a canister.

 

A 20 gallon would be fine . Drilling may be stressful at first but not near as stressful as wondering if the system will break syphon and flood sump or dt.

 

It doesn't have to be super expensive, but you don't need a sump for this tank. A canister would be completely fine. I'm working on a sump for a 44 gal pentagon tank just to have the experience of setting it up.

 

A 525gph canister would be good right?

 

Yea that's almost 10x turnover be more like 7 to 8 after media but should be fine.