Is my sump large enough?

[Biokabe]

I recently inherited a 50g tank (48" x 13" x 19")that had been used as a freshwater tank. It came with a 10g sump, completely unused - my relative never set it up, was just gathering dust in the attic. I'm not new to saltwater or reefing, but I am new to sumps - my 9-year-old BioCube has never had a sump - and I'm not sure that 10g is really large enough for a reef tank. My current plan is to use the sump for housing the skimmer, heater and any reactors that I may end up using, and then plumb the sump into a secondary small tank that will be a refugium. So my questions are:

1) Is my plan overkill - do I need that second tank, or is the 10g sump enough on its own?
2) Is my plan realistic, or am I better off selling that sump and replacing it with something larger? If so, how large should I aim for?

 

[brett_schn]

I would go larger only because what if the power goes out and pump shuts down. The overflow will flow down to the sump and over flow the sump

 

[beaslbob]

Bigger is better.

But as long as you have it adjusted so you get no floods, it should work.

As long as your skimmer and stuff fits that is.

You could always add a 20-30g storage container between the tank and sump for a refugium also.

my .02

 

[Mr. Bill]

I would go larger only because what if the power goes out and pump shuts down. The overflow will flow down to the sump and over flow the sump

Bigger is better.

But as long as you have it adjusted so you get no floods, it should work.

As long as your skimmer and stuff fits that is.

You could always add a 20-30g storage container between the tank and sump for a refugium also.

my .02

Agreed, as long as your equipment fits, any size container will work. However, bigger is better, so while your still in the planning stage, I'd suggest getting the largest tank that will fit in your cabinet. You'll thank yourself later when you decide you need to make changes. Always easier to add dividers to the existing sump than to plumb in a second one.

 

[nervousmonkey]

Agreed with everyone. I am definitely not a proponent of a blanket to always get the biggest thing one can get, but in this case, I would say that the advice fits your situation. For the most part, I think that a 10 gallon sump is definitely big enough for a 50 gallon tank; the ratio of tank to sump is fine, and there are systems with much bigger ratios of tanks to sumps.
That said, I agree that having a larger sump would be beneficial, or as @beaslbob said, adding a 20-30 gallon tub or container in between the tank and sump would provide an awesome refugium, would keep the 10 gallon from overflowing, help filter your water, provides a place for filtration by live rock, xport plates/cubes, etc.; essentially that fixes a lot of problems, including power going out and causing an overflow.
With a large healthy refugium, all you really need is a skimmer as far as filtration goes, at least IMO.