Quick sump question

[souly]

Hellos! Just wondering if this a good size, or to much!

The sump I've got for this tank is a 20g, and my tank is a 46g.

Also, should I put my heater in the sump or in the actual tank? I know that once I get my protein skimmer it will be going in the sump.

[aspects]

20g is perfect for your sump. its never too much.
You would put the heater in your sump. The idea is to keep as much equipment out of your display as possible. Gives your tank an overall cleaner look.
You may want to set your heater a couple of degrees warmer than usual to get the display to the temp you want. You may loose a little heat in the transfer from the sump to the display.

[souly]

20g is perfect for your sump. its never too much.
You would put the heater in your sump. The idea is to keep as much equipment out of your display as possible. Gives your tank an overall cleaner look.
You may want to set your heater a couple of degrees warmer than usual to get the display to the temp you want. You may loose a little heat in the transfer from the sump to the display.

Going that route it should take maybe a wekk to fully get the temp right? as its gotta heat about 60+gallons differently? I'll have to post a pic of the sump later when I go to do setup on it unless the guys at my marine store don't help me out. Gave me the 20g sump with return pump and all for 70 bucks.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Souly, are you using a submerged return pump or are you running it inline? Also, what pump are you using for a return pump? You probably do not need to set you heater any different at all, that return pump is going to be responsible for some heat transfer that will more than make up for any loss in the transfer. Furthermore, depending on the kind of lighting you are going with, there will be heat transfer from that. I ran a sump on my 125 for 2 years with the heater in the sump, for that entire 2 years, my heater rarely even came on.

[labnjab]

I have both heaters in my display, mainly because I don't have room in my sump, although I may try and hide one in my overflow. One thing to keep in mind with heaters only in your sump is if your pump ever failed, and you were gone for an extended period of time, then the tank would be without heat any heat. I would personally try and keep at least 1 heater hidden in the tank, even if it was a small one.

[aspects]

If your filter (sump) turns off for an extended period of time, the temperature will be the least of your worries. Dead bacteria, ammonia spikes, and lack of dissolved oxygen would be of much greater concern.
Also, the chance of your return pump going out by itself are slim, and no more likely than any other individual piece of equipment failing. (like the heater itself).
More often than not, if your sump shuts down, its due to a power outage, in which case everything stops working, regardless of its placement.

Its not necessarily the amount of time that will make the difference in the heat. More so, its the mechanical transfer. Depending on the ambient temperature outside your tank, the water may cool slightly while it makes its way from the sump to the tank. It would only be by a few degrees if at all. If you have a thermometer, put it in your tank and adjust the heater in your sump as necessary until you find the right balance. But as mentioned, you may not need to adjust it at all. It depends on a few factors. Room temperature, head height, flow rate, if your sump has a cover etc.