DIY Rubbermaid Sump

[Mattyfelts]

Hello all, I am making a 20 gallon long reef and was going to make a cost effective sump. What would you guys do to turn a rubbermaid container into a sump? i was thinking of dividing it up with eggcrate, basically haveing water go in, flow through a mini fuge and live rock (with heater there) and maybe have a protein skimmer, then go back up to the tank.

 

[Animal-Chin]

I bet if you search craigslist for a couple of weeks you could score an aquarium for almost nothing and make a nicer looking sump. I often see 20 gallon tanks for like $20.

Oh and if you're gonna do a skimmer, you'll want one chamber that stays the same hight water wise so your skimmer will work when set. Instead of eggcrate you can buy plexyglass at home depot and cut it to fit. Really easy and only like $10 plus silicone...

 

[Mattyfelts]

I bet if you search craigslist for a couple of weeks you could score an aquarium for almost nothing and make a nicer looking sump. I often see 20 gallon tanks for like $20.

Oh and if you're gonna do a skimmer, you'll want one chamber that stays the same hight water wise so your skimmer will work when set. Instead of eggcrate you can buy plexyglass at home depot and cut it to fit. Really easy and only like $10 plus silicone...

yeah ive been looking online a while, only problem is over here (in canada) the only tanks ive seen for 20 bucks in the last couple months are like 5 gallon "kits" people are selling, ill keep looking out. I just figured rubbermaid would be cheaper since im on the university budget and get a Walmart discount. True though ill keep on the look out.

 

[Animal-Chin]

I'm canadian too eh...

I had a sump without real baffles on my 30 gallon and it drove me nuts. Everytime you get evap your skimmer doesn't work. I even had an auto top off and the fluxuation was too much to for my skimmer. Just something to think about. If you're planning on running the 20 long for a while may as well do it right. I have a 20 long hospital tank and I bought it brandnew from petsmart for $39.

 

[Mattyfelts]

oh dang, completly forgot about evap thats so true.... Yeah might have to look into it and haha didnt see that.