Ideas for a sump

[Beej1254]

One of the chain pet stores is having the $1 gallon tank sales this Sunday and I think it'll be a great time to replace my tickle tower with a sump. Right now I have a 1 inch pvc overflow which leads to the tower. On the opposite side I have a 30 gallon tank with live sand and rock which I seeded with pods. This pod tank is connected with its own 3/4 inch pvc over flow and a powerhead leading to the return pump of the trickle tower. Every week I drop the 3/4 overflow into the DT and turn on the power head and tune it with a ball valve to as best I can get it so nothing overflows into the floor. This has been working ok for PODS getting to the DT and everything for now. But I want to make a sump and take out the tower because it's too loud. I'd love to keep the POD tank to itself like it is now but connect it somehow to the new sump..preferably at the end of the system so the PODS only go through 1 pump. I have to do 2 30 gallon tanks because of the opening to the cabinet.

Would it be a waste of time and effort to split the system like this? Or hard to sync up everything? Anyone have any other tips/ideas?

Thanks

[coralbandit]

Several of my sumps are multiple containers connected with 1 1/2 inch hard pvc "overflow/syphon tubes".
They are kind of old school(like the guy that made them),but have worked FLAWLESSY for years!
Both ;
1 is a marineland model 4 sump with a 29g tank in series,
1 is a marineland model 2 and 2@29g run in series,
Have a large powerhead and hose to pump water back to first section of filter.
I run this pump 1 time a month to blow out bubbles that accumulate in the tubes.
I have pics ,but can't load here so PM me if you want to see.
My top offs for these systems would be 3x as often if I didn't add this extra volume to my filters.

[Beej1254]

I'll send you a PM I would like to see how you have it setup

thanks

[coralbandit]

Sorry for the run around!
Here we go!

Marineland model 4 with a 29g in series.
The 1 1/2 inch syphon tube is in the middle of the 29.

This is the model 2 with 2@ 29g in series.The 1 1/2inch syphon tubes are on opposite ends for full flow through all 90+ inches of filter.
The white flexi across the tops is so no water ever goes between ftanks when I top off.
I can go for a whole week without top offs!
The first 29(in middle) is full of calurpae and PODS!!!
You can see re enforced tubing going back to main filter(section one) from the last on both set ups.
That is the power head to flush bubbles.

[Beej1254]

Thanks for the pictures! Really makes me wish I had a basement to put a sump haha. But this is great and makes me feel better about the whole idea. I like the idea of syphon tubes to connect the tanks more then having a pumps to transfer water. It seems much safer and easier to manage then tuning multiple pumps together.

[melosu58]

Here is a nice 3 part link on sumps

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sumps, Part I by Greg Taylor - Reefkeeping.com

[Beej1254]

Great! thank you for posting that

[Beej1254]

Thanks again for all of the input on sumps. I finally got mine completely siliconed/cured and setup. so happy to get that loud trickle tower out of my house! I unfortunately had to go with 1 30 gallon for a sump because I measured wrong. but I'll most likely add a smaller tank later for added volume+ whatever else.