SUMP HELP -

[ocindustries]

I need help building a sump for a 40 gal. if you have one for sale with parts ill buy one.

I have looked at diagrams, it looks really difficult to me, i have no idea how to do this, please help.

I dont know lingo either..

my tank is 40 gal,
30Lx20Hx14.5Width

50 inch tall including stand.

 

[noplac2hyd]

the easiest way to make a sump is to take a 20 gal tall tank get a new kitty litter tray that fits on the top of it ... drill holes in the bottom of the kitty litter tray and a hole in the side of it for the water return tube.. put a pad in the kitty litter tray and your done....that is the basic idea of a trickle filter it will do the same as a expensive wet dry but costs about $40 then you can get your pump and I always recommend a fluvial or something like it for extra filtration just so you know i worked in saltwater fish stores for about 7 years in new york and this system has always worked.

 

[Hara]

well, then you are describing a wet/dry filter, not a sump.
A sump is a box of water......water comes in from the main tank,
then returns to the main tank. What you do with the sump is
up to you. You can add live rock to it for additional filtration, you
can add plants to it for a refugium, you can hide your heaters in it,
place your protein skimmer in it...it is an extension of your main
tank. Not all sumps are trickle filters or wet/drys.

 

[snapcrackler]

I like the kittylitter idea for a wet dry.... I have a dry 20H sittin around and I think I might just look round for a kitty litter tray that fits. I could use sections of my humongo-rolls of pond filter media for the pad.

Take out the cat, litter and lumps first, right!

 

[fishfreek]

ocindustries, where you looking for a true sump setup or a wet/dry(trickle) setup?

Once we have it narrowed down to exactly what we can drill into more detail. One place to look though is our DIY forum.

 

[Bearfan]

I have a 29 gal sump that houses my heaters and skimmer.

 

[ellisz]

I am using a 20 gal tank for my sump on a 75 gal tank. It houses my Berlin skimmer. I have my heater in the built in overflow. I initially wanted the sump to add water volume and make water changes easier. After removing the wet/dry, I have noticed that the sump does not do as well trapping sediment that the bio balls of the wet/dry did.

The sump is working great but I am looking at different ways to "purify" the water. I have some filter media on my drain line right now that is doing ok. I like the idea of the litter box idea. I had toyed with the idea of making a drip plate but the size of my skimmer limits me a bit.