diy sump build

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Red44

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
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353
Hi I'll be building sump this weekend out of my old 30 gallon nano reef tank and had a few questions first I wanted to know if I should buy plexi glass or just plan glass?
Then my setup would have 3 chambers first chamber would have my intube line from overflow box, skimmer and heater maybe a small filter second chamber will be the fuge and last will be the return pump now I wanted to add a bubble trap but don't know how or were to put it after fuge ? Or before ? Thanks
 
HPballer76 said:
put the bubble trap right before the return.

Ok thxs I was talking to a friend and he said to do skmmer, return pump, then fuge but I think the fuge won't get any flow or I might be wrong I'm confused :$ on the whole thing.
 
Red44 said:
Ok thxs I was talking to a friend and he said to do skmmer, return pump, then fuge but I think the fuge won't get any flow or I might be wrong I'm confused :$ on the whole thing.

From what i understand when u do this set up you either have an extra small pump in your sump to carry water into your fuge then it overflows back to your return pump. Or if you have 2 overflows u can have one drop into skimmer section & fugue section, this has it's benefits also. As far as plexiglas, acrylic, or glass just use what's cheapest & most readily available to you. Many people have used all of the above. Mr. X even has some posts about a time he used $10 cutting boards from wal-mart.
 
I was planning on T'ing my return to from a central return chamber in my 40g to the fuge but decided against it so that A) it would be less complicated of a build B) have copepods get sucked through the system into the DT to help feed things here and there C) learned that a higher flow rate doesn't hurt anything in the fuge.

X brought up the cutting board thing in his thread and after pricing, because of the depth of the 40g, I went with the .22mm acrylic sheet. I had to buy some huge cutting boards at $12 each and would need 1 board for each baffle. I was going to spend more with the boards than on the acrylic and I'd have some scraps for misc things I want to make. Just price what you need out. If you go with anything but glass, the silicone just needs to be used graciously as it won't bond well with anything but glass. It will act more as a wedge between the chambers.
 
Ok I'll Prob going to get glass if it's cheaper I was also watching mr saltwater tank video and he has a sump were it first the fuge the inline from overflow with skimmer, heater than return pump
 
my tank is skimmer and heater, then the return section then fuge. my return is t'ed off to run the fuge.
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Nice I'm wondering how high up should the glass go to the top or half way? I don't want it to over flow:$
 
You need to build the skimmer chamber high enough for the skimmer... too high isn't necessarily bad since you can put something under the skimmer like eggcrate on PVC, but you have to leave room for water from the overflow and whatever comes out of your return line to drain back down without overflowing when the power is off.

I originally went with skimmer > fuge > return, but have since tee'd my drain and have a refugium that overflows in to my sump, increasing my total water volume by about 18 gallons. It's all personal preference. I was told that running the refugium off the return pump isn't the greatest idea, since you're essentially recirculating skimmed water through the refugium, and also possibly pods and things.
 
In my 125g the filter sock and skimmer are in the first compartment. the the refugium and the last compartment is the return pump
 
Mine measures 15 h 12 w 30l I was going to copy Linus reef build on YouTube except I was going to change the skimmer the the first stage then the fuge then return
It would be 13" high for first chamber to high? Second 10" then bubbletrap 14" high top 1" open at bottam then 8" on other side were the return pump is are those measurements alright or should I change something?
 
HPballer76 said:
put the bubble trap right before the return.

Check out this video on YouTube:
Hey I was told to do bubble trap after skimmer or does it matter? These are to of the designs I like the most but I would change the skimmer first then fuge

 
For the overflow box Were should the water level be how much will be pumped back in if the powers off or something like the siphon failing?
 
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