Diy tank AND sump!!

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needmorecowbell

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M going to make a custom tank that will act as a sump for the bottom of my 30 gallon reef tank. Im gonna need all the help I can get because, quite honestly, I'm really new at this. I have made one 10 gallon sump before and hated it because o made it way to complex and the plumbing sucked.
That being said, I was thinking I would do acrylic for this because I can't find 1/4 inch glass anywhere. I already have aquarium silicone and an overflow. I have some plumbing from my old sump but I would rather have flexible hose so I can't screw something up lol.I'll post a pic of it below. Its going to be about 10- 15 gallons and have a Refugium, skimmer, and a place for my other small equipment. I'd like to put a ato in it at some point but not right now.
I hope this will help some people with their diy project because it will sure help me. Thanks! :)
 
Sorry, forgot the pic of my old plumbing. I cut it in half with a hacksaw for storage purposes and I will just need a union valve ( I think?) to put it back together.
 

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What about using a 15g tank to start instead since that'll save a decent bit of money over buying and cutting glass/acrylic
 
In that case id go with acylic since its easier to cut and drill..that was my plan until I found a already made 20L
 
I'll do acrylic then. Will I need weldon for it? I was hoping aquarium grade silicone sealant because that's what I have lol.. I dont want this to be really costly because I could just get it made by a lfs then.
 
Unfortunately no silicone won't bond to acrylic correctly you'll have to use weldon but it isn't to expensive..the acrylic is where all your money is gonna be at
 
After just building my own tank tops, I think I would rather let someone else do any and all cutting or Acrylic for me. It was not bad though. I would not do a large tank though, at least I am going to setup some dividers in my sump at some point. Glass tanks are so cheap just get one as the sump, will be cheaper than making one any day.
 
It's not the price, it's the size. There are no tanks that will fit the width of my stand. If I could get a 10 gallon long it would be perfect but no one makes them anymore.
 
I don't want to discourage you as I'm a big DIY fan, however, if you're cutting acrylic for a water tight container, you cuts need to be really straight with 90° edges. If you had any trouble with the pvc (in regards to cutting/fitting) you may be up for a challenge. You're going to need a table saw to get straight cuts for the sides and bottom or the seams won't glue together good enough to hold. Good luck!
 
That sucks, sorry I have not been around anything that size, Good advice using a table saw will be best to get the best cuts. If you need it a special size make it your self, its not that bad. I would still not build a main tank even though I would love to be able to have a 500 gallon tank that I made, but I will have someone build one for me at that point.

It's not the price, it's the size. There are no tanks that will fit the width of my stand. If I could get a 10 gallon long it would be perfect but no one makes them anymore.
 
mrbee2828 said:
I don't want to discourage you as I'm a big DIY fan, however, if you're cutting acrylic for a water tight container, you cuts need to be really straight with 90° edges. If you had any trouble with the pvc (in regards to cutting/fitting) you may be up for a challenge. You're going to need a table saw to get straight cuts for the sides and bottom or the seams won't glue together good enough to hold. Good luck!

I'm going to get them cut at the store. They have a special machine for it. Thanks!
 
didysis said:
That sucks, sorry I have not been around anything that size, Good advice using a table saw will be best to get the best cuts. If you need it a special size make it your self, its not that bad. I would still not build a main tank even though I would love to be able to have a 500 gallon tank that I made, but I will have someone build one for me at that point.

Ya I agree, I would definitely spend the extra money to get a professional for that type of thing, I really don't want leaks for this sump, so I might just get it professionally done. I don't know, I'll make some calls and get back to everyone. It'll definitely be a diy sump though..
 
A small sump like that would not need anything thicker than 1/4" acrylic, especially since there will be baffles to reinforce the structure. The problem with using a table saw to cut acrylic is it leaves a rough edge that needs to be smoothed to get a proper weld.
 
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