Documentation: 40 gal sump project ***dial up sensitive***

[afilter]

RLG2182,

Kudos to you! This is probably one of the best posts I have run across. I am picking up a 90g w/overflow this weekend and I was planning to go the tub route for a sump and then retrofit this in later since I have never had a sump before and wanted to ease into it.

Fortunately, yesterday I measured up the stand and realized there is no way I could fit a 30g tank under the stand after set up.

So, last night I picked up a tank, glass and silicone and went to town. So far it looks great! My wife was even impressed. Of course she was more impressed that this route is $200-300 less than a prebuilt model.

It only took about 2 hours once I had the materials. My seems don't look so great, but I am hoping with a razor blade I can clean them up tonight before I water test it.

The only change I plan to make is instead of using rubble I am planning on bio balls held in place with egg crate and probably will use some sort of filter pad.

Thanks again,

[dscount]

Rob-

I'm a little confused. I read this twice to make sure I didn't miss something. I see water INTO the [acronym:b486ead40b="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:b486ead40b] section and then moving to the skimmer section then thru to the air baffles and in the 3rd section which is the water return. Now how does the 4th compartment fit into the picture here. It's got the sand and I don't see how it's really working here if water is getting pulled from the T Value with the return.

How's it working? I guess I'm just thinking it would have been [acronym:b486ead40b="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:b486ead40b], Sand, Skimmer / Air baffles and then Return.

[mp3z24]

Originally Posted by dscount

Rob-

I'm a little confused. I read this twice to make sure I didn't miss something. I see water INTO the [acronym:6ceb4587be="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:6ceb4587be] section and then moving to the skimmer section then thru to the air baffles and in the 3rd section which is the water return. Now how does the 4th compartment fit into the picture here. It's got the sand and I don't see how it's really working here if water is getting pulled from the T Value with the return.

How's it working? I guess I'm just thinking it would have been [acronym:6ceb4587be="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:6ceb4587be], Sand, Skimmer / Air baffles and then Return.

the fourth compartment is for the fuge. there is a tee in the return line to the tank, and some of the water is directed into the fuge. water flows into the fuge (from the return pipe tee) and overflows the baffle into the return pump compartment.

in the fuge you can put plants to remove excess nutrients from the water, or grow [acronym:6ceb4587be="copepods, amphipods, etc"]pods[/acronym:6ceb4587be] for feeding fish... its a nice extra feature.

~mike

[afilter]

I built this exact sump with a 30g tank for my 90g system and it works great for me.

[tmcgee]

Would it be possible to place the heater into one of these compartments in order to make the inside of the main tank less cluttered?? I mean I know you CAN do it but I was wondering if the heater would run a lot more or possibly a lot less. Anyone with experience in this?? It seems to me that once all of the water is at the correct temp, it would run in the same manner as if the heater was in the main tank.
[acronym:681b57aacc="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:681b57aacc]!!

Tmcgee

[dscount]

Ah. I see. I was thinking the T was PULLing water from that fuge. Instead it gradually ADDS the water to the return pump depending on your flow rate on the ball valve.

Sweet. I think I like that better. Less sand and stuff in your skimmer, but do you get any excess sand in your return.

[afilter]

tmcgee,

I have two heaters in the sump. One in the skimmer compartment and the other in the baffles.

dscount,

I turned the flow rate way down to the fuge area and get no sand spilling over the wall. I also installed a [acronym:6b9f9cb681="Do it yourself"]DIY[/acronym:6b9f9cb681] spray bar in the fuge area by installing an elbow and then drilling holes in the last section of tubing and putting a cap on the end. This way almost no sand movement.

[acronym:6b9f9cb681="Hope this helps (or) Happy to help"]HTH[/acronym:6b9f9cb681],

[tim4072]

how do you get the water from the tank to the sump back to the tank if you dont want to drill the tank? and where would you put the water dump?

[zenn]

you get an external overflow...which is essentially a small box that hangs off the back of your tank and has a siphon running water from the tank to this little box. Then it drains down a pipe to your sump which is normally put under the tank. Somewhere along the line, you put a return pump in your sump and run a line back up to your tank. You can do this without drilling the tank as well. Just search for external overflow.

[norolo]

my sis has a 20 gal sump and has the heater in it
she has had no probs