rubbermaid sump questions

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gooyferret

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jun 7, 2003
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Im going to use a rubbermaid container for the sump, im wondering how can i put baffles in the sump? Am i able to just put smaller containers in for walls and baffles or is there some other way? I cant really use acrylic since the container is going to flex, and the acrylic would just seperate. thanks.
 
Hey gooy, this is what I'm going to use. Its a 100qt cooler (25gal) so the sides wont bow out when I put water in it. I'm going to have to make my cabinet doors extra large so I can take that cooler in and out, if I have to.

Thought maybe this would be a good application for you.
 
Would seperate containers work as baffles for the water to flow over? I was hoping on maybe putting a refuge in the bottom so im considering the seperate containers. Thanks
 
do not see why not but i would make sure that the walls are different heights...anyone els with an idea???
 
hmm - that's a tuffy - the plastic that a "rubbermaid" container is made from is very "oily" stuff, and almost nothing is going to adhere to it.

the containers idea is good

how about some bricks or rocks, stacked to make a "wall" to slow the water down some.

if this is for a freshwater tank, I would advise using ceramic (adobe) bricks and/or granite stones

for a saltwater tank, bricks made from portland cement or stones of marble/limestone would also be acceptable, since you're not worried about the limestone leaching into the water.
 
i used a rubbermaid 13 gallon container for my sump then i took a rubbermaid bread box as a baffle for the overflow and another smaller container for a fuge. then i also have enought room for my heaters and skimmer.
 
Could someone explain the baffle to me, what is and what does it do?

I was just planning on use the tub (sump) and running my lines in and lines out. Do I need something else? :?:
 
The primary function of the baffles is to dissipate micro bubbles before they are returned to the main tank. You can try using an open tub. If you have a relatively low flow through it, you might be OK. The higher the flow, the more bubbles there will be. Sometimes a baffle is needed to provide a chamber with a constant water level for a skimmer to function properly as well.
I think the separate containers idea is the most likely to work with the rubbermaid tubs. Ever looked at an Oceanic wet/dry? They sort of work that way...using a central chamber with water spilling over all the way around onto the biomedia.
 
The rubbermaid containter in which im using is long enough that on my test run without any other containers in there i didnt get any bubbles and where all disipated by the time it reached the return pump. Im still planning on running my skimmer in a seperate tub for water level control. What im worried about is evaporation drawing the water outta the main rubbermaid container and water levels would be different in each seperate tub, so i have purchased some float switches for an auto-top off. Hope it works.
 
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