Need help - moving sump to the basement

[ellisz]

I am getting ready to me moving my 75 gal tank to a different house. I curently have my a separate sump and separate fuge in a small room behind the tank. The new house will not have this luxury. So I want to put the sump/fuge in the basement and the display above it(10-15' head height).

I am currently using a mag7 return and I know I need a LOT BIGGER pump. What would be a good pump and not real expensive or difficult to use? My tank uses the Megaflo overflow so 650gph or so is all I can handle at the tank without modifing the slots. I guess I could do this when I move the tank

Anyway, are there any downsides to having a sump in the basement? I think I will get a 40-50 gal rubbermaid for the sump and keep my fuge in the 25 gal rubbermaid I currently use. Will there be any issues with the water falling 10+'? Will the overflow be noiser at the tank? I figure temp will be easier to keep down since the whole basement is unfinished.

Also, I will be going through hardwood flooring or coming up through the wall it self. Any tried and proven ways to do this so that it is reversable if the tank is ever moved?

Thanks

[scuba_steve]

when i did mine i ran flexible tubing thru an ac vent instead of cutting the floor ! i also used a mag 24 in the basement (which was also used for my diy skimmer) up to a quiet one 2600 under the tank for the return using 3/4" tubing! worked great and kept the duel u-tube over flow moving your water will stay a ton cooler
just a fyi go with the largest sump you can get down there so you can leave all your pumps running and suck out your water changes from the display and then add it back into the display with out having to carry water down to the basement ect..

[PatM]

I use a little giant in my pond and they are fairly dependable but not really cheap. They do offer pumps that are big enough to handle that head height.
The best way to run some plumbing down to the basement would be to remove a section of baseboard and drill a hole through the wall and down through to the basement. This way you can replace a small piece of baseboard instead of patching a floor (big headache!). Sounds like that will be great for keeping the high summer temps down in the tank.

[ellisz]

Scuba: You are using 2 pumps together? I like mags since I have a mag7 and 2 mag5 It would be cool to use one pump for the tank and skimmer. I use a Mag7 for the return and a mag5 for the skimmer. Don't know if the skimmer would take a big pump though. Do you just have a Y off the mag24 and one goes to the tank and the other to the skimmer? Could you throttle down one part of the Y?

PatM: Good idea with the baseboard. The house was not cheap so my wife wants me to keep it that way. I had thought of covering my hole with a floor vent if I ever had to move the tank. Your way is easier though. Thanks

BTW: Do you notice a big electrical pull with these bigger pumps. My wife keeps telling me the MH's upped the electrical bill. Another jump in the bill might not work.

Also, did my current set up, I had my tank put on a separte circuit. I think the pumps and MH's would be on a different circuit but they will be sharing with something else. The house is brand new so I hope to not have any problems here.

Thanks

[scuba_steve]

yes ran two pumps together one in the basement and the other right under the main tank it helped boost the water! the mag 24 by its self wasnt enough for my liking yea i t'd off the 24 and used a gate valve running to the skimmer ! work well !

[Bearfan]

Originally Posted by ellisz

I am getting ready to me moving my 75 gal tank to a different house. I curently have my a separate sump and separate fuge in a small room behind the tank. The new house will not have this luxury. So I want to put the sump/fuge in the basement and the display above it(10-15' head height).

That's where mine is and I couldn't be happier!

Originally Posted by ellisz

I am currently using a mag7 return and I know I need a LOT BIGGER pump. What would be a good pump and not real expensive or difficult to use? My tank uses the Megaflo overflow so 650gph or so is all I can handle at the tank without modifing the slots. I guess I could do this when I move the tank

I tried the Mag Drive 36, but have become disheartened with Danner Manufacturing, so I bought a Blueline HD 70. Man is it QUIET! It was a big change from the Mag Drive which I could never silence enough. I have mine plumbed into a Megaflo also.

Originally Posted by ellisz

Anyway, are there any downsides to having a sump in the basement? I think I will get a 40-50 gal rubbermaid for the sump and keep my fuge in the 25 gal rubbermaid I currently use.

Think about a Rubbermaid Cattle Trough (Menards I know has them, since it's where I bought mine. They are cheap and rigid. Large rubbermaids tend to bow out as you fill them. Also, the trough has a built in threaded drain you can plumb right to your external return pump. I have the 100 gallon model.

Originally Posted by ellisz

Will there be any issues with the water falling 10+'?

Yes, I made sure to put my supply (from the tank) at the top of the water level because the fall forces air out of the supply and bubbles. Placing it at the top minimized that for me.

Originally Posted by ellisz

Will the overflow be noiser at the tank?

Yes, and I'm still working that out.

Originally Posted by ellisz

I figure temp will be easier to keep down since the whole basement is unfinished.

My temp is very stable in this arrangement. It gives more surface area for cooling.

Originally Posted by ellisz

Also, I will be going through hardwood flooring or coming up through the wall it self. Any tried and proven ways to do this so that it is reversable if the tank is ever moved?

Thanks

I drilled right through my flooring. I don't figure on moving this tank for a long time, and if I need to replace a section of floor in the far future, I'll deal with that then. I figured the wall was going to be a bigger pain than it was worth.

HTH

[scuba_steve]

what i did to reduce the bubbles coming into the sump was get a 3-4' long 4" pvc tube and drilled a few 1/2" holes along the bottom ! had the return fall into the 4" pvc ! worked really well ! all the splash stays inside the tubing but allows the water to drain at the bottom of the sump rather just the top

food for though

[ellisz]

Is that Blueline pump a $250 pump? Why did you not like the mag? I like the idea of running the skimmer and return off the same pump.

Also did you notice more electrical usage with the external pump?

Thanks

[Bearfan]

Actually, less electrical usage with the external, it's got a lower amperage. The Mag drive went down on me twice. The first time they sent me a "redesigned" impeller since they had so many problems, and the second time it siezed up completely.

I run my skimmer off a maxijet 1200.

And yes, I paid about $275 with shipping for my Blueline and it was worth it.

[ellisz]

Yeah, looks like I might have to bite the bullet. Actually looking at a Sequence barracuda. Similar price range. Wish there was a cheaper one out there