Diy sump.

[har-2109]

Hi, I am planning on building a 3' sump for my aquarium. I want it to be in 3 sections (intake section, refugium, pump section)

Whats the best way of goin about building it? Should I use glass or acrylic, or should I buy a second hand tank, and just add the baffles myself? And what thicknesses should i use??

Thanks for any responses

[Smitty]

The cheapest and possibly easiest way is to just get a second hand tank. You should be able to use glass or acrylic but I think the silicone will stick better to glass (I could be wrong about this). The thickness of the dividers doesn't really matter because you aren't trying to hold in water, just direct the flow, and there is typically equal pressure (or close enough) on each side.

Don't forget to put in a bubble trap before the return! Also, are you planning on having a skimmer in there? Best to put that in the intake section if only 3 so that the water level stays about the same, plus any bubbles produced will be handled by the bubble trap.

[sdergar]

I had a lot of questions about my sump build but got recommended to head to this website. Based mine off one of the models at: Melevsreef.com - What is a Sump?

Take a look at the different ones and see what you think will work for you. If you are using a previous used tank make sure that there was no copper added. And if it is a glass aquarium use glass dividers. If going from scratch acrylic might be the way.

Hope that helps...Steve