DIY sump build

[SFAquariums1]

Hey all,

I am about to set up a 20 gallon nano saltwater tank but first would like to build a sump for it... The 20 gallon I bought off Craigslist and is a bit of a mystery as to whether it is tempered glass or not so I am extremely uncomfortable. Drilling through it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to build the sump so the pipes can hang over the back but still use a sump?

Thanks

[andresdeo]

I have not build one myself, but this is the design I've seen most people use:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/n...l#.Uw8-ZJS9LCQ

Hope it helps and others who have built one can chime in.

[SFAquariums1]

Thanks that's a pretty smart way to do it. I was planning on using pumps to get the water out of the tank. Almost like a canister filter but sump style haha

[andresdeo]

No problem, most are gravity fed and then use a return pump. Specially since gravity fed with a air siphon cut prevents spillage if your return pump ever fails.

[SFAquariums1]

Good point. Thanks for the help

[cdonaldson]

I can chime in on this one. I have been running a wet/dry sump on my tanks for 2 years with no issues.

You do not want to use two pumps to run these systems as it is WAY too hard to synchronize the pumps and prevent the sump or the tank from over flowing. You need to use a siphon to pull water from the DT into your sump and use a pump to return the water to the DT. Since mine is already set up and in use it's nearly impossible to get pictures of the system in use, but I dug up some pics from the original build.

I have a 75g DT with a 20g sump. I'm using a hydroponic medium for my biological medium and have hed no problems with it at all. Once every 2-3 months you just have to stir it up really good.

Here are a few pics. I apologize for the bad angles, but, like I said, this is an operating system that is quite inaccessible.

This is the siphon when it was originally built for a 20g:


This is the wet/dry sump


This is the siphon drain coming off of the DT.


This is the stand pipe inside the DT.

[Fresh2o]

You can get an overflow/prefilter setup from Amazon. Here are several models in the $50-65 range with various flow ratings:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001K5...3878165&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0036R...3878165&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003OY...878165&sr=8-10

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006OO...878330&sr=8-24