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 LR 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 LR, 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 LR 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 LR, 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 pods 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.
TIA!!

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 DIY 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.

HTH,

[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

[goodisor]

Thanks for the step-by-step,what a great help.Before I saw your design I found another design on the net and I was wondering what the difference in operation would be since the fuge positions are the only difference.Here it is...

[dscount]

Matter of preference. But I think having the bio balls in the location indicated is slightly strange. Not sure how the water is not going stale in the skimmer section if the bio balls are point of entry for water from the main tank.

Unless water is being returned into the skimmer section, then the bioballs are fairly worthless for a few of the intended features they have.

If it was me, I would swap the bio balls and skimmer section if you like this design.

Again. it's preference.

[goodisor]

i have gone a completely different route.I have decided that this is the final design.What do you think

[CaptnIgnit]

off topic noob question here, but I'm curious.

why put sand in the sump? is there not enough in the actual tank or did you use a different substrate in the tank and you need the sand in the sump?

[goodisor]

I've put aragonite in the sump with a plenum setup for filtration.Check this out:

http://www.garf.org/bulletproofreef/plenum.asp

What you think?

[goodisor]

I've put aragonite in the sump with a plenum setup for filtration.Check this out:

http://www.garf.org/bulletproofreef/plenum.asp

What you think?

[ecomdesign]

I am a newbie to saltwater tanks, and I have a newbie question! i plan to setup a 75-90 gallon tank and I have an older 75 gallon tank that has a few scratches on the front. I was wondering if I could use this old 75 as a sump. I plan on doing something similar to this design with a sump and fuge, but since my old tank is so big, I thought I could use the extra space to add in a completely self contained quatantine tank right in the sump. It would have a baffle in it running the full height and depth of the tank to that no water can be mixed.

Is this ok to do? Or should I get a smaller tank for a sump and another small tank for the quantine tank?

[DanS180]

awesome sticky!!! as i start my 90G reef with built in overflow, im trying to do a 30G DIY sump and this sounds like its going to be perfect! hope u dont mind that i steal this exact design!!