Smaug21
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I have a lot of free time these days, and I just read a few topics down someone mention sumps made from Tupperware or the like. I really love to think about stuff like this (in World of Warcraft terms they refer to it as "Theorycraft") without actually having any plans to do them.
Anyway, how practical is a Tupperware sump? I don't have any plans anymore for a salt water tank, but I love looking at DIY things online and I’ve never seen one using Tupperware in aquarium things. I've seen a few used in Turtle and Amphibious stuff before, but not aquarium things. They seem to have worked for some Turtle people for a very long time.
It seems to me, that the goal of the sump is extra area removed from the tank to filter/store things to make your tank look better and be healthier. I would think that a Tupperware would make a very good cheap sump, especially for people who presently don't have a sump.
Just thinking about it I can see maybe a few possible problems.
-Reaction- It's hard to tell what a Tupperware is really made of; do you think that it would leach rubber or plastic chemicals into the tank?
-Strength- If you were to get a large sump, like say one of those giant Christmas tree Tupperware, would it be able to safely contain all that water?
-Durability- I doubt that things like a mantis shrimp would be able to "crack" a Tupperware, but I think a few of the other critters that some people like in a refuge might be able to damage plastic, where they might not have done much to an acrylic or glass tank. So is this a Sump-only idea with no refuge?
So what do you guys think? Anybody ever ran across a DIY article about it? If so I’d love to look at it.
Anyway, how practical is a Tupperware sump? I don't have any plans anymore for a salt water tank, but I love looking at DIY things online and I’ve never seen one using Tupperware in aquarium things. I've seen a few used in Turtle and Amphibious stuff before, but not aquarium things. They seem to have worked for some Turtle people for a very long time.
It seems to me, that the goal of the sump is extra area removed from the tank to filter/store things to make your tank look better and be healthier. I would think that a Tupperware would make a very good cheap sump, especially for people who presently don't have a sump.
Just thinking about it I can see maybe a few possible problems.
-Reaction- It's hard to tell what a Tupperware is really made of; do you think that it would leach rubber or plastic chemicals into the tank?
-Strength- If you were to get a large sump, like say one of those giant Christmas tree Tupperware, would it be able to safely contain all that water?
-Durability- I doubt that things like a mantis shrimp would be able to "crack" a Tupperware, but I think a few of the other critters that some people like in a refuge might be able to damage plastic, where they might not have done much to an acrylic or glass tank. So is this a Sump-only idea with no refuge?
So what do you guys think? Anybody ever ran across a DIY article about it? If so I’d love to look at it.