Another DIY Sump

[dkode]

I'm planning on putting together my own sump w/refg. This is my first step to upgrading my tank and eventually upgrade lighting to keep some more exotic coral.

Here's what I'm working with now,

95 gallon corner bow tank with overflow.
Overflow already has a stand pipe.

Underneath I have a ~10 gallon wet/dry filter with charcoal bags, UV sterilizer and an external pump (dont know the brand).

Here are my plans:

I have a friend that said if I bought him a little 5.5 gallon tank for his two fw fish he would give me his 20 gallon tank to be used for the sump. I plan on trying the removable baffles like seahorsewhisperer. I like the idea of being able to move the baffles if need be.

Heres what else I'm planning on buying:
- Coralife Super Skimmer-125 gallon - $126 from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
- 2 bags of sand for refg. - not yet priced
- submersible pump ~ 500 gph (any suggestions to a good brand that is quiet and won't break the bank?)

I currently have an older external pump that is coming to the end of its life and might as well replace the pump while i'm at it.

I also plan on replacing the overflow hose that goes to the sump, and the return hose as I won't need the UV sterilizer and I could probably use a new one anyways. Would I need any special fittings or such?

Any other suggestions before I embark? Specifically on any gotchas while constructing the baffles for the sump? I've found a couple of plans and the guide that was linked from the other removable baffles thread.

THanks!

[jojo22]

Sounds like a great plan. the only thing I would suggest is maby looking into a closed loop manifold and useing a larger pump. then you could get rid of those nasty powerheads!!! Keep us up to date please and don't forget the camera!!!

[dkode]

I went and took a look at my friends 20 gallon and it doesnt seem like its long enough. the dimensions are 12"L x 14"W x 17"H

With the skimmer needing 8" x 7" footprint, it doesnt seem it would leave much room for the refg. and return chamber.

I was thinking maybe 36" L would be just short enough for me to jimmy it into the stand and give me enough room to fit everything in the sump.

I saw a 950 gph Danner Mag-drive pump for $75. Are these good pumps? It sounds like they would be quiet because its magentic and it has a 3 year warranty.

When you say a closed loop manifold you mean using PVC plumbing down into the sump instead of using hoses to and from the tank?

Thanks!!

[jojo22]

http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=3937 Closed loop manifold in detail!! also not where it says you want 30-60 times turnover per hour!!

[dkode]

wow, those are very intimidating at first. I think I should tackle one task at a time. I would imagine it wouldnt be too hard to add a CLM after the sump is in place.

Just thinking about doing the sump is making my head spin =P

has anyone had problems with the removable baffles with EPDM weatherstripping? I found a really good site about how to make one from scratch. he makes it look so easy!

here it is, although everyones probably already seen it. I'm behind the times i think

http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

[jojo22]

Look in the diy section some of our members have made them and if I remember correctly they where vey happy with them

[RHAPALA]

JOE YA WANNA MAKE ME ONE?????

[jojo22]

For a large fee sure!!! Or I can help walk you thru it for free!!!

[RHAPALA]

HAHAHA

[dkode]

One problem I just realized and maybe someone can give me guidance,

in the base of the tank where the sump will go, some of the wood is bubbled up from years of wear and tear. It looks as if at some point in time there was some water under there and as a result the bottom is uneven at one or two points.

I was thinking of maybe constructing a base for the 30 gallon sump out of 2x4's to evenly spread out the pressure that is applied to the 30 gallon tank.

Does that sound like it would work? Not sure if I have any other option.

[jojo22]

should. if it wobles a little just shave down the high spots with a planer if it is real wood.

[dakar]

Had the same problem with the 180g stand. I just cut down a sheet of 3/4" plywood that fit in snuggly and set it over the existing bottom. I had to cut it in half to fit it in the doors, but it works great... allows for a LOT of weight, had a 40+ gallon rubbermaid sump and a 20g long refuge in the cabinet and still had working room.

[dkode]

excellent. I was going to make a raised base out of 2x4's, but the 3/4" plywood sounds like its alot easier. I will try that first and see if it works.

If it wobbles a little is it ok to put a couple of wood shims under the plywood or will that not support the tank good enough?

I was thinking of making the base and then shaving down the edges like jojo mentioned.

Thanks guys!

[dakar]

Maybe I misread something along the way, or just confused... you are talking about the interior of the cabinet where your sump will go and not the area for the display tank to sit on right?

If so, shimming up the plywood won't really hurt anything, just use enough shims to avoid any mis-shaping of the plywood over time/moisture. If you figure for water weight alone that will get you pretty close... think it's 8.7lbs per gallon (give or take). IMO/IME, for a sump/refuge it need not be perfectly level, 1/4" over 2 feet won't likely hurt anything for a smallish tank ( < 40 gals).

[dkode]

well, just picked up a 30 gallon tank for the sump, thinking 30" length would be short enough...NOPE!

its about an inch too long to fit underneath my tank. theres two braces that stick out that I neglected to notice before...DOH!

i'm gonna go back and get the 20 gallon which is 24" length.

That means the refigium will have to be a little smaller. I figured 8" for the skimmer chamber, three baffles with an inch in betwen them, 6" refg., three more baffles with an inch in between them, and 6" for the return chamber

seems a little too small to me?

[dakar]

How about both a 20g and a 10g, should have plenty of room that way? It'd take a little extra work to tie them together, but would increase your additional water volume by 33&#37;. Make one a dedicated sump or refuge and the other vice versa...

[dkode]

ohh, I like that idea dakar. Do you have any links or suggestions on how it would work?

I purchased a 20 gallon glass tank that is 24" long, that fits under there no problem.

So I assume the 20 gallon would be for skimmer and return, then pump water from a side chamber to the ref?

[dakar]

You could run a wier box from one tank to the other...Or just a simple U tube made from PVC, drill a hole in the top of either and hook an aqualifter pump to it to draw out any air and keep the siphon from breaking... or get fancier and drill each one and hook them together via bulkheads. Lots of easy ways to tie them together. I'd prefer the 20g refuge and the 10g sump.

[dkode]

I have a corner bow, thats why my space is limited.

I'm going to be pulling out the wet/dry this weekend to see how much room I have left over after putting in the 20 gallon tank.

Does anyone have a tutorial or forum posting on how to accomplish this with two seperate tanks? Im trying to picture how you describe it but am having a hard time.

So from the standpipe bulkhead I would go to the skimmer chamber in the sump, then have a U pipe in the skimmer chamber that goes into the refg. in the top of one end of the U pipe, I would drill a small hole that would go to a aqualifter pump to keep the siphon going.

In the refg. I would put a baffle in the refg. to a return chamber with a pump to pump water back into the return chamber of the sump that would then have another pump that goes to the return of the tank, along with a tee that feeds back into the same return chamber in case the pump pulls too much water out of the return chamber of the sump so I can control the flow.

Concerns:
- I've read around about a "siphon break" of drilling a hole into the pipe to break the siphon, i dont understand where this would go, would this still apply since I have an overflow with a standpipe in it? At any one time if the power goes out only ~3 gallons goes into the wet/dry filter until the water level goes down past the last knotch on the standpipe. Not sure if this only applies to people with a weir box.

Is this how it would work?

I'm going to draw up some plans in photoshop when i get home and post them to see how it looks.

Thanks!

[dkode]

I took a look at some acryllic today, although I didn't purchase any because I feared it was too thin and would bow upon filling it with water. Is 1/4" (.220") acryllic thick enough not to bow when I fill up the sump and refuge? This was the only thickness that home depot had unless I wanted a huge sheet.

I think I might make a split from the overflow one going to the skimmer chamber, the other going to the refuge with a ball valve to control flow,
then raise the 20 gallon up on a stand higher than the 10 gallon and then drill both tanks to gravity feed the refuge to the sump return chamber. to do this I would need to drill both tanks. I have never attempted to drill a tank before, is it difficult? Any pointers?

Since I have a built in overflow in the back of the tank is it necessary to worry about siphoning effect? or is this only for weir boxes?

thanks!

[hummer]

imo ithink that 1/4 will work thats what most sump are made of

[dkode]

this is how I pictured the sump and refugium being setup:

The sump will be sitting about 4 inches higher than the refugium. The overflow will flow into the first chamber of the sump which will contain the coralife skimmer. Then through a bubble trap to the second chamber of the sump which will have a 1" bulkhead drilled about 2" from the bottom of the sump. then it will flow through pvc to the refugium which will have another 1" bulkhead into the first chamber of the refugium which will have an overflow baffle into the main chamber of the refugium which will contain macro algae. then another overflow baffle into the third chamber of the refugium which will contain a danner magdrive 9.5 that goes to the return.

I will have a gate valve that will will go to the second chamber of the sump to limit the flow that the pump returns to the tank.

Does anyone think I am looking at any flooding problems. The overflow in my tank doesnt hold anymore than 3 gallons at any one time. In addition, could I be looking at problems from the bulkhead clogging from the sump to the refugium. That is probably my biggest concern right now, the bulkhead between the tanks clogging, but perhaps I am just being paranoid.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

[dkode]

hello again,

my gf suprised me today with a coralife 125 super skimmer.

I hooked it up, hang-on style with my current wet/dry filter system and am performing "break-in" period now. It said in the manual 24-72 hours, what determines how long to perform the break in of the skimmer?

I must say, it was amazingly easy to setup, a couple of minor adjustments and seems to be creating very fine bubbles in the reaction chamber.

I have been reading about wet vs. dry skimming, right now I have FOWLR, so in the beginning I believe my best bet would be to perform wet skimming, but perhaps I misunderstand the reason for performing wet skimming instead of dry skimming.

I will post some pics tomorrow of the skimmer in action. Next step is to obtain the magdrive 9.5 pump for my new sump, and then drill the tanks.

Almost there!