first time making a sump

jesse alcaraz · Jun 23, 2014

Hey guys i need some help. I have never made a sump and need advice on this project. My tank is a 120 and the sump i want to put under will be i believe a 50 gal standard rectangle tank. This is the biggest tank i can put under in the stand wih a few inches to spare.

Here is the help i need.
1.Anyone know where to buy the baffles or how to make them or what?

2. What silicon is the reefsafe kind and also where ti buy.

3.how and where to put the baffles, plus how many

I dont want anything fancy just the easy sump setup.
I do want to put rock rubble and cheato, and skimmer. But besides that im good.

If anyone built one with a 50 gal and has blue prints that would be awesome
Thanks for the help

civicdemon · Jun 23, 2014

I was actually thinking of doing this way before, Its pretty simple, just make it how ever you like. i would do the drain section By its self or make it the same section as your skimmer, then a baffle where it goes over or even drilled a couple holes in the middle so it has overflowing flow and center flow to a refugium, then after that section make a baffle the same hight as the last where the watter flows over into a bubble trap section of baffles and at the end the return section.

civicdemon · Jun 23, 2014

thats one of my old ideas but switch the skimmer section and the refugium

jesse alcaraz · Jun 23, 2014

So it will drain into first chamber with the skimmer and also drain into the sump as well plus the over flow of the skimmer section?

jesse alcaraz · Jun 23, 2014

What type of silicon do i use

civicdemon · Jun 23, 2014

No you don't.have to.have the drain split like me. That was only because I wanted less flow in the refugium. Wich I have some to.the conclusion my self that it does.not matter. You can go to pet co they have fish safe silicone

Sent from my VS930 4G using Tapatalk

jesse alcaraz · Jun 23, 2014

Alright. Cuz my sump is gonna be 4 ft long. And for the most part its gonna have a very small return section for a decent size skimmer about maybe 1ft or 1 1/2 ft, then its a good 2 ft of middle section for refugium with sand N rock. Then what ever is left for a return pump.

peter · Jun 23, 2014

Make sure your baffles are thick if you plan on using acrylic.

lhernandez101 · Jun 23, 2014

peter said:

+1

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Emac909 · Jun 23, 2014

Don't use acrylic baffles on a glass sump. Most silicones don't stick well to acrylic. Google "local glass shop" and contact them to make u baffles out of glass. That's what I did on my old sump and there solid.

Goober · Jun 23, 2014

Yup it'll probably be cheaper to have glass cut for you than to get thick acrylic for the baffles

Six2seven · Jun 23, 2014

if this is your first sump I would recommend you use glass baffles. It is cheaper and easier to use with silicone. You can buy glass at orchard hardware and they will cut it for you if you do not know how. Don't be scared of using your finger to smooth it out. This is the silicone you want to use.

cowboycove · Jun 23, 2014

Six2seven said:

If you use this 100% silicone. Make sure you do it outside or with the garage open. I couldn't believe how strong the chemicals were. I siliconed my new shower glass all around and thought I was going to pass out . wimp. Lol.

But acrylic is easy to cut. And even if you're not a pro. It'll just come out looking as sloppy as silicone. But I myself hate the glowing white if silicone. 1/4 In ch should be thick enough I think. I used much thinner and it bowed.

Six2seven · Jun 23, 2014

cowboycove said:

yea that stuff packs a punch. i remember putting my head inside the sump for close inspections and I was like whoa!

cowboycove · Jun 23, 2014

And just make sure your baffles are not too too high. You'll need room for your display to dump water in case if a power outage. Id go 70% on the first baffle. Then a little less for the second chamber (50%). If the second chamber is too low. You'll constantly have to top off so that your return section doesn't dry out. ThaT was my mistake. ThT way at 50% you can keep the return filled at 40% and have room for evaporation. ThT should leave you with about 20 gallons or so of display drain ing down.

civicdemon · Jun 23, 2014

i wanted to make my own sump pretty bad i wanted a 4 breeder for the sump but could not get it under my stand, i ended up going with 2 eshops rs100 and i drilled them in the middle for 2 2inch bulk heads to unite them with PVC pipe, then the drain went into both ends into filter socks and then one side was the skimer and the other was refugium, then the middle on one end where the PVC connected them was my return.

Heres a pic you cant see the middle connection because of the stand but yeah, this is when i had just had put it together not even a month

lowbudget · Jun 24, 2014

Six2seven said:

if this is your first sump I would recommend you use glass baffles. It is cheaper and easier to use with silicone. You can buy glass at orchard hardware and they will cut it for you if you do not know how. Don't be scared of using your finger to smooth it out. This is the silicone you want to use.

make sure no mildew resistance

planbtypea · Jun 24, 2014

civicdemon said:

That's a sweet setup there. This is almost identical to what I did with a 60g under my 120. I lucked out and had enough room to fit it and a top-off container under it (60"W tank). Check out the GoodWill near you for a tank to use as a sump. Picked mine up for less than $20 if I remember right, and another $25-30 for the cut glass and silicone.

+1 on doing it outside!

Here's my setup. I know, its a mess under there....

jesse alcaraz · Jun 24, 2014

Ok thanks guys ill go check ot out to see where i can find a place to cut the glass. How thick shouldvthe glass be?

Emac909 · Jun 24, 2014

I would say 3/8

first time making a sump

2

Member

Member

2

2

Member

2

Member

New member

Member

Member

Premium Member

2

Premium Member

2

Member

Premium Member

New member

2

Member