I am building a 120 gallon reef tank. I'm torn between building my own sump or i have the chance to buy a used trigger systems 36" Ruby sump used for 200.00. Or was thinking of building a 55 gallon sump. Not sure what exactly building one entails or the costs. You experienced reefers out there. Would it just be wiser to buy the trigger systems or would i save alot of money by building my own?
DIY Sump questions
- Thread starter fernalfer
- Start date
DrBoxedWine
New member
Yeah a 55g is pretty tall for under the tank. I actually just went through the same debate. I ended up buying one from a local builder. $200 for a ruby 36 is a pretty good deal. As long as it's big enough, i'd say go for it.
What equipment do you have in it running? I'm thinking off the bat i'll be running my protein skimmer, gfo/carbon reactor, refugium, Return Pump and some heaters and hope to have some room left over for adding things in the future.
Zwickm
New member
Bubble Magnus curve 9, Finnex 500w titanium heater, Apex probes in section one.
Refugium with sicce nano pump and ai prime for lighting in section two.
Waveline dc10000 in section three. Calcium reactor drip comes into there too.
I run 2 brs mini reactors, gfo and carbon, and 1 brs biopellets reactor in my return plumbing that are mounted directly above the sump. The output goes back into section one of the sump.
Refugium with sicce nano pump and ai prime for lighting in section two.
Waveline dc10000 in section three. Calcium reactor drip comes into there too.
I run 2 brs mini reactors, gfo and carbon, and 1 brs biopellets reactor in my return plumbing that are mounted directly above the sump. The output goes back into section one of the sump.
Zwickm
New member
Plumbing reactors into your return is ideal, if you can, just make sure each has its own ball valve to control flow rate or shut-off. You also won't have to deal with seperate pumps for each. Less maintenance and cost.
My plumping design closely mimics the Bulk reef supply 160 tank on the 52 weeks of reefing series, if you've seen that.
My plumping design closely mimics the Bulk reef supply 160 tank on the 52 weeks of reefing series, if you've seen that.
Yes i started watching that series. I'll take a look. When it comes to bsetting up the reactors i may need some assistance. I had a reef tank 10 years ago but never had reactors. Trying to do this tank the right way but some of these things are very new to me.
davehead86
New member
How do you plumb it with the return? Can you provide a picture or skematic for that? Thats what Im interested in trying to get put together eventually in my sump and the less pumps I have to buy and run the better.
I like your setup just a little confused on exactly how all the little tubes are connected to reactors and what they go to. I see the return pump goes up and you put extra PVC for the three spots that go down to the reactor but can you explain from there whats happening. Sorry a little noobish to this and would appreciate it. Are you only using 2 out of the 3 connections?
davehead86
New member
So the ballvalves over each reactor determine the flow into the reactor and then any extra water is just pushed up to the DT? Do you have a link for those quick connectors to attach the BRS reactors? Do they just sell connects like that on the BRS website?
Zwickm
New member
This pic is from BRS but my tank is going to be plumbed almost identically. In the process of setting up now. The three open ball valves you see above are for 1/2" push connect fittings. Each reactor is connected to one and flow can be individually controlled by its own valve. I have 5 cepex ball valve outputs designed like the above picture.
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