I'm about to spend $ 395.00 for a custom sump

Speckled Grouper

Speckled Grouper

Sticks Suck!
After all my efforts for a DIY sump have failed, I decided to have one made.

75g out of 3/8" acrylic with 6 baffles.

The guy is just down the road from my office in Hialeah.

What do you guys think?
 
$400 is alot of money to spend on somthing you could make out of a rubbermaid storage bin.

why not just buy a used 55, silicone in some baffels, drill one hole for the pump and call it a day. thats what i did for my 210g (minus the drilling). its not pretty, but it works.

total build cost under $50.00 $170 including the two mag 9.5's

however, in the end, convinience has its value as well. if its worth $400.00 not to worry about it then i say go for it.
 
It is pretty expensive, but the materials alone are probably over $200.00

And it will look nice (I hope).

I guess you have a space for it, and to utilize all that space sometimes requires a custom made one, rather than an off the shelf sump.

I know that's what I did. I went to prospect, and had them cut the panel to size (free). But the cost of the panel was about $100.00 (1/4")
 
I spend about $450 for a 90g sump from MRC for my system, custom sized to maximize volume in my stand and hold all of my equipment. I don't know if I'd pay that much to replicate a standard aquarium size/shape, but for me a custom sump was key to fitting everything into the stand.
 
Kogo, I don't like the rubbermaid look.
I picked up 2 55g tanks, one glass, one acrylic. The glass is too narrow and too tall and I will have to get glass baffles cut and a hole drilled into it and it's still not what I want. The acrylic one is too tall and too short, not what I want either.

I was very frustrated yesterday, because whichever way I had planned it, nothing was working out, so I said " to heck with it", buy one or two corals less and get the sump made.

FYI, I am female....,so not too much DIY going on....Yet!:D
 
sounds like the custom job is the way to go then.
good luck.

in the end, a couple hundred bucks will likely be minimal when compared to the overall cost of the system anyway.
 
Tell me about it, it started our like a dream....250g bowfront acrylic tank with gourgeous custom stand and canopy for next to nothing..... it's becoming a nightmare, an expensive one to that.
 
ya, same in my case too. for the future, whatever you think your final cost and budget is, just go ahead and times it by 5. that works to be about right in the end lol.
 
That's alot of money bro.... can't you fit an All Glass aquarium down there to use as a sump? Or if you have the room, how about an Rubbermad Stock tank

Man down in Miami i would think you could get things on the cheap side... go look for some cubans that can hook you up...lol
 
jman77, how about "sis" ? LOL

The acrylic sheets are expensive, like $ 180.00 and I am using 3/8" so I don't have to have a flange.

Hialeah seems to be the acrylic capital in Dade, that's where all the shops are, I am still waiting for 3 more estimates to come in.
 
Speckled,

You already tried to build something out of acrylic i take it ? How did your DIY fail ?
 
Pardon the guys, Mam ;)


Seems like you have done some looking and are waiting on some est's?
May I suggest a company I have great exp. with.

usplastic.com

With the help of reef central and a few common power tools you can make your own.
If you want to just have someone make it, although it does seem a little steep-spend the loot and worry about something else once you find what you want.
:)
Big Pine :rollface: I love diving in the Keys!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6895258#post6895258 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jman77
That's alot of money bro.... can't you fit an All Glass aquarium down there to use as a sump? Or if you have the room, how about an Rubbermad Stock tank

Man down in Miami i would think you could get things on the cheap side... go look for some cubans that can hook you up...lol
Click to expand...


someone call me?? :lol:
 
jman77 - no I haven't tried, I love my 10 fingers and me and power tools other than screwdrivers and drills don't get along too well.

glove, calculate shipping, packing and maybe crating and you probably got $ 100.00 right there, so we maybe right back to the same thing.
 
Andrea, I think that amount of money is fair as long as the person has experience and the sump fit once completed, Have you checked reputable sump manufactures that do sumps to your specs, if not, try checking precision marine and nova, Scott at Aquarium world has a few use and new sumps did you tried him?
Rogger
 
Yes, asked him when I was up there with Rick the other day, all of his are too small. I quizzed the person that quoted me today about materials and experience and so far he checked out good, but that doesn't mean anything, if I go with him, I will visit his store and get some more feel as to his capabilities.
 
Speckled,

Working with acrylic is alot easier than you think. As long as you have straight cuts your golden. No need to lose any fingers :)
But don't mind me...it's my cheap cuban blood talking...lol

Shoot ..

The sump i built was from one sheet of arcylic i cut with a jig saw and had to straighten the wavey cuts with a piece of wood and sandpapaer....hhahahahha cuban engineering at it's finest !!

It holds water just fine.... doesn't look half that bad as well
 
Jman 77, hey, entienda, yo son una mujeres, comprende?

I hope I got that right :)

No straight cuts here, as a matter of fact, no cuts at all. And believe me I am as cheap as possible too, but I have exausted all options, and I need to get this tank up and running
 
Wow, now I feel better....those are expensive! Maybe I should go into the sump business :)

And I like my design better....but would love to see yours Rogger before it's too late and the thing is cut.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Duzzy73
Sump material, acrylic, Perspex, pvc what are they made of?
Replies
13
Views
1K
Duzzy73
Duzzy73
adova
300g DIY Acrylic Tank Recommendations
Replies
5
Views
120
griss
griss
ClownBubbaJoe
Skimmer, TALL skimmer vs short under cabinet type ?
Replies
13
Views
323
BeanAnimal
B
J
Tank restart after 8 years 😳
Replies
13
Views
224
griss
griss
D
Balancing a Dual Sump System
Replies
18
Views
698
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Back
Top