Im going to be building my own sump for a 90 gal tank out of plastic totes. its not drilled or anything I have overflow box with a 1 1/2 inch dia PVC drain tube. I need to know what I should pick up tomorrow to connect the sump. I have never worked with PVC at all and I don't know anything besides what I've read here. also is there something I can get from home-depot that would act as the return for tank that would give it a little bit of pressure like a power-head. I'm going to get a mag 9.5 for the return pump. right now nothing will be going in the sump until I get a protein skimmer. looking to go purchase the hardware store stuff tomorrow and any help would be appreciated.
Need a shopping ist for the hardware store.
- Thread starter pfcreed
- Start date
OregonReefer
New member
plan on making many many trips to the hardware store 
reefmanmatt
In Memoriam
you will need : glue and primer , something to cut pvc pipe with..i recommend getting a set of pipe cutters 10$ at homedepot. draw a picture of how you want your piping to run , this will help you decide what angles of fitting to get . also buy a shut off valve that you can glue in line on your pvc on the IN side of the sump , your mag pump should come with a valve to control flow on the OUT side . i would go with clear tubing for the return side , its flexible and easy to work with . plus no gluing . just get some plastic clamps to affix it on the pump . you will want to make the top of the return out of pvc so it can hang on your tanks back , i would suggest making a foot long j shaped piece as this will hold the side of the tank well , and get the appropriate fitting to go from the clear hose to the pvc . hope that helps a little . also make sure your tots can handle the water first , if the have feet they werent meant to hold anything but cloths .... best of luck !!!
reefmanmatt
In Memoriam
forgot to mention , keep the return within an inch of the top .. it will start a siphon when your pump shuts off and drain the display into the sump until it gets air in the pipe . if you want it mid water level drill a few tiny holes just at the waters surface (angle them down or youll have wet lights !!! ) happy reefing
billdogg
Well-known member
What I do when starting a new plumbing project is draw it out on paper to get a rough idea of what I will need. The I go to HD/Lowes, and buy AT LEAST twice as many of everything that I think I will need. That way I only have to make 2 or 3 more trips to get the rest. PVC is cheap and can be returned - get plenty!!!
I don't bother with primer or cleaner - our systems are under so little pressure that just the pvc glue is more than enough. I prefer the clear medium duty stuff - green can I think - that way I can wipe the joints clean during assembly and i looks nice when I'm done.
Investing in a pvc cutter 0 they are only like $8 or so - is the way to go - nice clean cuts every time.
Also - Unions are great because they allow you to take stuff apart if (when) it gets clogged.
I don't bother with primer or cleaner - our systems are under so little pressure that just the pvc glue is more than enough. I prefer the clear medium duty stuff - green can I think - that way I can wipe the joints clean during assembly and i looks nice when I'm done.
Investing in a pvc cutter 0 they are only like $8 or so - is the way to go - nice clean cuts every time.
Also - Unions are great because they allow you to take stuff apart if (when) it gets clogged.
+1 on all of this.
... and
Don't work on the plumbing unless you can give it your fullest attention. Also dont GLUE anything if you've been drinking.
IF you do, you'll be making more trips to the HD. I tell you both from experience.
inigomontoya
New member
The pvc cutter, the nicer one that fits around larger pvc and ratchets down, is invaluable both for smoother cuts and ease. Also don't know how you overflow is set up, but sometimes you can leave the connection with the bulkhead (inside the overflow) as a dry fit (without using glue). This makes it easier to adjust/clean/remove to get to surfing fish, etcetera later on. Any subtle leak won't matter because it is protected.
This varies depending on your overflow, but it worked well with my durso setup.
This varies depending on your overflow, but it worked well with my durso setup.
