Need to create custom sump tank?

[SammieT]

Is it required to have a sump tank? I've been looking around lately and have not found one that fit good in the cabnet underneath my tank. Do I need to create one or just leave it as it is? Is it required?


If I have to make my own, how would I do it? How does it have to be set up? What can I keep in the tank? I've seen some pictures of people putting rocks and such in the sumps and plants..

 

[sherief.elsayed]

IMO opinion I thing having a sump is great. Besides having a cool place to place your protein skimmer and what ever other equipment to give a decent amount of room in your display. Also a much more better filter the the HOB filters. I have created one before. It's a bit tedious but there are several vids on YouTube on how to make one. Do your measurements and make a purchase. $1 per-gallon sale is where I got my sumo tank, I went to Home Depot to have glass cut to the specifications I need, and lastly aquarium safe silicone.

 

[MondoBongo]

it is certainly not required, but highly recommended. as sherief said, it gives you a place to relocate equipment to keep it out of the display, increases total system volume that aids in stability, and has other benefits as well.

the "rocks and such" that you've seen are referred to as a refugium. they have various benefits as well, including allowing a place for micro fauna to grow (phytoplankton, zooplankton, etc...), as well as an area to grow macroalgae to assist in nutrient uptake/export.

you can buy a prefab sump, get a custom one made, build one yourself, use an old aquarium that you retrofit, or even use a rubbermaid tub. i had to go with the rubbermaid tub because i had skipped the sump early on, and needed something flexible to finagle inside the stand.

 

[SammieT]

it is certainly not required, but highly recommended. as sherief said, it gives you a place to relocate equipment to keep it out of the display, increases total system volume that aids in stability, and has other benefits as well.

the "rocks and such" that you've seen are referred to as a refugium. they have various benefits as well, including allowing a place for micro fauna to grow (phytoplankton, zooplankton, etc...), as well as an area to grow macroalgae to assist in nutrient uptake/export.

you can buy a prefab sump, get a custom one made, build one yourself, use an old aquarium that you retrofit, or even use a rubbermaid tub. i had to go with the rubbermaid tub because i had skipped the sump early on, and needed something flexible to finagle inside the stand.

Mind if you show me your Rubbermaid tub? I've never seen one like that

 

[MondoBongo]

sure, i'll snag a picture when i get home.

it's not fancy, and it's certainly not much to look at, but it does the job.

i would have very much preferred something different, ideally with baffles and different sections, room for a refugium, etc... however, since i couldn't fit a tank under the stand without taking the main tank off the top, i didn't have much choice in the matter. i literally just went to Lowes, bought the biggest Rubbermaid container that would fit (measure first obviously) and then folded it in half, and stuck it under there.

 

[SammieT]

sure, i'll snag a picture when i get home.

it's not fancy, and it's certainly not much to look at, but it does the job.

i would have very much preferred something different, ideally with baffles and different sections, room for a refugium, etc... however, since i couldn't fit a tank under the stand without taking the main tank off the top, i didn't have much choice in the matter. i literally just went to Lowes, bought the biggest Rubbermaid container that would fit (measure first obviously) and then folded it in half, and stuck it under there.

Yea, it's understandable trust me

I don't have much room myself, I need to get some ideas to figure out how I would do it

 

[Timfish]

Here's a system I maintain that is sumpless, filterless and skimmerless so it's not imperative to have a sump: http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA
However, were I to set up a system from scratch I would use one. One thing you can do is use small glass tanks that fit and connect them with bulkead fittings. Since you don't have much preasure head use multiple bulkeads to handle the flow. You might also contact someone locally who works with acrylic and get custom acrylic tanks, acrylic has the advantage of being able to be bolted together with nylon bolts and silicone for making gaskets.

 

[SammieT]

Here's a system I maintain that is sumpless, filterless and skimmerless so it's not imperative to have a sump: http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA
However, were I to set up a system from scratch I would use one. One thing you can do is use small glass tanks that fit and connect them with bulkead fittings. Since you don't have much preasure head use multiple bulkeads to handle the flow. You might also contact someone locally who works with acrylic and get custom acrylic tanks, acrylic has the advantage of being able to be bolted together with nylon bolts and silicone for making gaskets.

am I required to have a predrilled hole to have a sump? I don't want to really drill my glass tank

 

[SammieT]

Here's a system I maintain that is sumpless, filterless and skimmerless so it's not imperative to have a sump: http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA
However, were I to set up a system from scratch I would use one. One thing you can do is use small glass tanks that fit and connect them with bulkead fittings. Since you don't have much preasure head use multiple bulkeads to handle the flow. You might also contact someone locally who works with acrylic and get custom acrylic tanks, acrylic has the advantage of being able to be bolted together with nylon bolts and silicone for making gaskets.

Beautiful tank by the way, I love the set up

 

[MondoBongo]

Here's a system I maintain that is sumpless, filterless and skimmerless so it's not imperative to have a sump: http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA
However, were I to set up a system from scratch I would use one. One thing you can do is use small glass tanks that fit and connect them with bulkead fittings. Since you don't have much preasure head use multiple bulkeads to handle the flow. You might also contact someone locally who works with acrylic and get custom acrylic tanks, acrylic has the advantage of being able to be bolted together with nylon bolts and silicone for making gaskets.

this is something i wish i had thought of when putting mine together. a 20 long was too large to fit through my doors, but i could have easily linked together a few 10 gallons.

am I required to have a predrilled hole to have a sump? I don't want to really drill my glass tank

my tank is not drilled. i have a HOB eshoppes overflow box.

 

[SammieT]

this is something i wish i had thought of when putting mine together. a 20 long was too large to fit through my doors, but i could have easily linked together a few 10 gallons.



my tank is not drilled. i have a HOB eshoppes overflow box.

I'm just trying to eliminate the hanging over the side of the tank filter. Annoys me just looking at it

 

[MondoBongo]

yeah understandable, but if you are putting in an overflow you basically have two options:

1. drill the tank
2. HOB overflow.

it's not super noticeable to be honest. not nearly as garish as having my skimmer and a bunch of other garbage hanging over there.

 

[SammieT]

yeah understandable, but if you are putting in an overflow you basically have two options:

1. drill the tank
2. HOB overflow.

it's not super noticeable to be honest. not nearly as garish as having my skimmer and a bunch of other garbage hanging over there.

Yeah, I'm stuck with those only options

The current HOB overflow I got is a aqueon 110 gallon overflow and my tank is 65 gallons. It sucks for me because my tank is a corner tank so it sticks out.

No way I can just make a sump tank with clear tubing running from inside the tank to the bottom for intake and another one on the side for outtake?

And also got a CPR bakpak protein skimmer as well hanging on the side

 

[Live Rockin]

I would go with a sump if at all possible. I used to have a 49 gall Bow front that I ran without a sump for about a year and had heck keeping the parameters steady. I added a 10 gallon sump and my tanks health improved greatly.

Here is a DIY that I did with a 29 gallon (1 dollar per gallon sale) recently. just a basic design with the drain going in through a 4" sock on the left then the refuge in the center and return pump on the right,

I bought my new 90 gall tank pre drilled, so this is the sump plumbed up with the skimmer now added to the sump.

 

[MondoBongo]

Yeah, I'm stuck with those only options

The current HOB overflow I got is a aqueon 110 gallon overflow and my tank is 65 gallons. It sucks for me because my tank is a corner tank so it sticks out.

No way I can just make a sump tank with clear tubing running from inside the tank to the bottom for intake and another one on the side for outtake?

And also got a CPR bakpak protein skimmer as well hanging on the side

you *could* but i wouldn't advise it.

the HOB overflow from eshoppse, and presumably other brands as well, will keep a siphon if the power goes out. just having some tubing running up and over will not. so if that return pump shuts off and then comes back on, and you're not standing there to restart your siphon, guess where all the extra water goes?

you can move the CPR bakpak in to the sump if you design around it.

 

[SammieT]

you *could* but i wouldn't advise it.

the HOB overflow from eshoppse, and presumably other brands as well, will keep a siphon if the power goes out. just having some tubing running up and over will not. so if that return pump shuts off and then comes back on, and you're not standing there to restart your siphon, guess where all the extra water goes?

you can move the CPR bakpak in to the sump if you design around it.

What if I were to only have one pump for intake and out? Would it still overflow if power goes out?

 

[MondoBongo]

What if I were to only have one pump for intake and out? Would it still overflow if power goes out?

you want your drain to be gravity fed, you don't want to rely on trying to synch up two pumps, or something else goofy.

the overflow box with a matched return pump is what you need. anything else will just end up being issues in the long run (or maybe even short run). trust me, there is a reason that there are really only a two (reliable) options for making an overflow/sump system.

 

[pelphrey]

You would only need 1 pump, as 2 pumps would most certainly create a flood. A HOB overflow uses a siphon to take water from the display tank, through the sump then the water is pumped back into the display tank.

 

[SammieT]

This is my current set up

HOB filter

Top view

Inside view

 

[MondoBongo]

here you go, sorry for the delay. it is fugly, but functional.