New-ish guy looking to set up a weird 120g tank.

[Kizzy911]

I need someone to help me out as much as possible, my local reefers aren't so fond of helping out so much.

I recently bought a 120g tank for a good deal with stand, hood, metal halides, and it has a center overflow.

My only problem is having a sump that fits the bottom space of the tank (36 x 13 x 22)
I REALLY REALLY need help in terms of everything really.
How to make a DIY sump?
plumbing?
my tank is a bit weird and it has bulkheads plugged and holes everywhere.
I don't really know where to start or what structure i need to go on from.
I can talk faster via Facebook or through text.
Just asking for someone who is experienced enough that won't be bothered by tons of questions.


I can send pics via Facebook, text, etc. thanks.
My name is Kizztophe, thats all you have to type in Facebook to chat with me, and you'll see me.

Really really love this hobby and would like a helping hand in any ways possible. much appreciated.

 

[Giants13]

I need someone to help me out as much as possible, my local reefers aren't so fond of helping out so much.

I recently bought a 120g tank for a good deal with stand, hood, metal halides, and it has a center overflow.

My only problem is having a sump that fits the bottom space of the tank (36 x 13 x 22)
I REALLY REALLY need help in terms of everything really.
How to make a DIY sump?
plumbing?
my tank is a bit weird and it has bulkheads plugged and holes everywhere.
I don't really know where to start or what structure i need to go on from.
I can talk faster via Facebook or through text.
Just asking for someone who is experienced enough that won't be bothered by tons of questions.


I can send pics via Facebook, text, etc. thanks.
My name is Kizztophe, thats all you have to type in Facebook to chat with me, and you'll see me.

Really really love this hobby and would like a helping hand in any ways possible. much appreciated.

post up some pic, i made my own sump and did own plumbing.

 

[CStrickland]

You'll get better help from the group than trying to find one person to walk you through a whole tank setup on Facebook. That's asking more than you realize. If you post some pics here we will help you out, but you need to do your homework as well. This page is a bunch of links to information about different areas of the hobby http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074 so you can read about diff issues as they come up. If you skim that thread for the basic ideas before you ask a question, the answers you get will make a lot more sense

Here's a good basic guide to sumps http://www.melevsreef.com/node/710

 

[Dundermifflin]

Save yourself time and money and go with Eshopps New RS-200. I was in the same boat with a sump going back and forth about building one. Ended up with the new RS-300 and couldn't be happier. Up and running for almost six months now and it's great. Very quiet! Check your measurements again to see if you can get 14" W then you can get the RS-300, but if not, the RS-200 should work fine.

 

[Giants13]

Save yourself time and money and go with Eshopps New RS-200. I was in the same boat with a sump going back and forth about building one. Ended up with the new RS-300 and couldn't be happier. Up and running for almost six months now and it's great. Very quiet! Check your measurements again to see if you can get 14" W then you can get the RS-300, but if not, the RS-200 should work fine.

might save time, I'm not sure about money i got a 50 gal used tank for 25$ and glass baffles 1/4" thick were like another 20. and i got Plexiglas measured out the holes for my filter socks and used a torch cut out the holes and melted the end a little bit so i can bend it and now it hangs on the sump. Runs great, a lot of people around town asked me to make them some hehe.

 

[rfurst]

Ya, pics of the tank will help a lot so we can all see what holes are where and then can give you options regarding plumbing. I think sumps are about the easiest thing there is in the hobby since any old tank will work and putting in baffles are easy. It doesn't have to be good looking or complicated at all. A lot better things to spend money on in my opinion.

 

[Kizzy911]

Save yourself time and money and go with Eshopps New RS-200. I was in the same boat with a sump going back and forth about building one. Ended up with the new RS-300 and couldn't be happier. Up and running for almost six months now and it's great. Very quiet! Check your measurements again to see if you can get 14" W then you can get the RS-300, but if not, the RS-200 should work fine.

i believe that my stand can fit a RS-300! but my skimmer is about 9 x13 and i want a refigium, you think this will have enough space? knowing that you have it.

 

[Kizzy911]

I got it from craigslist. It came with a very weird sump that i don't even wanna deal with, it's too small anyways but it does fit in the stand.

This is what I'm dealing with, a bunch of bulkheads.
No idea how the overflow works
it has 2 holes on top left and right side
He mentioned that his idea was that he wanted alot of flow because it's a coral only tank and so he put in alot of holes to put flow, he even put 3 at the bottom of the tank.

 

[Kizzy911]

Here's a picture of the overflow.
also plumbing parts that he just threw in
the weird sump
it also came with an external pump that i won't use because i'll be using my Jebao 4000 as a return pump.

I'm planning on using my vertex omega 150 protein skimmer, which is a beast and would be perfect for this tank.
I also want a fuge big enough for a bunch of pods to grow and some algae.

 

[Kizzy911]

Save yourself time and money and go with Eshopps New RS-200. I was in the same boat with a sump going back and forth about building one. Ended up with the new RS-300 and couldn't be happier. Up and running for almost six months now and it's great. Very quiet! Check your measurements again to see if you can get 14" W then you can get the RS-300, but if not, the RS-200 should work fine.

if you don't mind, do you mind measuring if a 9" Length X 13" Wide (vertex omega 150) skimmer would fit in the skimmer section and still have space for a return pump of 5" X 4", and still have space for a refigium.

 

[chimmike]

That is indeed a weird 120g. Very tall. Makes reaching the bottom a pain :/

But yes, you have flexibility, there are fantastic sump makers out there. It can be done!

 

[rfurst]

A lot of different plumbing choices available with all those holes. Can use three bottom holes as returns or for closed loop. Holes in side of overflow make little sense unless someone was trying to draw water in from various depths but that is not what we after in Reef tanks so keep plugged. holes in upper back can be used for returns or for closed loop or even as part of additional drains.

Ya, I'd toss that sump.

 

[SeedlessOne]

Honestly not what you want to hear but what you are asking is a bit much. You are looking at hours getting that setup. Cant even be completed in one day. You could A) hire someone local or B) read up and complete it your self. You will learn a ton and will have a much better understanding of how a reef tank works which is crucial knowledge. Good luck!!

 

[CStrickland]

Yeah. I'd prolly cap most of those bulkheads and just do a normal overflow. A closed loop could be cool but kindve a big project for a first tank. People used to do those more because it was easier to have one pump out of the tank that blew water through all the pipes. But the modern powerheads are smaller and better so now most just do that. It's nice cause you can move powerheads around easier to get it how you want it.

You might want to start googling aquascapes for 55 gallon tanks, I think you'll run into some of the same challenges when you are arranging your rocks in this tall narrow tank.

 

[Kizzy911]

I shouldve mentioned that the three bottom holes are all capped. Im just going to use a 30 gal tank for a sump. I need help on what to do with the holes on the top left and top right side.

Im trying to male it simple, overflow is the only thing that im gonna use, then have it plumbed to the sump. Then get my
Retrn pump and put it on the tank.
I made it really simple so it wont seem so hard. My only problem is i dont know plumbing.. And dont know much about tje overflow either

 

[rfurst]

you use the holes in the top back for your returns so you don't have to plumb up and over the back.

post pic of back of tank which will help determine best way to plumb into sump.

 

[Kizzy911]

I have a jebao 4000 no idea how that would fit in tjere