Rubbermaid / sump for 240 gallon tank.

[Scoobaman17]

I have decided to set up a 240 gallon acrylic tank as a reef, "open water reef, roughly 3 - 4 feet of reef out of 8 feet." My family has had it for years as a salt water fo and then a fresh water fo. It's now mine and I am going to set it up in a condo.

How can I make a complete sump with a fuge out of rubbermaid? Tried searching threads but found nothing other then for bulkheads for cheap.

Basically what i need is how to divide it up, connect and such and if it's a worthy money saving choice. Thanks!

Also just a few other questions....
1: what's an affordable skimmer for this tank?
2: I heard only to have huge refugium and skimmer....???
3: What would you experienced large tankers tell someone who has never had a larger tank other then 75 gallon as a reef?

Thanks everyone for all your help!

 

[DrBDC]

What I've done with my stock tank is I put a salt bucket in the one end that recieves water from the display. My skimmer draws and feeds back to this same bucket. Get a taller bucket like an oceanic bucket. The other end I have a bulkhead and then a pipe with holes in it for the return pump draw. In between in the main body of the stock tank I have a bunch of cheato growing with a 400w 6500K iwasaki over the top.

 

[enemec1]

DrBDC do you have a pic of your sump?

 

[Scoobaman17]

Ok, I might now be doing an acrylic sump of my own design, now this. With a open water reef in a 240 gallon tank with small fish and clams and such. What filter media would be required? I hierd no skimmer is required with a big enough refugium. Is that true? If not, how big do i go on the skimmer and if anyone knows please let me know where I can get the cheapest yet most efficient for this sized tank. Also what other filter media do you all advise? I have a container full of bio balls so I can put those anywhere if I have to but they collect detritis (sp).
Thanks guys.

 

[rlxwcapt]

I would get the best skimmer posible. Don't skimp on the skimmer. I have MRC skimmer. It works great but I have gone through 2 blue line pumps in 1yr. I think I am going to upgrade to a H & S skimmer. I like alot of fish so I want a great skimmer.

 

[Scoobaman17]

Yeah I'll have a few community fish, I love schools of fish, smaller schools like anthias and chromis. The biggest fish I can see myself having is yellow tang size, but like one of them. Thanks for the advise!

 

[DrBDC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9648644#post9648644 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by enemec1
DrBDC do you have a pic of your sump?

Sorry I somehow missed this until it was posted to again.

It's a little hard to make it out since I'm running the sump level high because I have it full of rock that will be in my 180 when I upgrade my display tank. Normally I leave the water level about an inch lower than the salt buckets lip so it waterfalls over some. If you look over towards the left, the skimmer, the display drain and my frag system all drain into a bucket. Then on the other end I just have a bulkhead in the side that has a 90 degree upturn with a bunch of holes drilled in it. I have a powerhead pointed right at that pipe with the hopes to keep cheato from getting into it and as of a couple years I haven't had any problem with that.

 

[Scoobaman17]

WOw is all I have to say, thanks!