sump pricing

C

Cyproz

New member
Going to a few local fish stores to get estimate on making a 20 gallon sump which i alrdy have the 20 gallon long tank. so all they would do it build the baffles to ensure correct water level, flow and maximize space.
just wondering what i should be spending on something like that?



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I would just measure what you need and go to a glass shop or acrylic shop and have them cut your baffles. A fish store is just going to be the middle man in a case like that. Glass is usually cheaper than acrylic, but there are pros and cons to working with both. I've heard of some people getting it done at places like Home Depot. Sometimes they might even have some precut that would work for you. I never cared for their selection of materials much. The last time i used rideout plastics and they were reasonable in price and had excellent results. I think I paid around $40 or something like that for about 5 custom sized baffles. I think you buy the larger sheet of acrylic and they charge a small fee to cut it to size.
 
DIY. Despite what the sellers of 'luxury' sumps might wish you to believe, there isn't a great deal of science behind making your own.
 
$30 or less for cut glass and a few $$$ for silicone any more then that is a waste of money. Your better off doing it yourself. The LFS is just going to charge you a ton of money. For a 20 long it should only cost you about $55 total (with the tank). That's the size sump I have. I didn't even have to measure I brought the tank to the glass place and told them I need the glass to fit inside the tank all I had to do was decided on the height and that was a run of the mill glass place.
 
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true im just confused on design i guess.
this is the skimmer i ordered.

seems to have 7 x 4.2 as the footprint and operate best in 7 Inchs of water depth.

Being that my tank is 30.5" L x 13.125" W x13"H (aqueon 20 gal long), how many and what heights baffles should i go?

running a mag 5 pump and one filter sock that i was planning to put in the first chamber with skimmer.

I think ill DIY a shot. Whole purpose of this was to get a power outage proof sump to my 40 gal breeder.
 
nah not fish only but my total water is ptobably around 50gal given the sump wont be full

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It doesn't really say anything on the info for that skimmer so my guess is it's rated for a 65 gallon light bio load. I'd probably look for something rated higher unless your going to stock the tank lightly.
 
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For example if you read this skimmer info it says the skimmer is rated for 210 gallons.



But if we read a little bit more you can see it's only rated for a 120 gallon heavy bio load.



They always list the light bio load so you see the biggest number.
 
alot of the reviews say it works well for their systems. gonna give it a try until i can afford a nice 250 one.
if it lasts 6 months ill be happy

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WHat do you guys think about this design. simple but effective?

10155904655_0e91bed6ce_o.jpg
 
You should probably put the bubble trap closest to the pump. That way any bubbles will be gone before the have a chance to get into the DT.

Also, the middle bubble trap shouldn't go all the way to the top, it just needs to higher than first baffle in the trap. Say an inch or two. If you have it walled off like in your diagram, you have to make sure that the last two chambers can handle back flow from when the return pump is turned off.


One more thing. I would consider spacing the first and second or second and third trap baffles a little further apart. Easier to clean, if needed, and you can throw a bag of carbon between them, if not running it in a reactor.
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zelie_dad said:
Allso, the middle bubble trap shouldn't go all the way to the top, it just needs to higher than first baffle in the trap. Say an inch or two. If you have it walled off like in your diagram, you have to make sure that the last two chambers can handle back flow from when the return pump is turned off.
Click to expand...

Agree that running the middle baffle in the bubble trap is unecessary, though your reasoning is incorrect. In the event of a significant back flow, water will travel back through the trap whether the center baffle is full tank height or not.
 
Cyproz said:
alot of the reviews say it works well for their systems. gonna give it a try until i can afford a nice 250 one.
if it lasts 6 months ill be happy

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Click to expand...

It has to do with the Bio load the skimmer can handle and it looks like that skimmer can't handle much at all. I would look for something that can handle 100 gallon heavy bio load if you plan on stocking the tank any real amount. They tend not to give that type of information with cheap skimmers. It has more to do with the skimmer not being able to handle your system then the skimmer not lasting. Your going to end up spending more money and risk problems.
 
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This is a little off topic, but I have the classic 150, and it is plenty for my system. I'm guessing the the SSS version will work fine as well for your system as well.

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He's not looking at an sss it's some odd brand. It says it's rated for 65 gallons it doesn't give the amount for a heavy Bio load.
 
what are some better skimmer options that are in tank and dont have a giant 5in by 10in footprint?
and arent 250$.

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