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bambbrose 
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 Topic: Sump not underneath tank. Need some input.
Posted: January 15 2008 at 8:57pm |
I have a 28 gallon bowfront that I would like to expand my options on (want a small clam and a lot more coral). Problem is the stand I have for it doesn't have room for a sump, and the little room that it did have is now filled with lighting ballasts and other misc stuff.
So I was planning on having the tank drilled sometime in the next week and setting up something similar to what I have drawn with my awesome MS paint skills below  I was thinking of purchasing or building a small cabinet to sit next to my tank and stand.
Anyone ever set up a sump similar to this?
What size of pipe do you guys think I should use for my return lines and drain?
What about the pump? Mag7? I don't want my sand to be blowing everywhere but I do want a lot of flow for the SPS.
Anything wrong with running the lines at a sharper 45 or more degree angle like that for the drain (like noise or bubbles)?
Would a simple rubbermaid sump work out fine for this?
My initial goals in doing this are to get more water capacity so I have more livestock options, to have a place for cheato and pods to thrive, to clean up the clutter in the display, and to set up an auto topoff system.
Another later goal of mine is to set up a small frag tank on top of the cabinet that I would plumb into the system also. Something like a 24x24x8 or so that shared the same water but ran a closed loop also to have tons of flow.
Any suggestions or ideas for any other ways to set this up are greatly appreciated. I haven't purchased a single thing yet for my sump so I can completely trash this plan for a better one
Thanks guys
Edited by bambbrose - January 15 2008 at 9:01pm
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Corey Price
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 9:21pm |
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I think that's a great way to go. Stay with a Mag 7, IMHO, and use at least 1" flexible PVC lines, IMHO. Get the biggest sump you can live with- the extra water volume will help with tank stability. It will also help with bubble dissipation. A 20L or a 30 breeder would be my choice.
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 9:36pm |
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a tuberware will work fine, and i know that carlos has his sump behind his tank and it looks and works just fine. what he did is build a stand beind his tank and placed 3 10 gal tanks behind it all connected the water from the main flows into the tnd of one. and then the water simply siphons over to the 2nd and third. then from there a pump pulls it out and forces it back into the main display...
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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dkle
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 10:43pm |
My own biases are:
1. Biggest sump possible for reasons that Corey mentioned.
2. Stream powerheads (like Koralias, modified Maxijets, Tunze streams) should be used as main circulation in the tank. They are more energy efficient, more versatile. The main drawbacks are heat added to the tank (if compared to an external return pump), esthetically not as pleasing, can be more expensive if you buy severals. One good option too is the nano pumps from fragglereef.com that are very small, cost 5 bucks, consume 6w and push 250gph. They might just be perfect for your tank.
3. With stream powerheads in the tank as main circulation, I like the smaller return pump, just as a means of moving water through the sump. If the return pump is too big comparing to the sump, water will rush through the sump creating a lot of bubbles and horrible noises. I don't know how it actually turns out with your setup but I am afraid 700gph of Mag7 might be too high for a 10-20g sump. I have a 900gph pump on my 80g sump.
4. As far as drilling goes, once you pick out your pump, then you buy the tubings and drill your tank according to the outflow of your pump. For example, the Mag 7 has 1/2'' outflow then I would go with that. The return hole and pipes need to be one size larger, so that even if it clogs a bit, it's still good to handle the flow and doesn't overflow water to your floor.
5. The rubbermaid would work; but I think it's gonna be hard to put baffles in them to prevent microbubbles to enter your main tank. But then again, I am all thumbs when it comes to DIY. So there you have it  !!!!
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If you can't bedazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bs!
Dinhkim Le - Procrastinator extra-ordinare
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bbeck4x4
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 10:48pm |
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I have a 50 gallon sump on my 90, it is in the room behind the tank, lots of room to work on the sump with plenty of room for water storage, kalk tanks, etc. I used one inch spa flex.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 10:54pm |
Carlso63 has a similar setup and I don't think his tank is drilled. I'm he will be happy to tell you about it.
Mike
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 10:57pm |
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mike i was talking about carlso63 i just didnt remeber the numbers in his name
Edited by pa_reptileman_4 - January 15 2008 at 10:58pm
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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Mike Savage
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 11:05pm |
Sorry Shane, I guess I read too fast!
Mike
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: January 15 2008 at 11:16pm |
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its all good thanks for clearing that up.
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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Corey Price
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Posted: January 16 2008 at 7:25am |
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I run a Mag 5 on my 40 with a 20L sump and I think it's just mediocre. A mag 5 is still adequate, though.
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reptoreef
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Posted: January 16 2008 at 8:31am |
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As far as baffles in a rubbermaid... they don't work well, but smaller rubbermaids within the main work very well and give you the ability to move your "baffle chambers" as you pleas depending on available space.
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www.captivereefing.com
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BobC63
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Posted: January 16 2008 at 6:06pm |
Actually, I don't think my sump and his proposal are alike... it looks like you are looking to run a "standard" under-the- tank sump, except in your case the sump will not be directly under your display tank; but rather below and offset to the side of it. My setup differs in that my sump is not below the display, it is level with it. So my application would not work here...
Also, when choosing a return for your sump I would add that IMO it is good advice to match your return pump gph to your skimmers gph capacity - at least somewhat... if you have a skimmer with a pump running, say, 200 gph and a return of 600 gph, then what you end up with is that a portion (in this example two-thirds, actually) of the water in your sump gets returned to the main tank without having been skimmed. Usually you would want to avoid that scenario...
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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bambbrose
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Posted: January 17 2008 at 1:56am |
Thanks for all of the advice everyone! I decided to go ahead with the plans. Today after class I made a trip to a few of the local stores to see if anything there might work for a stand. My last stop was at the DI, and they had a small old end table for $12. I figured it wasn't hardly any money so I picked it up. After getting it home I think it is going to work out great and not look out of place at all in my living room. Here is my current tank location with the new stand next to it. Don't mind the murkiness. I was killing some aptasia with Joes Juice or whatever it is called so I had to move some rocks around  and here is the inside of the stand. I still need to clean it but I have to drill some holes and find a tank for it first.  The inside dimensions are 21" deep, 22" wide, and 15" tall. Obviously I need a few inches of clearance along the top, so I was thinking something like a 12" tall aquarium. I might try and make it myself out of acrylic. Are there any premade tanks out there that are around my dimensions? or that would at least fit inside? Using some basic volume calculators, it looks like 20x20x12 is just shy of 20 gallons. Any idea of how full I could keep it so I know how much volume I am really looking at expanding? I know that more volume would be better but as you can see from my living room, I don't have a ton of room to work with. thanks guys
Edited by bambbrose - January 17 2008 at 2:04am
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dkle
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Posted: January 17 2008 at 8:39am |
The volume of water in the sump is the biggest volume that you can have, without causing the sump to overflow with water when power is out.
I would hook everything up, fill the sump with enough water so that the return pump can work, run it to make sure that is the case, then stop the return pump. Water will then overflow from your main tank to your sump. You then can just add water to the sump until it is almost full. And that should be the final volume that you can have in your sump.
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If you can't bedazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bs!
Dinhkim Le - Procrastinator extra-ordinare
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LordMaximo
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Posted: January 19 2008 at 12:46pm |
Since you are going to set up a remote sump, a suggestion is what you asked for?
How about a taller platform to hold the sump and maybe mke it a display as well?
I have a similar situation, setting up a new SW tank in my master BR, I am using my wifes' dresser as the tankstand, and will have the sump exposed next to the sump. I could either build a blind to cover the sump or actually setup a nice cover with the lighting to both tank and sump. Thus, using the sump as a display along with the tank.
I don't have the horizontal room for a long sump setup, so I am being forced to set up a multi teired/ level sump assembly. A tall sump with upper levels for fill and refugium.
Makes sence to go up and build proportionally to the available room.
Just food for thought....... 8-) Maximo
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Trigger Master
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JayTee
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Posted: January 20 2008 at 3:39pm |
What size of bowfront do you have? I ask, becuase I have a 54 gallon corner tank, and it was tricky to get a sump in, but I did it, and in fact, I got a bigger sump recently. I have a small sump (approx. 10 gal), not sure if this would help you, but I would be willing to sell or trade if it is something that you think you might need. Keep me posted on how that goes. I may be interested in doing something similar if you go with the seperate cabinet setup.
Jeremy
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Jeremy
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chk4tix
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Posted: January 20 2008 at 9:36pm |
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Well, I just wanted to post a possible option that might not be allong the same lines as everyone else. On my 30g tank, I had a HOB refugium and HOB CPR skimmer and that really seamed to handle the many corrals and fish that I had in my tank. I honestly had less problems with that tank and setup then I have had with my 120g and a sump. Just an option, and there was no drilling involved.
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