4 Foot Tank Sump

[Sunny.C]

Hey guys,
I am a total newbie with marine, i need step by step guide on how to make a sump???
Hopeful some picture on how it works and what is what?

 

[onemisterchristian]

This would probably be much more well recieved in the marine hardware section.

 

[Sunny.C]

There is no marine hardware section.

 

[stegoodall]

There is no marine hardware section.

it's called saltwater hardware

 

[Matty]

well guys, i dont think the marine section has a DIY section, so how hard can it be? Pretty much, you would need to make a wet/dry filter, with a protein skimmer and maybe a UV sterilizer. I'm pretty cure that it is possble to use this equipmment in a freshwater setup...but how would you arrange the components?

 

[littleimp]

Check this out

http/www.reef-eden.com/diy_4.htm

 

[Sunny.C]

Thats tops littleimp thanks alot your the only one that gave a helpful answer
Now to work it all out

 

[Paul_MTS]

wow thats quite a complecated system in that link..

here's how my marine tank is run, it's only a 30g system with a refugim..

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=92117&st=16

 

[Sunny.C]

WoW i think i'm going to need someone to show me step by step how to make one, it just looks pretty to me with 0 understanding on how it works
Will i be able to do all of it by myself without having to get it done by a lfs? even like cutting the hole in the tank??

 

[Paul_MTS]

If you buy a new tank from a custom maker they will beable to put a hole in it quite easily for you or if you can't get it drilled and don't fancy doing it yourself you can get a overflow box which is basically a controlled syphon to the sump.

Drilling is very easy though, I just found out what size hole I needed, bought a glass drill bit for close to that size hole off ebay, marked where to drilled applied plenty of water not too much pressure whilst drilled then hey-presto your tank has a hole in it, hopefully a circular one!

The sump is very easy though, find out what you want to do in the sump, refugim, in sump skimmer, external skimmer, calcuim reactor etc etc the list goes on, on what you could build into the sump. So you find out what you want in the sump then design around that.

I just got some glass cut at a local glass cutters then siliconed them in place.

 

[Sunny.C]

Hmm no idea, i'm planning on doing a 4 foot marine with live rock what do you guys recommend i do??? i have no idea what i should do or what is what. I need guidence saying do this

 

[littleimp]

The sump in that system has now been copied/bought by aqua-medic for their new range of pre-built tanks coming in the new year!! It' quite easy to construct, just a bit more than a normal one but you will see much greater benefit from it if you do, especially if you want a dsb. In more conventional tanks, especially the larger ones, the dsb has never ever performed as it should becuase their is always too much flow over it when you have a pump or too pumping several thousand litres/hr water over it. This idea gets around that by taking the main flow underneath. It gets it's water from the heavily oxygenated water coming from the skimmer so the flow is managebale

Hmm no idea, i'm planning on doing a 4 foot marine with live rock what do you guys recommend i do??? i have no idea what i should do or what is what. I need guidence saying do this

Just take it a bit at a time, obviously you need the rock. This should be placed if possible on a frame/loose system to get maximum flow around it, no flow, you get dead spots & no filtration.

Next thing is a skimmer, on a tank that size with a sump I would go for something like the aqua-medic 1000 multi SL built into the sump.

If no sump the deltec mce600 would be a good choice.

Next most important thing is flow, you need some real good pumps in their (tunze stream kit would be ideal if you can afford it).

 

[Sunny.C]

Ok all that meant nothing to me besides the skimmer. I am having a read of http/www.reef-eden.com/diy_4.htm so i think i will be going for that. I take it that i have to get the tank made and cut up for a lfs???
Also where do i get the other parts?

 

[stegoodall]

didn't mean to sound unhelpful.
good luck

 

[onemisterchristian]

I'd say a goos thing to do would be to check at your lfs (that sells saltwater accessories) and have a look at their sumps. I;m sure that would at least give you a good starting point. Find one of the employees and ask how to set one up. As far as i know, you just drill both tanks, an overflow would be great, have the water drain down into the sump, then have a pump that pushes water back into the tank, at the other end.