Custom overflow boxes and sump

Rcchanlder

Reefing newb
If i were to offer to build custom overflow boxes that would cost maybe have the price of big brands would anyone be intested? they would be all acrylic and built to fit. they would include bulkheads to fit your drain lines etc. let me know what you think. Sumps could be custom as well.
 
Yes! Yes! Yes! I really want a sump on my tank but don't know a thing about plumbing. My tank is in my living room and I have wood floors so I would hate to come home to a flooded room and damaged floor. I just don't trust myself to set everything up properly. Keep us posted.
 
55 gal currently but I want to move up to at a larger size. I just started researching and want to find a tank that will accomodate the lights (T5 HO) that I just purchased so it needs to be 48" long. Width and height are up for grabs. I was hoping to find a larger tank and stand that would accomodate the 55 gal as the sump. Any thoughts? If this idea proves to be impossible/too expensive than I would still like to have something for the 55 gal.
 
lol, yes sounds like a great answer. as for a stand that would accomidate a 55. i custom build a stand for my 75 and put a 55 underneath. I would make some changes if i did it again but it works well. pretty snug though. i would also recommend making a sump that is shorter than a typical 55 and wider. it would accomidate equipment better and there is less stress on the acrylic

Hmm...maybe I could keep the 55 as a dedicated tank for future plans. I like seahorses & pipefish and also some of the more aggressive fish that need their own tank. But that's later down the road.

Here's what I would like to do. Bear with me and be prepared to walk me through this taking baby steps. Still a newbie and learning.

1. I want a larger tank (90 gal if possible) and I am in the process of researching and buying. Would I need to have any holes drilled with your setup?

2. I would need a stand for the new tank. A custom built stand appeals to me but I think you're too far away for this to be practical.

3. Can a sump and refugium be combined? I'm not sure I completely understand the significance of both and when I read posts it always sounds like they are two separate things. Maybe someone can direct me to a post that explains this better.

4. I have lots more questions but better stop here as it could go anywhere depending on the answer to item no. 3.
 
ok, i have done pretty sufficiant research and fabrication on some stuff of my own what size is your tank ?
 
55 gal currently but I want to move up to at a larger size. I just started researching and want to find a tank that will accomodate the lights (T5 HO) that I just purchased so it needs to be 48" long. Width and height are up for grabs. I was hoping to find a larger tank and stand that would accomodate the 55 gal as the sump. Any thoughts? If this idea proves to be impossible/too expensive than I would still like to have something for the 55 gal.

You can get 75, 80 and 90 gallon tanks that are 48" long. I have a 48" 90 gallon tank, but it's tall.
 
lol, yes sounds like a great answer. as for a stand that would accomidate a 55. i custom build a stand for my 75 and put a 55 underneath. I would make some changes if i did it again but it works well. pretty snug though. i would also recommend making a sump that is shorter than a typical 55 and wider. it would accomidate equipment better and there is less stress on the acrylic
 
no holes have to be drilled, the sump and refugium can be combined. In fact i think that is probably the easiest way to do it. i have converted a glass 55 to a sump. the refugium is on one end and the intake is on the other. Its all on the build page. i have a few more pics i can post that have the plumbing and everything set up
 
Well, I called every LFS in my area to get price quotes on a 90 gal tank. They are on sale until the end of the month but because it's so tall, I want a shorter stand and that means custom built. That's easy enough to find in my city but the LFS tells me that the aquarium manufacturers will not guarantee the tank unless it's on their stand. Very frustrating! I think for now I will stay with my 55 gal and try to put an acrylic sump/fuge in the stand. What size would it be? Could it be shipped to me for a reasonable expense? What would the cost of the unit be? What other accessories would I need? Trying to figure out the total cost of this project.
 
the sump could really be any size. if you are wanting to put it under your tank i would say you are looking at something like 40"long, 10" wide, and somewhere around 15 in tall depending on the size of the skimmer and the height of the stand that you are wanting to put it in that would give you around 26 gal. the exact dim. could vary depending on the stand. material for the sump is what is expensive. it would probably need to be no less than 1/4 inch acrylic. that alone could be like $120. the rest of the materials would be much cheaper. you could try and buy a glass aquarium and convert it to a sump but i can tell you know that getting the acrylic to bond the the galss is a pain. i had to leak tesk mine like 5 times or more before i got he silicone to hole my fuge
 
you are probably going to need about 5 gal excess room for drianage when the system is shut off. that will accomidate up to 2 inches of drining from the viewing tank back into the sump when the power is off. that is a pretty high estimate though. i think mine only drains maybe half that off of my 75 gal. you can view my sump if you would like. It is a 55 gal. its a lot taller than i really need though

https://www.livingreefs.com/coreys-130-gal-system-upgrade-t24491p4.html
 
shipping through UPS may be anywhere between $40 and $80 depending on the weight of the product. i could probably place everything in one box depending on what type of pipe you are going to run for the system. most of it can be pre glued and only reqire some minimal assembly
 
Ouch! I may have to wait, considering the expense. I don't want to put that much into a custom setup on my 55 gal. I'll need to rethink my plans but I appreciate the time you took to lay this out for me.
 
yeah, no prob. like i said, the acrylic alone for a sump that size would be at least $120. But that would be overflow box plumbing and sump. i understan though
 
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