DIY Cheap Sterelite Sump !!!

[Civicdemon]

So thos of you that know i have ben looking for a good price acrylic sump at the size i need it to get my sump made. anyways after i found a couple of ones that would work they where really expensice. being as i cant fit one big tank under my stand i have to make it out of 2 seprate ones with unions in the middle to make it bigger. Long story short i was told to just use a tote or rubermaid countainer and now i have found a couple that i think will work fine. The size i was actually looking for was 25 x 13 by 14, but i found a couple sterlite storage bins at 26 x 15 x 12 only thing i wish i had a bit more height but i think it will still work.

Imgetting the sca 302 skimmer from SCaquariums. and i think the depth on that has to be between 7 to 10 inches, Im shotting on that section of the sump at 8 or 7 1/2 inches. Do you guys think that will work. ????

My Refugium would be like at 8 1/2 .

this is the desing im going with, just changing the sizes of the baffles a bit.

and here are the countainers i found.

so what do you guys think ??

 

[texreefer]

I would be very nervous about having any restriction on my drain line. Over time things can and will build up on that valve, then its just a matter of time before your return is pumping faster than it can drain.... causing a flood.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes, you shouldn't have a valve on the drain. You should have a valve after your return pump. You will need to adjust the strength of the return pump using that valve. In order to avoid putting back pressure on the return pump, have the piping make a T after the return pump, with one end of the T going to the display tank (with a valve), and the other end of the T going back to the sump (with a valve). This way you can turn the return pump down, and can redirect water back into the sump.

Also, I would put the skimmer before the refugium.

There is no bubble trap needed in the first container. As long as you have a bubble trap before the return pump, you do not need a second one earlier in the system.

 

[Civicdemon]

Nah i dont think that the wayer i have the return secction could flood the tank. It usually has about 5 gallons of water thay could still be pored into the tank with out it overfolling. And if the srain gets clogged then the return section will be holding way less than 5 gallons. Plus i dont want to put a valve there couae i qo t need it. The floow of a mag 6 at 4the feet is 600the gph my overflow is rated at 800

 

[Bifferwine]

The strength of the return pump controls the amount of water that goes down the overflow, not the other way around. Since the overflow can only drain water as it rises and goes over its lip, that's 100% controlled by the return pump.

It's standard to have the valve after the return and not have a valve at all on the drain. If you want to do it another way, that's fine, but that is not the way it should be done, nor is it the way other people do it.

If the drain gets clogged or slows down enough, your return pump will run dry, breaking the return pump or even starting a fire. You don't want that to happen. This is why a valve shouldn't be placed on the drain line.

In spite of what your pump and overflow will be rated at, I guarantee that you will have to make adjustments to the flow coming out of the return pump one way or the other. This is why a valve placed after the return pump is necessary.

 

[Civicdemon]

well yeah this makes sence to me, what if i just dont run any gate valve at all. since with the return pumping less than the overflow can handle i would not have a need for any valve ???

 

[Bifferwine]

You can try it. But an all-plastic ball valve costs $3 at the hardware store. I don't understand why you wouldn't put this part in just because. You may need it.

Shop AMERICAN VALVE 3/4" T-Handle PVC Ball Valve Socket at Lowes.com

 

[Civicdemon]

Maybe i will.. i dont know. lol i just dont think i will need it if i go with the mag 7 pumping 600 gph at 4 feet head weight when the overflow could handle 800 gph who know maybe ill add one i can alwys ad it later cutting the pipe is simple since it will be there and be straight.

 

[Civicdemon]

hopefully i can get the plumbing done and the return pump this comming weekend, im actually adding to the bio load now a bit, i just picked up a Small Yellow tand, a royal gama, and sixline wrasse from my friend who is taking down his tank.

He has had all the fish for about 2 months. So there well aclimated to the aquarium invirement.. The yellow tang look a little thin do. my guess is that my friend said he only feed him nori ones a week and regular feedings every other day.

I started putting 1/4 sheet of nori in every day ( If its gone Next day) since the kole has ben in there.

By the way the kole tang is looking good.

 

[kevdogg]

Sorry to jump into this so late but why not just throw ball valves in on both the intake and return? I did just so that I can shut off the water flow without filling the sump when doing maintenance. I do run my intakes slightly closed just to cut down on the noise, but I have 4 intake pipes with the capacity of 2400gph and only a 700gph return pump.
Just my :twocents:

 

[Kelz88]

i used to use one of those tubs to hold water change water in, they arent very strong and it eventually gave out on me. Id go with something a little bulkier

 

[Civicdemon]

What do you mean gave out on you ???? you have to figure that it is not going to be filled all the way ither. and im putting a suport beam acros the tope to help keep it from bowing in the middle.

 

[Bifferwine]

The clear containers are made of very thin plastic, and they will bow out at the sides and eventually break.

She is saying that a heavier duty tub might be better. :)

 

[Kelz88]

ye when its filled around halfway it gets this oval shape lol. Mine broke, i was using it to hold emergency saltwater.

 

[Civicdemon]

OK im going to dubble them up and im also putting a bar acroos the top to keep it from bowing, plus ones the baffles are in place they will hold the center in place a bit more. Im just pretty tight on cash at the moment and i want to get this sump set up already. I just got the cash to get the return pump and skimmer and the pluming just now. lol sold a RC car i dont use any more.

Plans are to get a mag 7 return pump and a SC aquariums 302 skimmer.

 

[KMan]

Sorry to jump into this so late but why not just throw ball valves in on both the intake and return? I did just so that I can shut off the water flow without filling the sump when doing maintenance. I do run my intakes slightly closed just to cut down on the noise, but I have 4 intake pipes with the capacity of 2400gph and only a 700gph return pump.
Just my :twocents:

Mine is something like this, except on my return I have a check valve rather then a ball valve. On my drain though, I have one main line that is on a ball valve to control my syphon and my other drain runs straight into the sump as a back up.

 

[Civicdemon]

So today ii decided to do one thing difrent . Im doing the return section on the left side of aection 2 . Ao thay way the sump section and the retuen section get taken up into the tank. So the refugium will por i have from countainer one thru the tu es into the return section. The other sump section will por from right to left skimming and then goi g to the retuen.

 

[tritan]

Im jumping in this late but why not just wait till petco has their $1 per gallon sale on tanks? 20 gallon long for $20? Or two 10 gallons if you are tight on space or whatever?

I wouldn't rely on rubber tubs and would have no idea how you get any kind of baffle to stay in them. I too thought I could shortcut many things but I have to say, every shortcut I took I ended up having to replace/redo very quickly.

Edit: I just noticed that you purchased different sumps in your other thread. Good choice :D

 

[Civicdemon]

Yeah i tought of those tanks but the 20 long would not fit it was to long to go in. And 2 10 would not hold the amount of wayer i wanted them to. Finally found ones that would work. The eshops rs 100 and even with that i still meed to cut a bit on one to take out the skimmer for maint.