sump 'rules'

mitchelWB · 12-04-2005, 10:57 PM

Right now, my 58gal RR tank has a 20gal DIY sump set up like this:

the main tank drain standpipe feeds a large clear Tetra brand tubing that goes down to a T fitting that then feeds two smaller pieces of clear tubing that criss cross each other and have many holes in them along the way. This criss cross is laying on top of a large piece of filter material in a tray made of egg crate. The tray sits on top of a pile of lava rock and a few bio balls. The rock and bio balls actually sit on top of another piece of egg crate which is propped up about 3" from the bottom of the tank with just an empty space below. Then on the far left of te sump is a small area where my return pump is. Also, on that end, I have a Coralife Super Skimmer hanging on the outside of the tank.

Here are my problems. First, with all the talk I read about the CSS being notirious for taking off all the sudden and running over, I'd like to have it IN SUMP to avoid any catastrophes. But I don't have room, so I'm thinking about rebuilding the sump. Only one piece of the egg crate has been actually glued in, so I can easily take everything out and rebuild and just cut away that one glued in piece if necessary. The next majoj problem though is that I only have about 10" of access to the whole thing. My stand is not very forgiving. To get the 20gal tank in, we had to put it in through the top of the stand, and it's not coming out in one piece unless I drain the main tank and move it off the stand all together. So I'm going to have to do this under the stand. Not really looking forward to it. But that means I need to know exactly what I'm doing so I get it right the first time.

I basically need to know, what are the sump rules. What is necessary? what kind of space is necessary for the individual components of it? I'd like to remove the bioballs and lava rock, and just go with the LR that's in the main tank. (about 50lbs now, and another 45 curing)

I know some people run sumpless systems, what exactly is the point of the sump? I didn't build mine, it was built for me.

Do I basically just need a spot for water to hold and go back up? Is it possible or even a good idea to try and do a fuge in there too? I've got a little drawing... is it too simple?

and one last question... the little seperators/baffles... what kind of material are they, and what do you use to mount them?

MitchelWB

fish.freak · 12-04-2005, 11:37 PM

looks cool to me

Doug1 · 12-05-2005, 12:11 AM

there are reall y no hard and fast rules, it depends on what you need and want

Geoff · 12-05-2005, 03:45 AM

i like the idea of removing all bio-balls and lava rock. i would also not even put the LR in it. just leave it empty. the point of a sump is just to hide the uglies, nothing more. the more you try and do with a sump, the more annoying it will be to clean and do maintenance on.

can you post a pic of the way it looks now?

G~

mitchelWB · 12-05-2005, 08:46 AM

Geoff, I'll have to do it tonite... but trust me, it's not pretty. That's why I'm looking to make it as simple as possible. It's a royal pain to get to it. It frustrates me that they put 2 braces on the front of the cabinet, but only one on the back. Then they put 3 panels on the front (brace to brace) but only hinged one. If they'd turned the whole thing around and just put two doors on the front, I'd have so much more access. But if I ever get around to actually doing something that would allow me to turn the stand around, trust me, I'm not going to bother... it's coming out and a new stand will go in!

Thanks everyone for the advice... I'm glad to hear it's not that big of a deal to take it out.

I assume this isn't a one weekend project though... I'm going to have to start taking out the bio-balls and lava rock now and do it slowly? Then in a couple weeks I can rebuild it?

I just need to know, because I feel like the longer I wait to get this going, the more chances of the CSS deciding to overflow on me. And right now, I'm running it dry hoping to avoid that... but once I get it in sump, I can run it much wetter.

Thanks
MitchelWB

Geoff · 12-05-2005, 09:02 AM

all skimmers are prone to sudden crazy skimming. this can occur for several reasons. an additive to the tank, water changes can cause this also if a lot detritus is stirred up. if you are worried about it, then drill a hole near the top of the collection cup. insert a vinyle tube through this hole and place the other end in your sump. if the skimmer where to go nuts it would just drain harmlessly in to the sump until the problem is fixed.

attaching the vinyl tube to the hole will be tough. i would try a plastic thread to barb adaptor. then use a plasic nut on the other side. some silly cone or epoxy should seal it up enough to be effective.

G~

mitchelWB · 12-05-2005, 11:16 PM

Ok, here are the pictures.. but before I post them... I don't want to hear anyone givin me any lip over the brown gunk on top of the filter pad.

Here is the first picture. This shows you how much room I have to work with. Anything I do, I have to do through this little access panel. The panels on the right and left are not doors.

Next up is a series of three shots... two of them are closer views of the sump from the top, and from the front so you can see how it's set up. On the left side, there are two pumps, one is the return, the other is the skimmer pump.

You can see I don't have a lot of room to work with. That's why I want this to be simple, yet effective. It's going to be difficult enough as it is to do the rebuild, I want maintenance to be easy also. Hence the drawing that I supplied previously.

MitchelWB

wanareef · 12-06-2005, 04:20 AM

If I were you, I would mod the stand. Looks like the front support is those two by the door opening, besides the front corners. If you are handy, you could make a temp support in the middle of the door opening with a 2x4, then remove those "pillars" and the wood from the front - with the tank full of course, just be carful not to tip it over. Move those pillars back far enough, make another door and shorten up those fillers and you are good to go. This way you don't have to get another stand - save some $$ just a thought.

People who design those stands don't have to work in them

Geoff · 12-06-2005, 04:37 AM

if you take out all of the bio-balls, does that bottom piece of eggcrate come out? i would just remove everything out of the middle there and put the skimmer in there. that is if you can get rid of that eggcrate floor.

G~

mitchelWB · 12-06-2005, 08:52 AM

I believe that the only piece actually glued in is the one vertical piece of egg crate. That would certainly be a simple enough mod to do!

I'm not sold on the idea of a refugium, but still open to entertaining the idea if I can do it effectively. Is eggcrate a good enough barrier for one?

MitchelWB

mitchelWB · 12-06-2005, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanareef

If I were you, I would mod the stand. Looks like the front support is those two by the door opening, besides the front corners. If you are handy, you could make a temp support in the middle of the door opening with a 2x4, then remove those "pillars" and the wood from the front - with the tank full of course, just be carful not to tip it over. Move those pillars back far enough, make another door and shorten up those fillers and you are good to go. This way you don't have to get another stand - save some $$ just a thought.

People who design those stands don't have to work in them

Not a bad idea. And not one I'd thought of. What I actually had thought of was just removing the two panels on the sides that look like the center door and hinging them. They're just brad nailed on, and glued I'm sure. But it's only ont the two sides.. the top and bottom of them aren't mounted to anything behind. It wouldn't give me much more in the way space to move things in and out, but it would certainly give me better access. Especially if I could find a set of hinges that were easy to disassemble (like an interior door in your house) so that I could just take them off when I needed to get in there and get dirty.

MitchelWB

Viv · 12-06-2005, 09:34 AM

If your gonna make modifications, why not just make one big door, with the hinges on one side. That way when you open it, you'll have full access. Just a thought.

Doug1 · 12-06-2005, 10:10 AM

My stand for the 75 with 55 sump has removable end panels designed into it as well as 2 front doors that expose most of the front when open

mitchelWB · 12-06-2005, 12:18 PM

I've got a 2.5 year old that loves to run around and go crazy in the living room just feet in front of the tank... she doesn't create very much bounce in the floor, but when her mom gets down and goes crazy with her...

I really don't want to mess too much with the structural integrity of the stand... I'd like to make some minor mods to it, but I'm not going to go too crazy on it. Like I said, if I was going to do too much, rather than reuse this stand, I'd custom build one and just replace it. Plus, I built my canopy to match this stand!

Besides, this is about my sump, remember fellas!

MitchelWB

javafish · 12-06-2005, 03:39 PM

mitchelWB do you belong to the Kansas BB www.fishheads.org