DIY Sump

[rk4435]

I desperately need a new sump and cannot seem to find anything that will suit my needs without breaking the bank.

My wife is convinced that we can DIY with a breeder.

What I'm considering is basically a rip off of the many I've seen on the web.
Chamber 1- flow from tank and the skimmer.
Chamber 2- Reactors
Chamber 3- Refugium
Chamber 4- return pump

I am assuming that we will use a glass 40 aquarium because so many are around. Is there any special considerations for making the partitions with glass versus acrylic? I'm not sure what will be easier to get cut in the Chattanooga area and want to know id I am locked in to one or the other.

 

[mastrreefdvr]

40B's are easy to build and use glass baffles, silicone doesn't stick to acrylic very well. Check out melvsreef.com for sumps. I personally prefer the return in the middle with a fuge on one side and the sump/skimmer on the other, just my 2c

 

[j_b_]

I'd say the only consideration is availability of acrylic/glass...either will work just fine. I've made several using acrylic and have not had any issues whatsoever. I cut the acrylic to where it's somewhat snug, without putting too much pressure on the wall of the tank/sump, and then ran a generous bead of silicone all around it.

Edit: What is your preference for setting them up that way, Jarney? Just curious...I've done all of the ones I've built like the OP is proposing, sans the separate chamber for the reactors...overflow from tank w/ skimmer, refugium, bubble-trap, return.

 

[rk4435]

Thanks folks, I would still rather buy a ready to go acrylic sump but they are expensive. At least for this remodel my wife can't get ticked off, she is clueless about what goes on under the tank.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Might want to see if any of these would work for you. I don't know the person selling, I had just ran across the listing earlier.

 

[rk4435]

I dont see anything Xyzpdq0121

 

[xyzpdq0121]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/for/4333970725.html">http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/for/4333970725.html</a>

[IMG]http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/for/4333970725.html">http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/for/4333970725.html</a>

 

[dawgface]

J.B.;936125 wrote: I'd say the only consideration is availability of acrylic/glass...either will work just fine. I've made several using acrylic and have not had any issues whatsoever. I cut the acrylic to where it's somewhat snug, without putting too much pressure on the wall of the tank/sump, and then ran a generous bead of silicone all around it.

Edit: What is your preference for setting them up that way, Jarney? Just curious...I've done all of the ones I've built like the OP is proposing, sans the separate chamber for the reactors...overflow from tank w/ skimmer, refugium, bubble-trap, return.

FWIW Silicone should not be used for acrylic. Use the proper solvent for proper bonding and fusing acrylic to acrylic.

 

[butch]

DawgFace;936269 wrote: FWIW Silicone should not be used for acrylic. Use the proper solvent for proper bonding and fusing acrylic to acrylic.

JB was referring to using acrylic baffles in a glass sump. We just built a few acrylic overflow boxes together and used weld on for them for a solid bond.

 

[j_b_]

My sump, and the others I've built are glass, so you cannot use Weldon products to adhere the acrylic to the glass. My personal sump has been in use for well over a year now, and there are no signs of the silicone loosening it's bond to the acrylic. You cannot argue that fact, regardless of what you may have read. I have no idea what the future may hold for it, but as of today, it's solid, with no signs of giving way.

That said, I would never attempt to build a tank using a combination of glass and acrylic, but for this application it's working fine.

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk

 

[dawgface]

J.B.;936272 wrote: My sump, and the others I've built are glass, so you cannot use Weldon products to adhere the acrylic to the glass. My personal sump has been in use for well over a year now, and there are no signs of the silicone loosening it's bond to the acrylic. You cannot argue that fact, regardless of what you may have read. I have no idea what the future may hold for it, but as of today, it's solid, with no signs of giving way.

That said, I would never attempt to build a tank using a combination of glass and acrylic, but for this application it's working fine.

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk

I was correcting a statement from your last post that suggested using a silicone bead on acrylic. (probably an ovesight)</em>

If your using a combination of glass and acrylic I suppose silicone is best... Albeit neither is ideal.

My question, if your building a sump, why use a combination of glass and acrylic? Why not stick with one or the other?

 

[j_b_]

The acrylic was on hand, as was the glass tank.

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk

 

[picoreefguy]

DawgFace;936274 wrote: My question, if your building a sump, why use a combination of glass and acrylic? Why not stick with one or the other?

ive done this before and my reasoning would be that glass tanks are cheap and acrylic is easy to work with. but i make my sumps a little too complicated. if it were just straight baffells i might have went with glass

 

[dawgface]

Mmm ok.

I've found, when done correctly, that to be the exact opposite. But then again, it's a sump and not everyone wants perfection out of them. I always, did.