"modular" sump build..

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Morgadeth

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Sep 19, 2007
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I've been in dire need of a new sump, ever since I upgraded to my 90 Gal. tank.
Truth be told; I had NO idea how much more runoff I'd have in the event of a power outage. Once I shut stuff off fo the first water cahnge a few months ago, I realized my little 10 gallon sump was about 2 gallons too small.. Luckily, I had a bucket and scooped out the extra before I dumped a few gallons on the floor!

So, I bought a 20 long..

NO WAY would it fit through the door, and I was NOT cutting apart my stand. I know people do it all the time, but with my luck..

I looked and looked. No standard tank will fit through the door, beyond 10 gallons. So I started thinking about drilling through two 10 gallon tanks and running some plumbing between them; ultimately creating a 20 gallon, modular system.

Diamond bits are EXPENSIVE!!

So, here's DIY time!


Instead of trying to make two 10's work, I went hunting for two plastic bins that would meet my capacity needs and my dimensional restrictions. After 3 pet stores and 2 "super" stores, I found the perfect bins at Target.

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Morgadeth

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My next step was to get them as close to each other without compromising their strength, so I cut one edge off one bin, and slotted it to match the edge on the other bin. This allows them to lock together and share the load of the water between them. I don't know if this was truly needed, as I could have opted to run standard bulkheads between each box. This way, I can use standard plumbing couplings available at any hardware store. It also eliminates a need for hose clamps or extra piping.

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Morgadeth

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The bins hold between 7 and 8 gallons of water each, so the total capacity is more than I need.

Of course, a larger sump means more water in the system anyways, so I'm doing my best to ensure the "operational" level doesn't increase too much. Otherwise, I defeated the purpose of the larger sump. So, I ran the connecting holes (1 1/2 inch couplers) about 4 inches from the bottom of the bins.

I drilled them just like drilling wood. I found my positioning and ran some small guide holes straight through BOTH bins at the same time. You need to make sure the holes line up, right?

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Morgadeth

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Sep 19, 2007
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Here's the couplers in place (loosely)

Next, I have to put some sort of gaskets in..

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Morgadeth

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I've traced out the outer diameter for my gaskets on this rubber gasket maker:

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egkid

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Jul 28, 2007
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I cant wait to see when It's finished, looks like something I'd be willing to do.
 

Morgadeth

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Sep 19, 2007
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Here's some important things I've learned:

1. PVC pipe threading is tapered.. This means there is NO way to crank the two pieces together all the way and close the gap.
This being said; I had to construct some bushings by cutting some of the extra "slip" joint off each female coupler.

2. Don't forget to take the thickness of your containers into account.
I had to recut the bushings even thinner, after realising the combined thickness of both containers and the gaskets removed all chance of getting the two couplers together.

3. Water will find holes.
My gaskets are not quite closing everything. So, I'm eliminating as many openings as possible, while not removing the ability to disassemble the whole contraption.

I'm gluing the bushings between the two containers; like so:

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Morgadeth

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Sep 19, 2007
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Another small hurdle I've hit is getting a good seal between the DIY bulkheads. I just can't seem to hand torque them enough to stop leakage in both. (One has stopped.)

I doubled up my gaskets on one side, and that stopped one side totally. Unfortunately, the other is a tad harder to turn, and I can't torque it.

I will RTV the seams prior to final assembly, but I want to ensure a good seal even without the silicone, so I know one assembly will be the final assembly. I don't want to seal it, water test it, then tear it apart again.

Any suggestions before I continue? I'm also thinking of "painting" an RTV gasket on the leaking container face, then allowing it to cure. Basically, it will be another gasket...
 

kcress

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Apr 9, 2005
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You should never be using silicone with bulkhead gaskets. It just doesn't work well. You can end up with it 'working' for a while. Then at the worst possible time stop working...

A common mistake is too tight. Could this be it?

There is a commonly used alternative that people use that has no nuts or threads and are better suited for non parallel surfaces.

If I can just remember the name..
 

the-hamburglar

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Aug 29, 2008
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Home depot has some acrilic sheets in a bunch of different sizes if you wanted to add some rigidity or add some spacers.
 
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