I am thinking about adding a sump to my 75gal tank. I already have a 20gal tank but need to know what to add. Are there any plans out there? I don't plan on drilling into either tank so I want all plumbing plans that I need. Maybe, just maybe this will help my tank get rid of its problems. Any ideas? :look:
How To Build A Sump
- Thread starter lebloom
- Start date
Just a suggestion:
I don't know if your 20g can fit under your 75, but if it can, place it there and go to your LFS and have them drill a hole at the bottom for a return. In that spot you would add a pump to return your water to your tank via PVC plumbing.
Get some eggcrates and build shelves in your 20g and add filter substances (Small live rock, filter media of sorts etc. .) get with your LFS and ask them for ideas. Have your overflow run to your 20g, you can do this about 1 million different ways. I would have it make some sort of spray over my filter materials.
Add your skimmer into this mess however it fits. Just take this basic layout to your LFS and have them help you come up with ideas on how to procede making this work for you. And if you don't have enough room under your tank, you can always set it up next to your tank and make it a soort of refugium.
As you can see the possibilities are endless. Don't be afraid of being imaginative, running lots of water through, over, out, and back in is never a bad thing and with a sump you have LOTS more option.
I don't know if your 20g can fit under your 75, but if it can, place it there and go to your LFS and have them drill a hole at the bottom for a return. In that spot you would add a pump to return your water to your tank via PVC plumbing.
Get some eggcrates and build shelves in your 20g and add filter substances (Small live rock, filter media of sorts etc. .) get with your LFS and ask them for ideas. Have your overflow run to your 20g, you can do this about 1 million different ways. I would have it make some sort of spray over my filter materials.
Add your skimmer into this mess however it fits. Just take this basic layout to your LFS and have them help you come up with ideas on how to procede making this work for you. And if you don't have enough room under your tank, you can always set it up next to your tank and make it a soort of refugium.
As you can see the possibilities are endless. Don't be afraid of being imaginative, running lots of water through, over, out, and back in is never a bad thing and with a sump you have LOTS more option.
If you haven't seen melev's site, check it out. Many skimmers do best with a constant water level, so I set mine up with baffles to keep the levels steady in the compartments for the skimmer and fuge. I just cut acrylic sheet to fit. The details are here, but I have made some modifications since then.
Drilling a hole is relativly inexpensive and I don't know of nor can think of an easy way otherwise, well unless you went with a submersable pump in the 20g, but that limmits space in the 20g. Plus side is also the possibilities you have with it outside the tank with more room inside it.
You can get "hang on back" siphons that will supply your sump. Designs like this one http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/overflow.html should remain 'primed' in the event of a power failure to prevent you returning to a flooded house. I guess you also have to make sure that the flow capacity of the sipon is greater than the return flow of your pump.
Not sure I'd want to risk it though
Commercial ones are available (though look a bit pricey to me)
http://www.aquariumpros.com/p-CPRCS100,CPR.html
http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/aquarium/cpr-skimmers.asp (at the bottom)
Think I'd look at getting the tank drilled first.
Not sure I'd want to risk it though
Commercial ones are available (though look a bit pricey to me)
http://www.aquariumpros.com/p-CPRCS100,CPR.html
http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/aquarium/cpr-skimmers.asp (at the bottom)
Think I'd look at getting the tank drilled first.