Best sump for 4ft 120?

ice fish · Jun 1, 2016

So my 75 decided to spring a leak on me this morning and just got done tearing it down. Going to be getting a 4ft 120 in come tuesday when it arrives. I currently have a 40 breeder DIY sump but want something more...Professional. I was looking at the eshoppes r-300 for a sump and might go that route. (Hard to be it for the price) But id like to know if anyone would suggest another? Custom made by synergy isnt going to work or be in the budget

Let me know! Thanks guys.

bknapp · Jun 1, 2016

I'm using a Synergy SS-34 on my 120. It looks as amazing as it works. They're not cheap but you get what you pay for.

redfishbluefish · Jun 2, 2016

I saw the title and was going to suggest a DIY 40 Breeder....a great tank for a sump! But I see you want something more "professional." So you want a pretty sump. I don't think you're going to find an acrylic pretty box that has the volume of a 40B, and the customization to fit your needs. The acrylic box might look pretty, but the 40B will work much better I've always had a 40B as a sump....on the third one....and couldn't be happier.

Here's my current 40B:

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

I was happy with my sump for a while, but i want something thats going to look better as well as be a bit more quiet. The ladder probably being more my fault with the design. I like the r-300 just because of how its designed to flow and hard to beat. Plus ive already had to repair my 40 breeder with some sillicone so its starting to get older in years. (bought it from a hobbiest near me a while ago)

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

bknapp said:
I'm using a Synergy SS-34 on my 120. It looks as amazing as it works. They're not cheap but you get what you pay for.

As much as i love the look of that sump its just too much out of my price range...Almost the cost of the tank itself.

Pepcrylic · Jun 2, 2016

4' 120

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

Pepcrylic said:
4' 120

? Was that a suggestion?

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

Anyone? I would like a sump that i could do 4 inch socks with. I started to look more at the trigger system emerald 34.

gacolt · Jun 2, 2016

40g breeder duy baffles is what I would do

Rybren · Jun 2, 2016

gacolt said:
40g breeder duy baffles is what I would do

That's what I have under my 120.

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

I have a 40B under my stand right now. I'm looking for something a bit more "pretty" looking as it's been put. Plus the one i have now wont fit my new skimmer in the compartment. I think im leaning more towards the trigger 34 emerald as it has pretty much everything i want as well as 2 4 inch sock holders. Which put me off of the eshopps r300 as i dont like the 7 inch socks. Otherwise i would have gone with that one.

pelphrey · Jun 2, 2016

This hasn't been mentioned and you may have already thought about it. With that said... Whatever route you decide make sure it can handle the water volume once the return pump is shut off!

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

Of course! I wouldnt run a sump that couldnt handle my tank shutting off without it flooding

pelphrey · Jun 2, 2016

Just making sure! Good luck!

ice fish · Jun 2, 2016

Thanks. I think im going to go with the trigger systems one. I work on those at my job and they seem to be pretty well made and havnt heard anything bad about them.

AndrewJ · Jun 3, 2016

I recently made a 55 gallon DIY sump and a 40 gallon breeder DIY sump. They were great learning experiences. I wound up selling one with a tank setup I sold and giving the other one away. More because I didn't have time to acquire tnjhe glass ( in my area I have to special order it through my local hardware store and wait for it come, and then for the hardware store to cut and polish the edges) , I bought a Trigger systems Emerald 39. I am very happy with it. I've only had for maybe a little over a month. Build quality seems great, and I like the ability to change the water level with the adjustable gate. My only knock, and I'm a newbie to sump and reefing so maybe im.missing something, is the probe holder. It doesn't have screws or a way that I see to actually secure the probes in place. It just seems to be holes in a piece that was attached in to sump. That's minor to me. I also like that it came with 3 intakes so I can easily set up my overflow the way I want, but you can also set it up for two. Finally, one can choose filtet socks or a sponge with interchangeable plates. I actually throw the sponge in while I'm cleaning my filter socks. It's a very adjustable system.

sde1500 · Jun 3, 2016

Advanced acrylics offers some solid looking options. One thing that makes me pause on those r series sumps from Eshopps is the return section. In the back of it seems like a really awful place for the return pump. Plus that isn't a very large area for a fuge. RS-300 seems more reasonable, I run the rs-100 on my 65 gallon.

harley3 · Jun 3, 2016

I have the eShoppes R-200 3gen Refugium on my 4ft 120 and it seems to do a good job. I think that if I was to do it over again, I might look a little harder at the Trigger Systems sumps.

ice fish · Jun 3, 2016

harley3 said:
I have the eShoppes R-200 3gen Refugium on my 4ft 120 and it seems to do a good job. I think that if I was to do it over again, I might look a little harder at the Trigger Systems sumps.

There's a reason for that?

BoneXriffic · Jun 3, 2016

I gotta say, thats 300plus bucks could be so much better spent if you stayed with the 40b. Just my opinion. My 90 can with a 30gal acrylic sump and if it hadnt id be all over a 40b