Buy Prefab sump?
- Thread starter tb582
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LoL - the site time traveled from the 1980s - but the owner (Jeff) is honest, the products are great and time tested and the the customer service is stellar.
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Where is the sump going? If you have a fish room, basement or whatever, then you can't go wrong with a rubbermaid stock tank. Cheap, indestructible, flexible, etc.
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Far from "hacky" - but certainly up to you - but inexpensive, bullet proof and configurable in any way you wish.
I have no clue what your DIY skills are... I can fabricate just about anything and do it properly with commercial or better quality... if I had a basement sump, that last thing I would do is build the thing. I would have 1 (or more) rubbermaid stock tanks setup.
Function over form... Sure, if you are making the sump part of your gameroom and bar, then form counts... otherwise spend your time and money elsewhere.
Search a bit and you can find scores of examples.
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bblumberg
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Lifereef makes great sumps, skimmers, etc. Jeff will customize the design to your exact specifications. Much more costly than DIY, but worth it if you want a premade sump.
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tb582
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you make some good points here worth considering seeing how its just in the basement so who cares!Far from "hacky" - but certainly up to you - but inexpensive, bullet proof and configurable in any way you wish.
I have no clue what your DIY skills are... I can fabricate just about anything and do it properly with commercial or better quality... if I had a basement sump, that last thing I would do is build the thing. I would have 1 (or more) rubbermaid stock tanks setup.
Function over form... Sure, if you are making the sump part of your gameroom and bar, then form counts... otherwise spend your time and money elsewhere.
Search a bit and you can find scores of examples.
but I gotta wonder that sumps are made a certain way for a reason vs big open tubs ?
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What is there to wonder?you make some good points here worth considering seeing how its just in the basement so who cares!
but I gotta wonder that sumps are made a certain way for a reason vs big open tubs ?
Sumps server various functions and are built to accommodate those functions. Decide what you want to use the sump for and go from there.
The sump may provide one or more of the following functions
1 - extra system water volume
2 - place to run equipment
3 - place for chemical filtration
4 - place for mechanical filtration
5 - place for extra live rock or media
6 - place for refugium
7 - place for frag grow out
8 - place for fish "jail" or acclimation
9 - place for water changes
10 - larger area to accommodate extra evaporation volume
11 - place to force evaporative cooling
etc.
RocketEngineer
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The advantage of a sump with baffles is control of water height/pressure. Skimmers are easiest to tune when the water level doesn’t fluctuate with evaporation. In a big tub, that’s hard to control but in a sump with baffles, theoretically only the return pump section fluctuates. The disadvantage is cost and sumps typically fit under tanks much easier. It’s a trade off. Both work.
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Water height is easy for a skimmer in a stock tank. The skimmer sits in a box that outflows into the tub.
That said, I would (without question) run an external skimmer. Far fewer problems and not prone to overflowing when the return pump stops and the sump backfills.
