Custom Sump Help

[Deezill]

Hello R2R,
I am getting ready to do a new build and the tank will be 180 gallons. I would like to use a sump bigger than my current which is a trigger Ruby Red but it only hold 35 gallons. I would like to take a 60 or 75 gallon tank and turn it into a sump. my questions are below. THanks for your help.

1.) Are custom sumps just as good as the manufactured?
2.) Where do I get the supplies to turn a tank into a sump baffles etc?
3.) Can anyone help me with the process
4.) How do I know where to place baffles and do baffles control the flow in sump?
5.) Can I connect two sumps together and make one a refugium that connects to my sump?

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[Ron Reefman]

1.) Are custom sumps just as good as the manufactured?
They can be if they are done right and it isn't hard. I made my entire sump as a diy project.

2.) Where do I get the supplies to turn a tank into a sump baffles etc?
I had a local glass supply company cut all the glass I needed and they cut it to spec and cleaned all the edges.

3.) Can anyone help me with the process
Ask questions and I'll try to help.

4.) How do I know where to place baffles and do baffles control the flow in sump?
There is no single way to design it and no single way to do baffles (IMHO).

5.) Can I connect two sumps together and make one a refugium that connects to my sump?
You can. But why not make one diy sump/refugium and avoid the extra plumbing?

If you are interested in possibly doing a diy sump/refugium, I'm willing to share everything I did... and things I've done wrong! I've made 6 diy tanks (5DTs and 1 sump/fuge). It's not that hard and my oldest tank is 7 years old now and a friend of mine owns it. You might look over my build thread and see some of what I've done. BTW, the glass isn't cheap, but the tools are fairly inexpensive.

 

[Deezill]

1.) Are custom sumps just as good as the manufactured?
They can be if they are done right and it isn't hard. I made my entire sump as a diy project.

2.) Where do I get the supplies to turn a tank into a sump baffles etc?
I had a local glass supply company cut all the glass I needed and they cut it to spec and cleaned all the edges.

3.) Can anyone help me with the process
Ask questions and I'll try to help.

4.) How do I know where to place baffles and do baffles control the flow in sump?
There is no single way to design it and no single way to do baffles (IMHO).

5.) Can I connect two sumps together and make one a refugium that connects to my sump?
You can. But why not make one diy sump/refugium and avoid the extra plumbing?

If you are interested in possibly doing a diy sump/refugium, I'm willing to share everything I did... and things I've done wrong! I've made 6 diy tanks (5DTs and 1 sump/fuge). It's not that hard and my oldest tank is 7 years old now and a friend of mine owns it. You might look over my build thread and see some of what I've done. BTW, the glass isn't cheap, but the tools are fairly inexpensive.

Yes I would like to know what worked for you and what did not work. I will need to find a glass shop to get my glass cut. I still have to find a 60 - 75 gallon tank. You make a good point of
just having one sump and refugium in it. If I make it big enough I should be able to accommodate what I need. A 75 gallon really would make a great fit for what I am trying to do. I am definitely going DIY.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I even did the basic tank diy rather than use a 'stock' 75g tank and just adding dividers. That way I could make exactly the size I wanted and have it fit inside my 'drip tray' (see my tank build if you don't know that I mean). And I could make it the exact height I wanted. And besides, a thick glass (3/8th inch) rimless sump/fuge just looks better. LOL!

I don't have any issues with micro bubbles in my system, so I didn't go overboard with the number of baffles. I did what I needed to hold back water and fill the next section from the bottom up rather than an overflow. So just 2 baffles.

 

[Deezill]

i am looking at your tank build build now clicking after this sentence.

 

[Deezill]

i like how the rocks are propped up on the egg crate. I think i want to implement that in my 180 build.

 

[Ron Reefman]

We can talk about that as well. I can say for a fact that I don't see ever having a large percentage of my live rock sitting in the sand. Some along the edges to hide the egg crate, sure, but still 90% or more is off the sand. And there are good reasons (IMHO) for doing it.

And having done flat platforms that were parallel to the sand and the newer platform that is sloped, I say this; I think my current one is a bit too steep and I didn't get it fitted well enough along the back glass and around the overflow. That has allowed a couple of small 'things' slip through the gaps and they are very difficult to recover. I'm actually considering removing it all, making the slope shallower (like drop the back end height by a couple of inches) and make it fit more flush. Maybe even figure out a way to seal the edge of the egg crate and the glass??? But that's a lot of work to make very minor improvements in the tank. Maybe this summer when it's so hot outside I'm more inclined to stay inside and enjoy the air-conditioning!

 

[Deezill]

I have another question. Should i choose my baffle height by my skimmer water height? For instance my recommended Sump Water Depth: 6-6.5" for my skimmer. Should my baffle be no taller than 7"?
If not how tall should my baffles be? I am planning a 60 gallon sump for this 180g. Thanks.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have another question. Should i choose my baffle height by my skimmer water height? For instance my recommended Sump Water Depth: 6-6.5" for my skimmer. Should my baffle be no taller than 7"?
If not how tall should my baffles be? I am planning a 60 gallon sump for this 180g. Thanks.

Plan your baffle height so that the return pump section of the sump has more than enough room for all the water that will drain down into it when the power goes off. Don't worry about the skimmer height, unless you have very limited room to raise the skimmer up on a platform. This way you can make the platform exactly the right height for whatever the water level is going to end up at in the sump.

 

[Deezill]

So i figured I would go with this 55 gallon tank. I think it might be 1 dollar per gallon going on at petco. I am not sure if this qualifies. I think I should be able to have ample room for my skimmer, refuge, and return.
The tank is :
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...ndard-glass-aquarium-tank-55-gallon-5051128-1

My current skimmer is:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/super-reef-octopus-sro-3000sss-8-space-saver-protein-skimmer-1.html

I have no plans on purchasing another skimmer as this one works great. I just need to ensure my tank stand is high enough.

 

[Deezill]

is it true my baffles are supposed to be 1/4 smaller than the width of the tank?

 

[Ron Reefman]

is it true my baffles are supposed to be 1/4 smaller than the width of the tank?

I did mine at 1/8" smaller and it seemed to work OK. I also taped the area either side of where the baffle was going because I knew I'd end up 'plowing' some silicone around getting the baffles in place. Then I added silicone along the seams, wiped them with my finger and then removed the tape. It left a nice clean look compared to the mess I made doing a sump with 3M C0 5200 adhesive! It works great, but looks very messy.

 

[Deezill]

I did mine at 1/8" smaller and it seemed to work OK. I also taped the area either side of where the baffle was going because I knew I'd end up 'plowing' some silicone around getting the baffles in place. Then I added silicone along the seams, wiped them with my finger and then removed the tape. It left a nice clean look compared to the mess I made doing a sump with 3M C0 5200 adhesive! It works great, but looks very messy.

Did you apply the silicone on both sides or just one? Like front and back on you just did the left side then right side and hoped the silicone with get thru the 1/8 of a crevasse? I want to ensure I use enough silicone
so I am guessing it would look like silicone baffle then silicone or am i over thinking it?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I used 3/8" thick glass, same as the sides of the tank. I ran painters tape (the blue or green stuff) down the sides and across the bottom in 2 stripes about 1/2" apart. Then I ran a bead of silicone down along the center between the tape stripes. I lowered in the glass divider at an angle so it didn't touch either side. The I set one end of the divider into the silicone on one side and when twist/swing the other end into place on the other side. Because it's a close fit, the second side sort of acts like a snow plow and pushes some of the silicone. Then I lower the divider the last inch into the silicone on the bottom. At this point I add a bead of silicone anywhere along the edge where there isn't already an excess. Then wipe each edge once or twice with my finger to get nice smooth bead along both sides of every seam. Once I'm happy with the location, fit and look of the silicone beads, I remove the tape and leave it to cure for at least 24 hours.

For a baffle I wanted to keep off the bottom, so water would flow under it as a 'bubble trap' I used a couple of small wood blocks that I pre cut to be the thickness I wanted the bottom of the divider held off the bottom of the sump.

By using the painters tape you can be as messy as you need to be in order to insure you get silicone between the divider and the tank and good beads on both sides as well. Once you've wiped away the excess to your satisfaction and then removed the tape, you should have a very clean, good looking, well siliconed seal.

Good luck.