DIY Rubbermaid Sump

[Pkunk35]

Well all was going well untill the rubbermade cracked... Lol drilling a plastic tote and shoving some PVC through the hole then sealing it is easier said than done...

use a bulkhead to secure the hole as leakproof, then glue appropriate PVC pipe into the bulkhead to begin the piping:

Standard Threaded Bulkhead Fitting

 

[rarelyseriousb]

I would not use totes. They do not hold up to well over time. I think you can achieve what you are looking to do cheaply and reliably with less chance if failure. You can find a used glass tank ( Craigslist) . Add baffles and your good to go.

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

Well here's what I got so far, I will be wet testing in about an hour.. Well see how she holds up and works

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

Okay my results: there were absolutely no leaks, but with the short hose I had I did spill a lot on the floor(seen in the video) Do you still think its not worth the risk of having the possibility of it flooding because I didn't us bulkheads or do you think that it'll be fine? I used acrylic glue and PVC cement to hold everything together

I WILL however if I get to lowes this weekend get bulkheads and use those, assuming that they fit in the holes made without issues

 

[Pkunk35]

Okay my results: there were absolutely no leaks, but with the short hose I had I did spill a lot on the floor(seen in the video) Do you still think its not worth the risk of having the possibility of it flooding because I didn't us bulkheads or do you think that it'll be fine? I used acrylic glue and PVC cement to hold everything together

I WILL however if I get to lowes this weekend get bulkheads and use those, assuming that they fit in the holes made without issues

Hmmm there seems to be some miscommunication...i would NOT use the setup you have, there will be water everywhere lol.

So when i meant that one tub is elevated, i meant it being just about on top of the other rubbermaid (kinda like the sump is below the tank), and you would use another DIY overflow to drain water into the tub below.

So that would be: 1 overflow in the display which drains to the fuge. Then 1 overflow in the fuge which drains to the sump (the fuge sits on top of the sump or is elevated above it). Then 1 return pump returns water to the main display from the sump.

ALSO, I would not use those tubs you have! I should have clarified, my apologies. You want to use the elastic plastic totes so they won't crack but they do bow quite a bit (i was wondering how you cracked yours):

Why not just go with a 10-20 gallon tank you find on Craigslist, install baffles with some silicone and use it both for sump and refugium? You would only need the 1 overflow for the display tank and then a return pump then. Much easier with less chance for disaster, no drilling or bulkheads.

Honestly you don't even need the baffles...just a tank with a pump will work as long as you have the overflow made.

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

Fudge.. Lol I do know the one rubbermiade holds water(used it for curing LR) so I will just switch the smaller one and then try the bulkhead method

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

Update!!

Got both the sump and fuge container made, i used rubbermade tubs which. Then drilledmandmput bulkheads in, wet tested it and the water does flow from container to container very well without leaks and does not overflow. I am currently also working on building a DIY sulfur reactor and the PVC overflow is almost finished, I'm just finding it difficult to find a check valve of the right size that is used to start the flow. Once I get the reactor finished I will work harder on fiding a small plastic check valve and then I will have to figure out the return pump issue. The GPH of my overflow will be about 300, and a 300gph pump I do not think will work to pump water from the floor up four or five feet to the display's overflow

 

[bpeck]

I didn't put check valve on mine. I just used a ill pump and hose to force the water n and air out the first time. No problem with mine yet and I shut off my return pump every other day when I feed frozen food.

 

[Reef Keeper 18]

I didn't put check valve on mine. I just used a ill pump and hose to force the water n and air out the first time. No problem with mine yet and I shut off my return pump every other day when I feed frozen food.

so you just pumped the water into the PVC that's at the water level in your tank?