How to plan what you need when building a sump?

ndz98 · Dec 28, 2015

I'm thinking of building a sump and wondering how any of you who have built your own planned things out. Tell me like how you figured out how much pvc pipe you needed, what kind of connections, valves, size of chambers, etc. Any help would be great. As far as I know I plan on building a sump out of a 10 g tank since my tank is only 29g and using a pump like this http://www.amazon.com/Sicce-Syncra-...8&qid=1451356391&sr=8-4&keywords=sicce+syncra

Maritimer · Dec 28, 2015

I kinda cheated . . .

Watched a YouTube video about building one out of a 20-long, then picked up the parts I thought I'd need. Didn't use PVC, just a vinyl hose for the return, and a corrugated hose coming down from the CPR overflow. Glass baffles and dividers, lighting-eggcrate for flow-through bits. Perfect? Prolly not, but it fits in the space I've got, moves plenty of water through a sock and carbon, and provides a quiet place for 'pods, bristleworms, chaeto ... and any 'shrooms that released their hold on the substrate and went surfing among the powerhead blades . . . (>_<)

~Bruce

tankstudy · Dec 28, 2015

A lot of times, its the size of your equipment going in to the sump that determines the size and shape of your custom sump. Most if not all marine equipment comes with LxWxH dimensions.

I'll generally look at what equipment I want to use and then I build a sump to house that equipment. I always give myself extra space as well for possible upgrades in the future.

ndz98 · Dec 28, 2015

Maritimer said:
I kinda cheated . . .

Watched a YouTube video about building one out of a 20-long, then picked up the parts I thought I'd need. Didn't use PVC, just a vinyl hose for the return, and a corrugated hose coming down from the CPR overflow. Glass baffles and dividers, lighting-eggcrate for flow-through bits. Perfect? Prolly not, but it fits in the space I've got, moves plenty of water through a sock and carbon, and provides a quiet place for 'pods, bristleworms, chaeto ... and any 'shrooms that released their hold on the substrate and went surfing among the powerhead blades . . . (>_<)

~Bruce

I thought about braided vinyl but the they let light through and could grow algae in them. Also like the way pvc looks lol.

ndz98 · Dec 28, 2015

tankstudy said:
A lot of times, its the size of your equipment going in to the sump that determines the size and shape of your custom sump. Most if not all marine equipment comes with LxWxH dimensions.

I'll generally look at what equipment I want to use and then I build a sump to house that equipment. I always give myself extra space as well for possible upgrades in the future.

The only things I would put in there is the return pump and I was wondering if my HOB skimmer would work on the sump?

tankstudy · Dec 29, 2015

ndz98 said:
The only things I would put in there is the return pump and I was wondering if my HOB skimmer would work on the sump?

Yes, you can use a HOB skimmer in the sump. Just keep in mind that some HOB Skimmers have certain water depth requirements to work properly, so build your sump accordingly.