Lets see your fish tank converted SUMP

caver · Apr 25, 2016

Wow love the fuge I will be checking out the link.

domination2580 · Apr 25, 2016

hybridazn said:
Haha thanks! It was fairly easy to make. I used a baffle kit from @TaylorPilot and then I used headlight tint to make the clear acrylic the green. Then I drilled 3 holes in the opposite end to make a dedicated manifold instead of having it run off the return, so it has its own pump. I painted the pvc green and used black furniture grade pvc fittings. I then took a black acrylic strip and drilled it for the John guest bulkheads in the middle section and used weldon to attach it to the rim of the tank. If you want to see pics of it being built you can check out my build thread. The link is in my signature.

For overall cost I got a heavy discount from TaylorPilot to run the prototype of this baffle system for him, so I'm not sure what he charges for it retail, but overall to build one similar to what I did shouldn't be more than $300. That's with the cost of the tank and baffles.

Thank you! If you want to check out my build thread to see pics of the construction please be my guest! Link is in my signature.

Never would have thought of headlight tint. What kind did you use? And @TaylorPilot?

hybridazn · Apr 25, 2016

domination2580 said:
Never would have thought of headlight tint. What kind did you use? And @TaylorPilot?

12"x46" roll found on ebay.

DurocShark · Apr 25, 2016

TaylorPilot said:
How do you like that marinepure block. I have been thinking about getting one for months, but it will be a tight fit in my sump. Have you seen a difference in nutrients or algae growth since installing it? Who makes that red digital temp gauge? It is nice and easy to read from a distance!

This is a fishless tank at the moment. I've been running it fallow for a while due to velvet. There are still corals, hermits, and one big snail. But I'm still having some algae. So, since this is a skimmerless tank (bedroom, needs to be quiet) I wanted to do something. It's been in there for just a couple months, so I haven't seen any benefit one way or the other. My numbers are stable even with water changes, so I suspect there's something in the sand keeping my nitrates up. I put in two or three pieces of Xtreme Marine PeeWee pellets every month so the hermits get some protein. But that's it.

Almost forgot. That controller is from ReefSafe Solutions. They were selling here (I think) and on nano-reefs. The website is down, so can't offer more info.

TaylorPilot · Apr 25, 2016

domination2580 said:
Never would have thought of headlight tint. What kind did you use? And @TaylorPilot?

Yes?

DurocShark · Apr 25, 2016

Oh, and those marine pure blocks are very crumbly. You could shape it easily even with a screwdriver to get it to fit.

domination2580 · Apr 25, 2016

I found this website for acrylic. They look pretty cool! http://www.delviesplastics.com/p/Fluorescent_Cast_Acrylic_Sheet.html

DurocShark · Apr 25, 2016

domination2580 said:
I found this website for acrylic. They look pretty cool! http://www.delviesplastics.com/p/Fluorescent_Cast_Acrylic_Sheet.html

I've been buying mine from http://www.eplastics.com/

I'm in the process of building a smart mirror, and they have 2 way mirror acrylic for a good price too.

TaylorPilot · Apr 25, 2016

I would make sure it is 1/4". Chemcast is who makes the neon green and yellow that everyone likes so much. Just google plastics distributors in your area and you should be able to find a vendor. Assuming you live near a major city....

domination2580 · Apr 25, 2016

That eplastics is actually expensive compared to the other site. I wonder why?

TaylorPilot · Apr 25, 2016

The green is chemcast # L-111

Yellow is chemcast # L-043

I think the orange looks pretty cool and it is:

Chemcast # L-032

The blue actually looks too clear for me. It doesn't glow like the others do, even under a black light (trust me, I've tried) LOL

DurocShark · Apr 26, 2016

domination2580 said:
That eplastics is actually expensive compared to the other site. I wonder why?

Interesting. Shipping maybe? I didn't dig past seeing that the Delvie's site didn't list 2 way mirrors.

Pola0502ds · Apr 26, 2016

For $300 i guess you could purchase a prefab if you wanted but doing it yourself allows you to have your sump the way you want it.

hybridazn · Apr 26, 2016

Pola0502ds said:
For $300 i guess you could purchase a prefab if you wanted but doing it yourself allows you to have your sump the way you want it.

For $300 you could get a full acrylic one, but it won't be anywhere near the foot print of a 40b

TaylorPilot · Apr 26, 2016

I don't really think it should cost $300 if you get the $/gallon tanks. $40 for the tank, $150 for the kit, and let's say $20 in tape and silicone. You are at or just over $200. Most nice 35 x15 x 15 acrylic sumps are $400+. Just baffles are even cheaper. You could probably get some basic baffles cut and the tank for around $120. But you do loose some of the features going that route. Either way, DIY is a fun part of the hobby, and you are right, you can lay it out any way you want. Make a larger skimmer section, or a larger return pump section if you don't run an ATO. You can even flip the design around so the water travels left to right, or right to left depending on your drain setup.