Overflow sump drain

LoneStarReef · Jul 25, 2016

I am in the planning stages of a 90 gallon rimless. We are having renovations done in the room where the tank will be so I am brainstorming to see what things I can do now while things are torn up. One idea I had was plumbing a drain to the tank and have an overflow drain in the sump. This would be for water changes...no hauling big buckets of water. As fresh SW goes in the system the old water would overflow to the drain. This drain would also always be open and would prevent any future sump overflow disaster. If for some reason my sump starts to overflow...water goes down the drain. Will this work?

Also, any other suggestions as to things I can do now to prep the room for the tank? I will have a closet right next to the tank that will house electrical equipment (apex, etc) as well as a holding tank for saltwater. I will plumb an RO/DI unit in to the closet.

Thanks in advance for any input!

jsker · Jul 25, 2016

Welcome to R2R,
I just elevated the sump 3 inches and put a drain in the Bottom of the sump and drain my water when I am not doing a vacuum the sand bed. I also put a overflow that goes in the the same drain just in case the DT siphons more than the sump will hold.

Drilling for the drain line to the outside world

plumbed sump so that I will not have water overflowing on my hardwood flours, quick water change and sump cleaning.

LoneStarReef · Jul 25, 2016

jsker said:
Welcome to R2R,
I just elevated the sump 3 inches and put a drain in the Bottom of the sump and drain my water when I am not doing a vacuum the sand bed. I also put a overflow that goes in the the same drain just in case the DT siphons more than the sump will hold.

Drilling for the drain line to the outside world

plumbed sump so that I will not have water overflowing on my hardwood flours, quick water change and sump cleaning.

Thanks! Good to be back after being out of the hobby for 10 plus years. Lot has changed. Love your setup. Looks very similar to what I plan to do. So your sump is in the closet correct? It isn't under the stand?

Bill Ellis · Jul 25, 2016

LoneStarReef said:
Thanks! Good to be back after being out of the hobby for 10 plus years. Lot has changed. Love your setup. Looks very similar to what I plan to do. So your sump is in the closet correct? It isn't under the stand?

It is nice to have adjacent closet, I had to place mine in the garage and pump the auto top off water into the attic and back and for water changes I siphon and then use the same hose to pump back mixed saltwater no much effort really. I would recommend you put a tray under your sump and a water sensor in it, and have it shut off your ato pump in case of over flow.

jsker · Jul 25, 2016

I was a H.O.B. person from when I first started for the reason I was always renting and out of town. When I built the stand it was setup for the HOB not a sump, so yes I located the sump in my new office fish annex space (aka closet)

. I did not go with sand, I went with the marine-pure bio media for easy sump cleaning.

LoneStarReef · Jul 25, 2016

jsker said:
I was a H.O.B. person from when I first started for the reason I was always renting and out of town. When I built the stand it was setup for the HOB not a sump, so yes I located the sump in my new office fish annex space (aka closet). I did not go with sand, I went with the marine-pure bio media for easy sump cleaning.

Can you show me close ups of your emergency overflow drain? I think my wife will like the idea of protection against flooding the new hardwoods.

jsker · Jul 25, 2016

Dose this help? I located the top bulk head 2 inch below the top of the sump. the stack above the top bulk head is to let the pipe breath so that the water will flow freely so there will not be a back up in the sump. the OD is one inch pipe.