Remote sump?

Davy Jones · Apr 17, 2020

Building out a new fish room in the new house! With that comes a number of questions, but today I am focused on sumps and plumbing. I am hoping to see some examples from others who have already done this or advice from those smarter than me!

Here Is what I want to do. Display and frag tank connected to a sump in between the 2 tanks. So Fragtank > Sump < Display. So far, so good.

Now comes the hard part (at least for me). I would like to have the sump in some sort of cabinet for sound dampening purposes, And I would like the sump off of the floor 12-24 inches or so.

Has anyone else done this? or something similar?
Is putting the sump in its own cabinet/shelving system a bad idea for any reason?
Does anyone know of a cabinet with a shelf that can hold a 60″ x 18″ x 18 sump? I am not super handy, so would rather not try to build one my self. I have seen the open shelving units that can hold the weight, but without sides/doors, it defeats the purpose as I am looking for sound dampening as the fish room will double as a man cave.

Webslinger · Apr 17, 2020

if the cabinet is rated for over 2000 lbs. Use quitter dc pumps.

Billdogg · Apr 17, 2020

Where are you located? That would be a fairly easy DIY project, and not too costly unless you want something really fancy.

As far as having the sump elevated - sure - no problem - as long as the highest level in the sump is below both tanks. Water prefers to travel downhill!

Davy Jones · Apr 17, 2020

Billdogg said:
Where are you located? That would be a fairly easy DIY project, and not too costly unless you want something really fancy.

As far as having the sump elevated - sure - no problem - as long as the highest level in the sump is below both tanks. Water prefers to travel downhill!

I am in minnesota. I can probably build the base without too much worry, but I have no skills or idea on how to build the cabinet portion.

Billdogg · Apr 17, 2020

Google "rocket engineer stand"

If you can make a reasonable square cut on a 2x4 you can build a very solid stand using his plan. I like to use pocket hole screws with things like that because they are easy, and because they will help pull it into square for you (assuming square cuts)

You can then skin it however you like - 1/4" plywood is more than enough although you may find that 3/4" ply is easier to work with. Paint or stain it and you will have a stand that you could park a tank on (either kind)!