Stay the course or drill/sump

[NeonRabbit221B]

I am moving within the next few months and was going to break down my 40B AIO in-wall build to deal with some aiptasia issues and QT my fish properly. I have floated the idea of doing a proper setup with a overflow box and sump but am on the edge. I am worried about aiptasia clinging to the foam wall and coming back to bite me so I might get a new 40B and 20G for a DIY sump. I do have several larger scale pumps around 500-800 gph and a large skimmer/pump I can use in this reboot. I am trying to keep this reboot cost under $400 or I can try to sanitize the foam and do some resealing on the wall. Either way it will be a pain in the butt. Is drilling the better option in general? Any overflow boxes you would recommend for a budget build? Is a DIY sump a bad idea?

 

[KevinC]

I got a eshopps pf800 for my 40B as it’s a pain to drill the tank, but as yours is in wall, I suppose it’d be better to drill it in the long run. DIY sump is a great option for budget unless you can find a used one for cheap (I think it’s unnecessary as a sump in my opinion is just a hang on back filter that holds a lot more water)

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Bumping with a question

I was looking at a fiji overflow box at 800 gph with a 20 gallon sump. This would leave me at roughly 12X turnover with my Rio 3100 pump at the given head heigh. Is this too much flow going through a sump/refugium? I was going to use a basic acrylic baffle kit and 3d print anything else I need.

 

[Rufus’ goofs]

Bumping with a question

I was looking at a fiji overflow box at 800 gph with a 20 gallon sump. This would leave me at roughly 12X turnover with my Rio 3100 pump at the given head heigh. Is this too much flow going through a sump/refugium? I was going to use a basic acrylic baffle kit and 3d print anything else I need.

Personally, I like my flow to be about 5x turnover, but you’d probably be fine with the 12x turnover, so long as the overflow can handle it.

Also if you have the room, I would aim for a larger sump. The 20L will fill up with equipment REAL fast.

When I did my 40B I made my own overflow out of a few panes of 1/4 smoked glass and then drilled for some bulkheads behind it.
I also used a 20L, there was never enough room.

Best of luck!

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

personally, I like my flow to be about 5x turnover, but you’d probably be fine with the 12x turnover, so long as the overflow can handle it.

Also if you have the room, I would aim for a larger sump. The 20L fill up with equipment REAL fast.

When I did my 40B I made my own overflow out of a few panes of 1/4 smoked glass and then drilled for some bulkheads behind it.
I also used a 20L, there was never enough room.

Best of luck!

Good to know! Maybe I will opt for a 29G or an odd ball size that will fit under my stand. Thanks for the reply!