Sump issue on 35 Hex

[AlaskanDan]

I have a 35 hex on a custom built hexagon stand, there are two doors on the front at 11” wide each, with a support i between the doors. I am currently using a 5 gallon aquarium as a sump, and side to side it fits perfectly, however, it is not deep enough to fit any HOB or In sump small skimmers. I would love to just go out and buy or build a cube for the sump, but that support prevents me from doing that.

I am looking for any kind of help on brainstorming how to maximize my sump space. Maybe 2 separate containers plumbed together?

 

[DanyL]

The tank is new and small enough for you to temporarily move it off the stand to another location.
This in theory would allow you to disassemble either the top of the stand or the support to insert a sump inside.

I actually seen stands that were purposely designed like this so that the sump will be inserted from the top down, to allow both good structure and better use of the space for equipment.

Is this a perfect solution? probably not, because if the need to remove the sump comes by it'll be very difficult to move an established tank later on to remove it. That being said, I had a tank that ran for 9 years straight, another one for 4 years and the current one for 2 years and never had the need to do so.

 

[MoshJosh]

Yeah, could drain the tank (save the water) move it and put the new sump in through the top or temporarily remove the support. . .

Orrrrrr 5 gallon bucket sump!!! Can fit a skimmer

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-5-gallon-bucket-filter-“sump”.925131/

 

[AlaskanDan]

I probably should have built the stand around the sump. I won’t be able to take off the top, as glue was used to hold it in place, but I’m thinking I may have to cut the center support out, and make it removable. Not something I was hoping to do, but may be necessary. I was just seeing if there was any other insite or ideas.

 

[DanyL]

There are defiantly ways to build weird structures, splitting the sump, building your own skimmers, etc etc.
But in reality, you'd want to maximize your options while keeping it as simple as possible, which is why my goto was to first attempt inserting a standard sump in there.

It also somewhat hard to brainstorm without having the stand's plans and dimensions.

 

[AlaskanDan]

That’s the sump, don’t mind the wiring, it’s a mess right now as I just tried to reconfigure everything. The interior size of the cabinet is 1/2” smaller than a 35hex, but it’s 30 inches tall in the interior. The panels are about 11 1/2 inches each, so a rectangle isn’t the best choice. I have no problem with building or fabricating, just trying to get some extra input before I start doing something.

 

[DanyL]

Yeah, it's tight.
I still think the cleanest and easiest path for you would be to insert a standard sump.

As for other suggestions:
- Like I mentioned earlier based on your original suggestion, you could potentially insert 2 containers and plumb them together. One where the water will drain to and have the skimmer in it (Tunze have some compact, extremely powerful ones for their size), and the other where the return pump and your mechanical filtration would go to. The plumbing between them would allow the first container to overflow to the second.
My only concern here is mainly for leaks, it should be constructed similarly to the way external overflow boxes are made.

- Combination of both small internal filter to polish the water which would sit inside the tank, and an external skimmer inside the stand. The only show stopper I see here besides possibly inadequate mechanical filtration, is finding a small enough skimmer for a system this size.

- Going skimerless - it's a small tank and if your'e able to provide enough oxidation and adequate mechanical filtration, you can easily manage the tank with WC alone. You'll be somewhat limited to the type and amount of fish you can stock though.

I wouldn't recommend gluing the sump in place inside the stand, I thought about but it's just way too tight to be able to perfectly align the walls.

 

[RocketEngineer]

I see two options and have used both myself. On my very first tank, I used a HoB skimmer (Reef Octopus 100) which sat on the floor of my stand. In the sump, the drains flowed into a plastic container that was nearly as tall as the sump, serving as the “baffle” to get the water level high enough. Worked quite well actually. The second option would be a nano-skimmer. I used a Tunze 9004 in my 40B which worked quite well. On a tank that small, water changes would still do much of the work anyways, IMO

 

[AlaskanDan]

Well, I think I got it figured out a bit better now. I appreciate the help and the ideas. The skimmer almost instantly started working as it should, and the pump/return was adjusted quickly, wires are organized, timers are set, and I even have a mini refugium. The overflow has a small amount of noise, so I may add a sponge at the water line, but all in all, I’m happy with it.