Why Spend hundreds to Thousands on a Sump

[Mickeyt1reef]

After dealing with other sumps in the past and now my WaterBox sump I was.... to say the least frustrated. After looking for a sump I liked, most pre-fab would need modification or require customization. Custom means $$$$. I have decided to back to a wide open plastic sump for my new build, just like the tank had before for 20 bucks. The sump will start with an Aquamax Filter Roller, Great White skimmer a bucket fuge, thanks for the idea Coral Euphoria, in the past I used Tupperware type containers. Some of the water flow will be diverted through/directed by ceramic media blocks and back to tank via 2 Jebao DCP 3000's. One will drive a manifold and serve pretty much as back up. So, I guess my point is saving 4 to 600 dollars on a sump funds the rest of the gear.

What are your thoughts?

 

[ca1ore]

i cannot think of a single good reason to spend $$$ on a commercial sump. I never have. Of course, I like building things so may have something of an advantage in the DiY space.

 

[homer1475]

I never understood the need to spend thousands on a sump, but some people like to show off the sump as much as the display, so it makes sense to them.

To each their own, if it makes you happy, then go for it.

 

[Ef4life]

Some people like the fancy gear and are willing to pay, sumps do not need to be pretty imo, just functional

 

[Arricefe]

Not everybody is handy, has the place and or time for DIY. Convenience cost.

 

[User1]

Two things to consider in this hobby. Maybe three. Anyway back to the two The reason why some do is because they prefer either over the counter products. Over the counter, pre made, or custom, provide a nice clean look with the options they want. You really can't argue with this and many of them are just as equally epic as their display. Meaning as above so below - they are show pieces.

The second reason is not everyone is into DIY or has room. Maybe they like less noise or do not want the environmental blow back such as humidity, salt creep, and a slew of other things. Maintenance also comes to mind. In any case the two main reasons are cleanliness and less environmental mess.

Third reasons is some people just do not really know or care so just roll with recommendations by fellow hobbyists. The good news is we have options.

 

[JoshH]

Having spent thousands (Literally) on my newest sump it came down to two things. The sump was going into it's own room in the basement so I wanted something fun to enjoy looking at while I was down there doing maintenance. Two, I didn't feel like building my own and there was nothing stock on the market that fit my needs which were a little specific so I paid someone to do it.

It's made of 3/8" thick acrylic and is built like a tank with daddoed joints on all seams. Weighs over 100 pounds so it will outlast just about any piece of equipment I can put in it. I got to customize it as much as I wanted to and design it exactly how I wanted for future equipment and filtration changes down the road.

Did I have to spend what I did, absolutely not. But It was something I wanted and I love it. I'm of the mind that a sump is the heart of your system, so why can't it look at the very least, almost as nice as the display does? Having said all that, as long as you have a box that holds water and does what you need it to do you're good to go! To each there own as I believe was mentioned above somewhere

 

[andrewkw]

I dislike diy and am not super handy. Still my sloppy siliconed baffles have held for years and years. While I have often looked at custom sumps and thought that would be nice to have there are so many other things I would rather have then a nice sump. I can't see myself ever shelling out unless there was a great deal to be had.

If you don't have time to track down a few sheets of cut glass and an hour or 2 to silicone them + time for them to cure you probably don't have time for a reef or even a fish only.

That being said if you have the money or you just want to enjoy looking at it go for it. They are nice and generally speaking acrylic is relatively expensive especially compared to a used or even new prefab glass tank. The craftsmanship and quality on many is great and definitely worth it for many.

 

[Scurvy]

If I were rolling with a basement sump Id rarely see or rarely be seen then I'd opt for a Rubbermade 100 gallon trough. In my living area with sump under the display I like having something that looks nice, functions well and opperates almost silently. I'll take function over form 90% of the time but every now again I'll pay for fit and finish.

 

[jsvand5]

I’ve never had more than $100 into any sump for my tanks and I don’t ever plan to. I’m pretty basic as far as equipment goes so there is really no need and I’m certainly not going to spend time trying to keep my sump looking nice and tidy anyway. I close the doors on the stand and my tank looks great.

 

[Mickeyt1reef]

Fully understand when the sump is part of the DT for example J's Reef and Polyp Puddle. Also agree with the fully remote i.e. basement or fish-room where it could be, almost like, a private DT. Mine is enclosed in the stand site unseen. To me its just a sump for gear.

 

[Greybeard]

It's a hobby. Nothing wrong with DIY, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to purchase the latest high end, good looking gear.

The corals sure don't care what your sump looks like.

Guy has the money, not starving his kids or maxing out credit cards to do so... what's it to you?

I've got a Bashsea that I picked up at ReefPalooza last fall. Got a real good deal on it. Suits my needs quite well. It replaced a repurposed 55g tank with plexiglass baffles stuck in. That one worked fine too... but the new one looks better


My money, my hobby, my tank. I'm just happy that we have all these choices these days! Hasn't been that long ago that the really cool new gear was only available in Germany! You don't want it? Don't buy it!

 

[Mickeyt1reef]

It's a hobby. Nothing wrong with DIY, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to purchase the latest high end, good looking gear.

The corals sure don't care what your sump looks like.

Guy has the money, not starving his kids or maxing out credit cards to do so... what's it to you?

I've got a Bashsea that I picked up at ReefPalooza last fall. Got a real good deal on it. Suits my needs quite well. It replaced a repurposed 55g tank with plexiglass baffles stuck in. That one worked fine too... but the new one looks better


My money, my hobby, my tank. I'm just happy that we have all these choices these days! Hasn't been that long ago that the really cool new gear was only available in Germany! You don't want it? Don't buy it!

I'm not bashing any one. To each his own, so it's nothing to me. I was just describing my reasoning. I would just rather put that money to other equipment or livestock. That is all.

 

[cvrle1]

Originally I was going to go with 40b and sump kit. It was going to get the job done and it was going to be relatively cheap. Then I found a really good deal on sump that was going to cost $50 more than if I did it myself, so I figured my time was worth extra $50. I would never pay anything close to asking price for these sumps, no matter how nice they look.

 

[Jvalle]

you can always find a second hand one like I did and save a bunch too. thats another moderate option. thx

 

[JoshH]

I'm not bashing any one. To each his own, so it's nothing to me. I was just describing my reasoning. I would just rather put that money to other equipment or livestock. That is all.

I don't think anyone is assuming you are bashing anyone else. Just some outspoken members that's all lol As you can see in your thread everyone is of the same mind that at the end of the day it's just a box of water we use to hide stuff in, maybe grow stuff. Functionality is all that really matters, but, who says functional can't be fun too....

 

[Ef4life]

I don't think anyone is assuming you are bashing anyone else. Just some outspoken members that's all lol As you can see in your thread everyone is of the same mind that at the end of the day it's just a box of water we use to hide stuff in, maybe grow stuff. Functionality is all that really matters, but, who says functional can't be fun too....

That looks good, but looks like a pain in the butt to keep clean and it would drive me crazy

 

[Jvalle]

i keep aggressive fish and aggressors in the sump its a 100 gallons. so its also kind of a display for me.....lol

 

[Jvalle]

Im going to have to decorate my sump now and put some neon lights on it as a display - LOL jk

 

[JoshH]

That looks good, but looks like a pain in the butt to keep clean and it would drive me crazy

Everything is easily cleanable, thankfully I had thought of that in advance and made sure there was ample room to do what I needed to to keep it clean... ish lol obviously it's not always going to be perfect, but our displays aren't either so that's how I look at it.