Why Spend hundreds to Thousands on a Sump

[Joe Glass Cages]

I could. But there hideous and I wouldn't be able to stand looking at them let alone working on one. One could make the same argument to those that spend thousands more on there Displays from Reef Savvy, Tank Me USA and so forth when you can get a super cheap one from glass Cages or stock ones from Aqueon/Marineland and modify them. And lol It wouldn't bother me if I did, I'm sure I've been close a few times...

Oh and yes, it was built by @Elder1945

Thanks for the mention @JoshH and the support. Glass Cages is doing so much innovation in addition to a customer centric focus. I would suggest that Glass Cages offers value solution rather than a cheap solution.

See below, our latest innovation. Smoked perimeter euro-bracing with Low-Iron cross-braces. Blacked out back. Nicely customized and built in 4 to 5 weeks at a price that promotes value.

We are having a blast supporting the journey.

 

[SoAg Reefer]

To answer the question in the OP’s subject....why not? If you got it, spend it. Many have said it but some of us don’t have the time to build stuff, that whole work and family thing can get in the way. Also, the car analogy was great. People hate on others spending their own money how they want and I never understood that. It’s ours to throw away right? I’ve always had custom sumps because 1. I can and 2. They look better. Again, that’s just me. In fact I just had one completed for my office tank and for $300 shipped why the heck would I even attempt to build something like it when I couldn’t and between board meetings, travel baseball, gymnastics and whatever else my kids are doing...when would I? Comes down to time mostly in my opinion, skill in making things and what you want to spend on, usually if you are buying custom stuff your DT already has the best equipment so you aren’t choosing sump over lights, skimmer, powerheads, etc... just my 2 cents

 

[2Wheelsonly]

It always cracks me up when I see these elaborate build threads and you can instantly tell they are new to reefing; they have no idea how dirty that thing is going to get once they have a full blown system loaded with fish and corals (that's the goal right?). Some spends years, go through multiple lighting upgrades always showing off plumbing with some small cube display with bare rocks and clown fish. (maybe one almost dead frogspawn frag)

I want a nice OPEN sump that's easy to access (preferably in a fish room behind an in-wall tank) that i could swim in if I wanted to.

 

[kados]

It always cracks me up when I see these elaborate build threads and you can instantly tell they are new to reefing; they have no idea how dirty that thing is going to get once they have a full blown system loaded with fish and corals (that's the goal right?). Some spends years, go through multiple lighting upgrades always showing off plumbing with some small cube display with bare rocks and clown fish. (maybe one almost dead frogspawn frag)

I want a nice OPEN sump that's easy to access (preferably in a fish room behind an in-wall tank) that i could swim in if I wanted to.

Elaborate plumbing with open access Build and cabinetry in progress..

 

[WVNed]

My reef plumbing is as exciting to me as the pipes that go to my toilet.

 

[Thomas Wieczorek]

I used a half and half approach. A pre cut acrilic sump kit. So its pre made and diy. A ebay company called Jack's rax. I paid like 40$ for a used 40g breeder tank and about 120$ on the sump kit. Some silicone and bam! Pro looking sump

 

[lefkonj]

Not a great pic but here is what I purchased. I don't mind doing somethings myself but building a tank or a sump myself is not in the cards for me. So instead of spending countless hours and money on trying to make something work I gave my specs to a professional and they definitely delivered.

I completely understand why people don't want to spend the money on something like this but to me this hobby is not cheap and no matter what it costs money (my time is not free). I can also say that I appreciate the effort that has gone into designing something like this, they have tested the process and what their product is able to deliver.

 

[MaddyP]

Although I'm a sucker for well-built, custom sumps...sometimes a sump is just a sump.

My last sump build: Elite Aquatics Rollermat.

And my current build: 20G Long with Jaxracks baffle kit.

 

[Ashish Patel]

It really depends on how much space you have to work with - My tank before I took it down was in an apartment so I Had to fit alot of stuff in 36x24" room so found alot of value in the icecap 36XL. Now I am setting up a 400gallon and have a basement sump so going with a 68"x48"x18" 250gallon plastic box. It will be nice to have a drain at the bottom so I can drain the sump during large waterchanges and clean out. I kind of did not find a large sump with many sections fun to clean so never really cleaned it and detritus would just pile up. Large open sump should be easier to keep clean

 

[Ashish Patel]

Here is my sump! This sump had to be safe, fit a refugium, skimmer, ATO, cryptic zone, and It did well for 3 years. However, it was difficult to remove my skimmer and return so it rarely got cleaned as much as I wouldve liked. So now that I have a large basement and no worries on space I will go with a large polyethylene open top tank.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

To answer the question in the OP’s subject....why not? If you got it, spend it. Many have said it but some of us don’t have the time to build stuff, that whole work and family thing can get in the way. Also, the car analogy was great. People hate on others spending their own money how they want and I never understood that. It’s ours to throw away right? I’ve always had custom sumps because 1. I can and 2. They look better. Again, that’s just me. In fact I just had one completed for my office tank and for $300 shipped why the heck would I even attempt to build something like it when I couldn’t and between board meetings, travel baseball, gymnastics and whatever else my kids are doing...when would I? Comes down to time mostly in my opinion, skill in making things and what you want to spend on, usually if you are buying custom stuff your DT already has the best equipment so you aren’t choosing sump over lights, skimmer, powerheads, etc... just my 2 cents

Touche

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Elaborate plumbing with open access Build and cabinetry in progress..

Who built that beast?

 

[JoshH]

Who built that beast?

Looks to be a GEO sump, hard to see but in the top right corner you can see the GEO etched into the clear acrylic

 

[Feet4Fish]

I like to make things.

Would love to see more pics of this set up! Looks awesome. Soon I will be moving into into a new house where I have had the luxury of designing a fish room. Plan on somewhat similar sump/DIY set up!

 

[Feet4Fish]

It's kind of like just after I made my filter sock holder for $29 I found someone is making them for stock tanks and they are only $399.
I could have just bought one.

Can I ask what you use as a solvent with the PVC boards?

 

[WVNed]

Can I ask what you use as a solvent with the PVC boards?

That construction is screwed together with stainless screws and sealed with aquarium silicone over the screw heads and at the joints.
That is an old pic. I have added UV, Ozone and a GFO reactor since then.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

sumps can be exciting when building out a new system but once you really start to get the hang of things and focus on a real display with actual corals and livestock then the sump goes to *youknowwhat* it literally is the toilet of the tank.

When I see some really nice elaborate sumps that are super clean and nice it's usually accompanied by a bare rock fest of a tank that seems to always be "cycling, getting ready for corals". Once you get a real bioload the sump becomes a bacteria pit. I am sure there are some out there that are outliers but I wish I could have spent less money making my sump look fancy as 5+ years in it looks kinda like what a sump should look like.

@WVNed has pretty much my perfect ideal sump. No fancy colored panels, no super tightly organized filters with lids to remove. Just a massive easy to access area that gets the job done and offers tons of flexibility for managing the largest of bioloads. The dude can literally walk up to that thing and service it like an engine of a truck...LOL. That's just so valuable.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

MY 2 cents... this is how I approach sumps.

 

[kados]

Looks to be a GEO sump, hard to see but in the top right corner you can see the GEO etched into the clear acrylic

GEO sump. I pieced together the matching plumbing.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Here is my new sump for my 400gallon.

240 gallon box. 68"X48"X 16"

The design is going to simple. 3 drains on the left, return on the right, I'll probably glue one sheet of plastic down the middle so water can circle around.