My DIY 20 gallon Sump

[esmith]

Just finished plumbing the sump tonight, it's working great. I am returning the water with a RIO 2500 (only a temporary pump).

The water is being returned through a 3/4" line to a 1/2" spray bar.

I am using a CPR CS90 overflow through 1" flex PVC.

The sump is holding about 16 gallons of water, and with power outage it will only drain out 2 gallons from the tank, leaving me more than 4 gallons of space in the sump.

The baffles and corner overflow are made from 1/4" acrylic, the overflow is filled with LR to cut back on the bubbles.

Here is a photo of the entire setup.

Eliyah

 

[willstyles]

sweet

I got say great job shock You can come over and build my sump to grin all joking aside, sweet job Elyhia.


willstyles 0X

 

[big t]

Nice Job Eliyah! Looks good, so when do you get your shipment in? That star xenia looks pretty cool, I hadn't seen that before.

tom

 

[esmith]

Thanks Will and Tom, I actually got the shipment in today.

The Candy Cane is now right in the middle on the sand, and the star polyp xenia is up on the rock. The xenia looks like tiny little spaghetti strands with little hands, although since it has just been through all the trauma of shipping I am not sure what it will look like once it's had a chance to settle in.

I will try and get some photos taken tomorrow and post them.

Eliyah

 

[G~]

looks great!!!

why is the heater in the fuge part and not in the sump part with the return pump? just wondering.

G~

 

[esmith]

I didn't think about that, good idea.

Thanks G~.

Eliyah

 

[willstyles]

Young and dumb

What did the (Fly) say to the grasshopper. just joking lol I didnt think about that, good idea.

sweet !!!!!!



willstyles 0X

 

[jlehigh]

A very nice setup. Great job! Two questions since I have recently been planning a very similar set-up.

1.)How did you put in the glass dividers? I've seen divider sets online for sale but wondered how you did it.

2.)How do you like the CPR overflow? I was going to cut my tank for a bulkhead and install an overflow but the CPR overflow appears to be a pretty good option.

 

[esmith]

1.)How did you put in the glass dividers? I've seen divider sets online for sale but wondered how you did it.

The dividers are actually acrylic, and I just siliconed them into the tank.

2.)How do you like the CPR overflow? I was going to cut my tank for a bulkhead and install an overflow but the CPR overflow appears to be a pretty good option.

While this works well, I would ultimately recomend drilling the glass if you can and installing a bulkhead. This overflow does require drawing out the air, and can loose the siphone if too many bubbles accumulate in the tube; this is something that you would not have to worry about with a bulkhead.

On a final note everyone...I came home today to find lots of water on the floor :shock: !!! The tank leaked, even though I tested it, it must have had a minor failure somewhere because I lost about 2 gallons of water. Luckily I didn't flood the tank, and came home before too much had leaked out.

Eliyah

 

[willstyles]

what happened!

So sorry to here that elyiha, You and I put alot of time in to that tank, many off nights in the cold in my garage cutting pieces for that tank. well will just do it again but better. sorry to here that (E) 0X

 

[big t]

Oh no! That sux that it leaked all of the sudden like that. So did you find out where the leak came from? Was it a tank or plumbing leak? Well hope you figure it out soon dude! Good luck

Tom

 

[esmith]

I know it isn't the plumbing, but I can't really find the leak in the tank.

I am going to buy a large flat rubbermaid tub and re-install everything to see if it was in fact the tank that leaked, or if it was the skimmer (becuase it had overflowed, I just don't see how it could have overflowed 1-2 gallons of water).

Eliyah

 

[jlehigh]

Thanks for taking the time!

I'm sorry about the leak/overflow We'll I guess it could have been much worse

 

[esmith]

Thats for sure, I actually thought that the tank had overflowed. I was pleased that it wasn't that, but still a pain to clean up.

Eliyah

 

[big t]

Hey esmith,
A good indicator that your skimmer overflowed is if your collection cup was completely full of clear or slightly tinted water. When I first got my skimmer and before it was dialed in, I would adjust it to what I thought was good and then it would just sit there, then 2 hours later it would suddenly start pouring water out of the top of the cup! Luckily I have a in sump model so the water didn't flood. If not that I hope you figure out what it was. Just give me a call later or whatever and we can arrange something with the 29.

Later
Tom

 

[esmith]

big T: That is why I thought the skimmer might have overflowed, because there was completely full of clear or slightly tinted water.

I have the sump back up and running now inside of a rubbermaid tub, and I can't see any water leakage. I am having my suspiciouns of the skimmer, these BAKPAK's really suck!

Eliyah

 

[big t]

Hey dude,
Well actually if you mod the backpack with a maxijet 1200 PH, that is a great skimmer for small tanks. It is one of the few recommended skimmers of that size. If you really don't like it one to look at since you have a sump now is one the the aqua c urchin skimmers, I have heard a lot of good things about that one.

If you have not gotten rid of the rio that the backpack runs, I would get a maxijet pronto!

Tom

 

[esmith]

I already have the MJ, and doesn't seem to work any better. I just spend more time adjusting the collection cup now, it goes from foam to wet and back again.

I have heard a lot of good things about the Urchins, I'll take a look.

Eliyah