Need some ideas here. I just purchased a 240 with a sump and pump, but while I was cleaning up the tank, I dropped and cracked the sump, which I think, may be beyond repair. I have til Feb 1st to figure something out, and I'm not tearing down a 150, moving it to the new place to tear it down again to move in a 240g. I'm new to sumps, but does anyone have any ideas a good sump? I could buy a new just like the one I have, or buy a whole different all together. The pump is a Reeflo Dart 3600gph. My other option is to buy a cheap Fx5 and use the one I have and plum up 2 Fx5's for temporary until I fix or figure out the sump problem. If I go that route, I'm thinking I'll plumb up the Fx5's both for mechanical and dump every bio ring (which would be enough to fill up 2 Xp4's to give you a comparison) into the overflows so I'll have water flow thru them.
Moving, setting up a 240 and just cracked the sump....
- Thread starter creepyoldguy
- Start date
If you cant repair the sump, look around for a used acrylic tank and take the "guts" out of the broken sump.
It wont be pretty, but I've never seen an acrylic tank that couldnt be repaired,
and a glass tank/sump could be fixed as well. Again, it wont be pretty...especially repairing a glass tank.
For the acrylic, buy some Weld-On acrylic adhesive and some acrylics sheets from the hdwr stor.
For a glass tank, GE I silicone and some small peices of glass from hdwr stor.
On the cheap, buy a 30-40g rubbermaid or sterilite from Walmart. Been there done that, works fine.
GL
It wont be pretty, but I've never seen an acrylic tank that couldnt be repaired,
and a glass tank/sump could be fixed as well. Again, it wont be pretty...especially repairing a glass tank.
For the acrylic, buy some Weld-On acrylic adhesive and some acrylics sheets from the hdwr stor.
For a glass tank, GE I silicone and some small peices of glass from hdwr stor.
On the cheap, buy a 30-40g rubbermaid or sterilite from Walmart. Been there done that, works fine.
GL
boldtogether;4763776; said:
Thanks a lot. Luckily, my dad is an aeronautical engineer and has access to stuff like that and I can't see why they can make airplanes but not fix a sump. If that falls through, I'll go your route. I do have a question. I was looking at some sumps, and certain sizes say they can handle x amount of flow. I believe this sump is eshopps or amiracle 400 wet dry. If thats the case, its only recommended to handle aroudn 1500 gph. The set up is used and is exactly what the other guy had running. Even with about 4.5' of head, that Dart is flowing way over 1500gph.
I think they say "x" amount of flow because of the "wash-out effect". I guess one could remove BB from the media? IDK.
If the hoses going to the drip plate are not big enough to flow that amount you would be flooding the tank.
If the drip chamber couldnt handle the flow, you would be flooding the sump.
Dont forget that the head pressure your pump is working against includes bends in the tubing, fittings, any and all restrictions such as nozzles and spraybars.
Example: 1000gph into the tank after acheiving 6' of head is assumed to be through the same size discharge as the intake. If you split the discharge through 2-1/2" nozzles, you are NOT discharging through a 1" equivalent. The discharge would have to be more like 2-3/4" to equal 1". If you know this then sorry for the lecture.
Anyway, point is, you may be pumping against restriction and have just been lucky to not over tax the sump capacity.
Jus my 2¢
If the hoses going to the drip plate are not big enough to flow that amount you would be flooding the tank.
If the drip chamber couldnt handle the flow, you would be flooding the sump.
Dont forget that the head pressure your pump is working against includes bends in the tubing, fittings, any and all restrictions such as nozzles and spraybars.
Example: 1000gph into the tank after acheiving 6' of head is assumed to be through the same size discharge as the intake. If you split the discharge through 2-1/2" nozzles, you are NOT discharging through a 1" equivalent. The discharge would have to be more like 2-3/4" to equal 1". If you know this then sorry for the lecture.
Anyway, point is, you may be pumping against restriction and have just been lucky to not over tax the sump capacity.
Jus my 2¢
boldtogether;4763843; said:
No, thank you for your help. I'll take anything I can as I know only the basics. All I know, is how the other person had it set up, it worked perfectly and when the pump shut off, there the sump was large enough to handle the drainage from the overflows to not overflow the sump.
It sounds like it is working perfectly, but the discharge of that Reefflo is significant, more than 1500gph@4.5'h.
Its got to be throttled somehow, or worn out.
I'd leave well enough alone if it works!
Its got to be throttled somehow, or worn out.
I'd leave well enough alone if it works!
boldtogether;4763883; said:It sounds like it is working perfectly, but the discharge of that Reefflo is significant, more than 1500gph@4.5'h.
Its got to be throttled somehow, or worn out.
I'd leave well enough alone if it works!
I agree. I think it is closer to 3000gph. It has 2 massive return lines to the sump so it can handle that amount of flow, and the actual sump is large enough to hold the extra water capacity in case of a power outage. Would this be correct thinking?
Basically, I'm thinking that your pump can only flow as much as your drains allow, and as long as your sump is large enough to hold the capacity of the extra water, there is no way that it can overflow.
now im no sump expert, but i have read when i was interested in them, that a "berlin style sump" is the good filtration kind? am i just..well..lol.. but thats one id recomend to you if they are good! 
insanity0x1;4763975; said:now im no sump expert, but i have read when i was interested in them, that a "berlin style sump" is the good filtration kind? am i just..well..lol.. but thats one id recomend to you if they are good!
Cannot say that I've heard of it, but thank you.