Post your DIY 55g Sumps

[toehead11183]

I'm trying to get ideas to make a sump out of a 55g for my 180 but i need ideas. I remember seeing a few people post their 55g sumps a while back but i've been looking for them for 3 days now and cant find their posts. I was thinking of making half the tank for filteration and leave the other half open for extra water volume. I want to add as much water volume to this tank as possible. I dont have room for a bigger tank and a 55g is the biggest i can fit under the tank because of the way the stand is built.

It will need to run as 1200gph for a 180 with around 10 oscar sized fish, probably more.
here's my idea so far. Help me out, i've never made anything for my tank before and my wife will kill me if i put a bunch of money into this and it fails. I want it to look professional. I had to sell all my other tank when my daughter was born and this is the last one so i want it to look really nice.

 

[mikeandannie]

heres one I built, its still up and running with no problems....http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158363

i thought it was a good way to get the most out of my 55g, in the end this project was well over $200 so a bit pricey but IMO if done right its well worth it....and its cool to watch work lol, i just open the doors on the stand every now and then just to watch it run...

 

[Verbosity]

Here is the one I am about to build:

There is a spot for a sponge (bubble stopper after the media, but I doubt I'll need it.)

The input uses a huge filter sock.
The pump is external but could easily be put in that last section.

 

[rocker85675]

this is mine.