Sump help

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Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2015
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Minnesota
I built a very simple DIY sump from Rubbermaids. Its about 15 gallons. Im using a trickle system and a PVC HOB overflow. Bio media is broken terra-cotta pots, plastic bioballs, and those little white air-stone things (dont know the name) and i will be adding some untreated dollar store sponges because im cheap.

My original plan was to use my canister filter to pump water back up into the tank. However ive found that mine cant do it without the help of gravity and if i lift the sump high enough the outlet from the overflow does not have room to go into the sump. Ugh, i hate the laws of physics.

So my question is this-

Should i use a powerhead to pump water into the canister and then the canister will pump it into the tank?
OR
Should i just go straight for a pump?

Only issue with a pump is that im basically broke... Dropping $100+ on an 750gph pump isnt really going to be a good money choice for me right now... So if a pump os really a good option does anyone have a good one for a decent price? Im looking for:

-price (cheap)
-300+ gph
-relatively quiet
-durable

Importance in order. I will have some spare change siring work this summer, so i can re-updrage then, im just looking for a half-decent fix for now.

Thanks!
 
Heres my vote, run the tank without a sump simply for the fact that a sump is not something you want to skimp on.

Leaks and malfunctions can and will lead to flooding and if you think a return pump is expensive, wait until your parents make you foot the bill for new carpets lol

I just "threw" a sump together over the weekend for my new 125 and even with a pump and 55 gallon tank already in my possession, I spent in the upwards of 90 bucks to make sure everything was air tight and good to go.
 
Last edited:
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Side note...what size tank is your main tank? and what canister filter do you currently have?
 
I'd go the pump route.

There are pumps way under $100 that will do what you need and more.

I'd give Ted at PondUSA a call. Great guy. Will tell you all you need to know to pick the right pump for your needs and budget. They deal with many (most?) brands.

Dealt with Ted many times before over 5 years. Absolutely solid, honest guy, knows his stuff and is on your side.

https://www.pondusa.com/

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Order Online 24/7 or Call: 1 (604) 637-7763 or toll free 1 (844) 489-6498
 
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Ok so answering some questions here...

Main tank is 75 gallons. Not huge, but i hate having equipment in there, especially because i have to protect everything from my RD... So its just bulky and An eyesore.mmainly i want the sump so i can put everything down there except a powerhead in the main tank, and its also nice to have an extra canister filter for anything else i need it for. The canister, BTW, is the biggest of the canisters made by Sun Sun... so it actually isnt very big/good and i am always under pressure to stay on as tight a water change schedule as possible, which is annoying to my parents because i tend to do it late at night so my sibling arent in the way... Ugh

The overflow doesnt need a pump to work, so the pump would be just for returning the water. First reply said something about that... Not sure if i understood properly. Search "DIY $10 overflow pvc aquarium" to find what it is, made by King of DIY on youtube.

Im willing to wait and build a new sump altogether from glass, but i have a size issue with that. The way the stand is set up, i can only fit a 10 gallon glass tank in through the cabinet doors. I used rubbermade so i could work a bigger container in there. I also have a hard time finding a way to set up baffles or anything because i cant cut glass around here. So anything i could use as baffling in a glass tank if i was to rebuild it and find a way to put it under that tank? Ideas on fitting it under appreciated too.

The Jebao DCT was the sump i was looking at before. It is a solid pump from what ive read, and its not a bad price. However, hitting 1000gph is a bit more than i need. Im not sure the 1.25 inch pipe can utilize the full capacity of the pump so i would prefer to save a bit of money if poosible. If there isnt a better second option i can wait a while before i drop the money and do it... But yeah.

Thanks, let me know :)
 
Looked on craigslist after last post... I found this-

Little Giant 581507 3-MDQX-SC

Its a little giant inline pump, used of course. Its only $20 which is like a tenth of its selling price? Not sure why he is selling it so cheaply, but im looking into seeing if it works or not. If so its a great deal for me. I mean, a 1100 gph pump by a good brand for $20? Hells yeah

Let me know if you think this could be an appropriate pump for my tank
 
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