Sump Tank Premanufactured vs DIY

[damelo_man@ymh]

Hi I’m looking to get a new filter for my 135 gallon tank and have never been good at DIY projects. My tank is really nice am using it for freshwater but want to do salt water in the future. I’ve been in the hobby for quite sometime and I guess there’s no turning back Now! I’m somewhat on a budget and could use a little more knowledge on sump building. I really want to get this started as my canister filter is leaking. I guess the first place to start would be what size tank would be ideal and maybe some diagrams of the setup. And some helpful links on sump building would really be appreciated. If there’s anything I’m missing let me know. I can also post some pics of what I’m working with at this moment. Please don’t be to harsh on my limited knowledge of the hobby and only constructive criticism.

Thanks

 

[Siddons11]

DIY is certainly the most cost effective way to do a sump but if you aren't comfortable building one I would suggest buying a used sump or wet dry. In my area you can usually find a good sized Eshopps wet dry for $100 or less. If you cant find one large or cheap enough, you can do a little DIY and place a smaller used wet dry inside a larger aquarium (40b, 55, 75, etc) like I have. This gives you the baffles and mechanical filtration trays with additional water volume.

 

[esoxlucius]

There's a million and one ways of rigging a sump up. You can spend a fortune on a space age all whistles and bells set up or you can slum it, do it for next to no cost and end up with a sump that's just as effective as the expensive one.

They all work on the same principal. Tank water is gravity fed down, it goes through some kind of mechanical media, then on to a dedicated bio section and onto your pump which sends your water back up to the display tank.

A 135g isn't a big set up so you sump doesn't exactly need to be huge. You could set up a plastic tote. First port of call could be a filter sock at the end of the sump where your water enters. Then a pile of lava rock in the middle or bagged up ceramic rings or bagged up pot scrubbies (weighed down to secure them). The choice of bio media is endless. Your pump will be at the other end to send your water back up.

That sounds really cheap and simple dosen't it? Extremely basic but very effective.

The one thing you always need to bear in mind with sumps is what will happen in the event of a power outage or pump failure. The running level of your sump needs to be such that it won't overflow if your pump goes off. This is whether you are using a glass sump or plastic tub or whatever.

If you ever get round to doing your saltwater set up you may need to change it round a bit but for freshwater the simple system i've mentioned above would work a treat and be kind to your pocket.

 

[duanes]

I do not put, or see any reason for comparments in sumps, or buy them prebuilt, I find them restrictive for getting my arms in for doing maintenance, and restrictive if I want to add some other component in the future such as a moving bed, heater, larger pump, or protein skimmer.
By putting biomedia in mesh bags in a spot with higher flow, they are easy to remove and rinse out.

and use filter socks for mechanical, again, easy to remove and rinse off

Compartments tend to create dead spots where detritus can build up where flow is restricted..
So my sumps are usually old scratched up tanks, not aesthetically pleasing to watch fish in, and that I often get for free, or next to nothing and almost randomly throw stuff need in wherever..

 

[damelo_man@ymh]

Thanks a bunch guys I was super overwhelmed. I now have a much better idea of what I’m looking at and how to approach it. My main concern now is getting back my returns through the overflow box. Maybe I should post a new thread for that? My tank has four holes for bulkheads inside of canals at each back corner. Seen some videos on, how overflows work. Going to have to look at some more.

I pretty much just took a crash course on sumps. Didn’t know how many different ways there are to go about it. Kind of makes me wonder about the people who are obsessed with the hobby. As far as believing. They’re so sure about what they are doin. Anyhow am trying to get a list of materials for my sump and check to see if I have the tools and then finally make a diagram of my plumbing. I’m looking for a tank in my area. Probably something aesthetically pleasing with lots of rooms and just a piece or two of acrylic panels with some silicone. Will see how it turns out. Also posted some pics. Most parts from the previous installation are trash since they had to be sawed off. Who knows maybe I can salvage something.

 

[kno4te]

In case you want to go really cheap. Here’s my sump for my 120g.

 

[TheWolfman]

As others have said you can go as complicated or simple as you want to make it. I personally prefer using baffles, as it forces the water to go through what I want it to. I like to setup simple mechanical filtration and use filter floss for quick and easy maintenance. I don’t normally use filter socks but I do have them on one setup and they are a pain to clean. I prefer glass baffles on glass Sumps. Cutting the glass isn’t as hard as you think and is part of the fun. It’s also a lot cheaper then plexi or acrylic. I just setup this 125 as a sump on my 450 and changing the floss is a snap. Look into bean animal and herbie drains. The pic you posted looks like the parts are salvageable. Salvageable.