Is drilling the sump required?

[norgemorir]

Hi, i have a 28G rubbermaid sump currently that is drilled with a bulkhead to my ext panworld 150ps.

I now have a 55G glass aquarium to replace it which will make for a better setup for the fuge, etc.

I have a fish room in the basement so space is not an issue.

What are the other reasons behind drilling the sump? Can't i just set the return pump at the height of the sump top and run a PVC line in for the feed?

Once it's in place I don't want to regret not drilling it so any advice is appreciated.

[Klaus777]

The issue with that is you will need to prime the pump after every time you shut it off or the power goes out. I would guess that would be a PITA. A drilled sump would self prime the pump each time. On the other hand you could change to a submersible pump to avoid having to drill altogether.

[norgemorir]

Ah yea, good point. Forgot about that. Thanks

[cdbias2]

Some pumps prime themselves and you can also buy a resevior chamber for some pumps they use that water to prime themselves.

[xJake]

Just plumb your external pump like this

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh277/jgraving/ReefCentral/overwallpumpplumbing.jpg

To prime the pump just unscrew the union and pour in water to fill the plumbing as much as possible (make sure there is a way for air to escape at end of the return plumbing). Then screw the union back together, submerge the pump intake, and then turn on the pump. It will then create a vacuum and remove any air from the plumbing. The blue shows where the water stays when the pump loses power. With this design, if the power goes out, then there is no need to worry about the pump losing its prime. Enough water will stay in the plumbing to allow the pump to immediately re-prime itself on startup.

Here's the plumbing on the skimmer-feed pump for the Toledo Zoo's "Living Reef" display.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh277/jgraving/ReefCentral/102_1073.jpg

It gets unplugged every time the skimmer needs cleaning, and it's starts right back up every time.

[horsefarm5]

I have a 75 gal sump in the basement and a 9000 quiet one
internal and its been great

[norgemorir]

Great info xJake, thanks for the detail. I want to stay external to avoid the extra heat and the panworld has been great so far. I can afford the extra 1ft loss with the toledo zoo setup and already have the unions with my current config so that would save me time and money.

If priming is the only negative, sounds like a great work around.

thanks again

[Toddrtrex]

2 out of 3 of my sumps are that way --- over the top method --- the only time I have to prime then is when I move the tank/sump.

[norgemorir]

Any regrets with that setup Todd?

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14377925#post14377925 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by norgemorir
Any regrets with that setup Todd?

Not really. Sure drilling would have been easier, but I am happy with the set up. Its not that often I move, so I really don't have to prime often. And once in a while when I clean the pump, I may have to prime it. The oldest one was set up 6+ years ago, and still works great.

The only minor issue is that the plumbing doesn't look as neat and clean, but my sumps aren't shown often.

[xJake]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14375455#post14375455 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by norgemorir
Great info xJake, thanks for the detail. I want to stay external to avoid the extra heat and the panworld has been great so far. I can afford the extra 1ft loss with the toledo zoo setup and already have the unions with my current config so that would save me time and money.

If priming is the only negative, sounds like a great work around.

thanks again

No problem! Let us know how it works out for you.