PDA

View Full Version : DIY 10g Sump (Pics for Proof!)


Patricklong
07/19/2012, 10:48 AM
This is my first attempt at building a sump and after 20+ revisions on my design, I finalized one and started the build.

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/74f159dd.jpg
(Baffles are 9 15/16" wide....felt like the perfect spacing for the 10" even width of INSIDE dimension. 3 of the baffles are 8" high and one is 7.5" high)

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/5160c380.jpg
(I measured all my dimensions, and then MEASURED ALL MY DIMENSIONS again. Use a square...you will be happy you did)

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/b7f35757.jpg
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/7a9ba805.jpg
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/5af6b034.jpg
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/3afa68c9.jpg
(Installing the baffles with silicone was honestly the easiest part of the build. Used a square and 1" spacers. Everything went together beautifully)

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/e977f2b8.jpg
(FTS of the completed baffles. Really impressed myself with how clean I managed to keep everything. Not nearly as hard as I thought it would be)

Hope this helps at least 1 person. Because everyone here has helped me a bunch!

Yellow Rocket
07/19/2012, 07:48 PM
Looks good. I plan on doing my 10g sump soon. Right now its set up with no baffles.

Patricklong
07/20/2012, 12:21 AM
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/8b11b752.jpg
(Decided to paint the back black for minimal light leakage out the back of the cabinet. I used a makeshift pallet with cardboard and foil, then cut down a huge paintbrush to have more brush control)

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/bbe76cda.jpg
(Second coat applied, then played the waiting game)

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/f9e06783.jpg
(Final result actually looks very nice to me. Even if it IS going to be hidden in a cabinet, I still like to have a little class :D LOL)

the_new_guy
07/20/2012, 09:20 AM
Looks great! The silicone looks much better than many I have seen. I've done freshwater tanks for years and I'm just now starting the process of designing a reef tank using a 30g tank with an old 10g for a sump. Out of curiousity, what will you be running in this sump?

Patricklong
07/20/2012, 10:02 AM
Thanks man, I am pretty impressed with the final result. LOL! Tunze 9002 in small chamber, refugium in middle, heater and return in last chamber.

thebanker
07/24/2012, 08:57 AM
Looks killer so far, the sump is very nicely put together.

When you position your return line from the sump, make sure it is near the water's edge in the display tank, or that you add a siphon break hole near the water's edge. Reason being, your baffles are very high in the sump. If and when you have a power outage, you don't have a lot of extra room for water draining from the display tank.

Just my suggestion. But the build looks great so far.

Stopsignhank
07/24/2012, 09:26 AM
Looks great. I have a 10 gallon sump on my 20 gallon DT. Right now it does not have any baffles but looking at your build makes me think I should add some.

Thanks!

Patricklong
07/24/2012, 10:20 AM
When you position your return line from the sump, make sure it is near the water's edge in the display tank, or that you add a siphon break hole near the water's edge.

Thanks man! Not quite sure I am following you though. Waters edge?? :confused::confused: LOL!!

Looks great. I have a 10 gallon sump on my 20 gallon DT. Right now it does not have any baffles but looking at your build makes me think I should add some.

Thanks!

Hey thanks! It is actually a very easy process. A local glass shop cut the glass for me, I have them 9 and 15/16ths wide....make for a beautifully snug fit.

thebanker
07/24/2012, 12:03 PM
When you lose power to your tank, the water in the display will drain into the sump through the return line (the line coming up from your return pump). How much water drains from the tank will depend on how deep the nozzle of your return line is. If you have your return nozzle halfway down a 20g tank, then logically, 10 gallons will drain into the sump. That would be a problem. If you have your return line nozzle positioned at the surface of the water (the water's edge, I'm weird and I say things oddly lol), then only a quart or two will drain into the sump, and you won't end up with seawater all over your floor. :thumbsup:

hackney
07/24/2012, 03:46 PM
my 10 gallon sump has been getting the job done for over a year now! my water level stays at 9" and when the return pump turns off i still have another 2" before the sump would overflow. Cool design.

Patricklong
07/24/2012, 11:50 PM
Ahhh the waters edge VERTICALLY. LOL I get ya, my mind just wasnt wrapping around the phrasing for some reason. Yes, I plan on doing a small overflow box

http://www.ebay.com/itm/700-GPH-NANO-AQUARIUM-OVERFLOW-BOX-SURFACE-SKIMMER-/290679590736?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43adda8f50

I am going to try and make it as high as possible. I have estimated about 2-3 gallons that I could have drained back into the sump if power loss.

Thoughts on 1" drain and 3/4" return, or 3/4" drain and 3/4" return. I am going to have a ball valve on both return and drain for emergencies.

Decadence
07/25/2012, 12:10 AM
What type of silicone is that? I just recently had to redo some fresh silicone on my sump because I used GE II instead of GE I. The problem is that even though a lot of them say 100% silicone, they actually have trace amounts of anti-mold agents. These agents will wipe out your entire tank. I narrowly avoided losing 25+ colonies of SPS alone. You tube looks like DAP and I was under the impression that DAP had no safe silicone of aquarium use. Please double check this before you fill it.

Wasted time:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/396157_10151926171950595_385384284_n.jpg

Redone:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/555850_10151935569780595_1145467928_n.jpg

Patricklong
07/25/2012, 12:53 AM
I actually was just looking at your sump the other day. LOL

Yes I used DAP. It was in a package that said "Aquarium Safe" so I dont see why it wouldnt be.

Lower right corner you can see it here. (sorry had to unroll it a tad)
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/e119b445.jpg

Appreciate you looking out though, for reals.

Decadence
07/25/2012, 08:53 AM
Oh great, carry on then! :-D

thebanker
07/25/2012, 09:27 AM
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/555850_10151935569780595_1145467928_n.jpg

what is up with the bulkhead going into the sandbed? Curious as to what is going on there.

Patricklong
07/25/2012, 10:26 AM
Mikey, hes got a thread on it here.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2190693

Pretty nifty setup IMO

TLOKO
07/25/2012, 12:34 PM
I'm thinking about building a 10 gal sump for my 26 gal bowfront soon.

Looks like you won't be using sand in your sump? Why did you choose to run your bubble trap the way you did, and not with the center center higher? Are you running a filter sock, or are you not worried about bubbles in the fuge area?

Patricklong
07/25/2012, 07:18 PM
No sand, live rock and chaeto only. Maybe a suspended mangrove if I have room for a better light under the cabinet. We shall see. Kinda like in this thread that Dennis started.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2194733

To be honest about the bubble trap, I just had based it off a design from a popular sump thread and went with it. I didnt notice that others prefer it Over/under/over. Both methods make sense to me, but I am no expert. There is literally a million ways to build a sump....there is no "right" way IMO.

If you choose a similar design, and DO go with over under over, let me know how it works, I would be interested. Not hard to take out the baffles and redo.

Patricklong
10/03/2012, 10:33 PM
Completed sump with Tunze 9002 installed on custom DIY skimmer stand. And as stated above I did end up reversing the bubble trap baffles. :doh:

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/Build/IMG_7157_zps2689f5d0.jpg

jacob.morgan78
10/04/2012, 10:47 AM
Looks good! Can you share what dimensions each chamber are along with the height of your baffles???

Thanks!!

Patricklong
10/10/2012, 10:26 PM
Baffles are 8" and 7.5"

Drain chamber is 3.5"x10 fuge is 5"x10" and return chamber is 8.5"x10"

Im also using this to feed a little bit of water back into the fuge section.

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg538/patricklong1/Build/IMG_7175_zps67c3bf86.jpg