Converting 55 gallon to sump, pics/advice please!

[jrobison]

I am about to convert a standard 55 gallon to a sump. I have seen some drawings that sho the return in the middle and the fuge on far end. Is this the best way to do it? I would love to see some pics, specs, and hear from any of you who have done it. Would you change anything? Thanks!

[ScootsComputes]

Hello I saw your post and could relate. I was in your position not too long ago. I had a 55 and wanted to make my sump. Didn't have a clue. I search out everything I could find making mine. Unfortunately I found very little in way of making a sump using a 55. Theres tons of everything out there you need to know making a sump. I just couldnt find a whole lot specific. So I read until I felt ready to make my own design. First I wanted to be able to control flow to my refuge. If all DT return is thru the refuge to the return sump, I couldnt come up with a practical way to be able do this. So I basically split my sump in half. My 20g refuge is on 1 end. that flows into a 10g water change tank which flows into the return sump. The other side I have a 6" square filter sock area. The water has to flow thru the sock then under glass 1" off the bottom. From there upflow thru another 6" area full of rubble rock. From there thru a bubble trap. I left out 1 of 3 dividers there which I regret. I couldn't locate any more 1/4" glass in my area. Make sure you use 1/4". Don't believe anything else. You need the xtra width... and Never try plexi on a glass aquarium. Anyway thru the bubble trap to the skimmer section which empties into the center pump return. My skimmer and return pump sections are interchangeable. I just didnt want to skim my pods away from the refuge.Right now my refuge feed is from my return pump. I just set it that way temp as I didnt have the display return line fittings avail. I will in the future plumb feed to the refuge from DT return. But I will keep existing feed as well to the refuge. The feed will be my choice to the refuge as well as flow thru. I intended to use as much water vol as possible. so My wall sizes were as high as possible. Refuge wall height 18", Water change tank wall height 17". My bubble trap glass 17" as well, which gives you 1" above or below to maintain 18" height max in the tank. My divider wall between skim/pump sections was 9" (dependable on your skimmer). Do it different the second time..... well I wouldn't leave out the third bubble trap wall. I do have bubbles entering pump compartment. the 9" divider between the two sections, water falls into pump section a distance depending on your evap level at that time. Last thing I'm a bit concerned with is the water change section. An area pods have to get thru before they hit the return pump. Its been up and running for about a month now. Very happy with outcome. I stocked my refuge with rubble and mud from GARF. Diversity is their term. The more different critters you have in your little reef world the more stable. The stuff I got from them was Full of everything. Got 4 balls of chaeto in there as well. I love playing w the whole setup. Ive had this tank since Nemo but was completely stupid of it up till a year ago. Hope this gives you some ideas... Have Fun!



https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o5MokzTlT2g/UEUwhu4b33I/AAAAAAAAAn0/-WkSAiUbBrY/s956/IMAG0693.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gxOAQ26PTw4/UEieTpG20tI/AAAAAAAAAsE/hXKFmpPJ9l4/s956/rfsump.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1rXjE5h1Poo/UEieTUPTEqI/AAAAAAAAAsM/DizE_aq2wrU/s165/lrsump.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2UU3MOxYJu4/UEieURHMphI/AAAAAAAAAsU/GTyknvWljyE/s956/rrsump.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RoFAITstSHk/UEigS_3mxYI/AAAAAAAAAss/c_a29NjHh1E/w318-h178-n-k/IMAG0722.jpg

[ScootsComputes]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RoFAITstSHk/UEigS_3mxYI/AAAAAAAAAss/c_a29NjHh1E/s956/IMAG0722.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1rXjE5h1Poo/UEieTUPTEqI/AAAAAAAAAsM/DizE_aq2wrU/s956/lrsump.jpg
heres these pics larger

[jrobison]

Hey thanks a lot. I will go over all Of this when I get off and will prob have a lot of questions. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[htreef]

great job

[jrobison]

A couple of quick questions. So the water overflows the fuge into the water change area and then overflows that to the return pump? What is the purpose/how do you use the water change section? Most of the designs I have seen only have 3 sections (filter/skimmer, return pump, and fuge). Yours has that extra one. Thanks

[ScootsComputes]

Hello, I wanted to be able to do a 10g waterchange without shutting down my pump/sump. I just stop flow to the fuge then drain the change section n fill it up with fresh. It spooks my fish when pump is turned off and DT drains down. Then again when I start the pump back up spooks them again. If I shut down the pump and skimmer I can swap out an extra 10g for a total of 20g. Plus I like having the xtra tank if I need it. Like right now. I just bought a fridmani from petco. (they first said it was a strawberry then a neon. I tried to say what it was but they would have none of that. At that point I wasn't going to argue, just buy the fish. 21 Bucks LOL) Shes a sweetie BUT my Damsel is raising hell w it. Glubber my blue fin Damsel just might find hisself in there....

[jolliebrowngiant]

Very inspired Scoots...thank you for the pictures...I learn more that way.

[jrobison]

That's a good idea. Thanks for the help. I'm gonna start mine soon so I may be contacting u

[ScootsComputes]

Yep yep yep that damsel is IN the sump. took me all of 5 minutes w a homeaide bottle trap. Back to the LFS tomorrow. Now maybe my Fridmani will come outta the rock... YES

[eagle9252]

here is what i had planned until i decided to go to a 75g sump. the PS is a RO NWB150

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/other/55sumpwronwb150.jpg

[nwnugget]

In the pictorial from eagle9252 it has been suggested to me to swap the return and the fuge sections. Using a T fitting and a valve run a line to the fuge with restricted flow so most of the water goes into the display tank. That way you still have rapid recirculation trough the filter system yet the critters in the fuge have a gentler area to thrive in.

Thoughts?

[nemosworld]

In the pictorial from eagle9252 it has been suggested to me to swap the return and the fuge sections. Using a T fitting and a valve run a line to the fuge with restricted flow so most of the water goes into the display tank. That way you still have rapid recirculation trough the filter system yet the critters in the fuge have a gentler area to thrive in.

Thoughts?

yep, that's the way i do all of my sumps, it also helps those with pumps rated for higher than what they need, by diverting some of the return somewhere else or using it to feed the fuge and a few reactors, you get better control over your pump without putting stress on it, also you reduce the amount of pumps used on your system which also reduces heat transfer.

[eagle9252]

Just remember its what ever you want
In the 75 i am doing. Now i have put the fuge on the end with a spray bar
Can post pocs when i get home

[nwnugget]

Just remember its what ever you want
In the 75 i am doing. Now i have put the fuge on the end with a spray bar
Can post pocs when i get home

That would be great. I am going to be using a 29 gallon tank to build a sump for a 55 gallon display tank. Trying to cherry-pick some of the best keep-it-super-simple design elements.

[eagle9252]

i tent to over think and or draw things out before i actually do it.

this is my current 55. i have a tee and it drops back in the sump on the drain side. sometimes i flood the sump and let it mix and then drain or i can drain it and then let the new water mix before sending it to the dt. and while the sump is off line and mixing i feed the tank real good.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/other/2012-09-14_12-06-48_657.jpg

my 75 sump. i dont have the spray bar in there yet. and i dont have room but out on one side for the return pump as i'm going from internal to extrenal

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/new%20build/2012-09-21_20-52-42_389_zpsa3c1c462.jpg

first sump i built but never used. it had a chamber for the drain and the the baffles pulled water from the middle.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/0916010919.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/sump.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/0916010920.jpg

this is where i changed it to fit the persons needs that bought it from me.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/IMG_6150.jpg


my sump i used on my 75g dt

water level was too high and i did it before getting a good skimmer. it never flooded but was too high over all

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/1002011732.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/sump2.gif

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/propane4x4/fish%20tank%20build/DSC01710.jpg