Advise on upgrading my sump without taking it apart

[Mattdren15]

I bought my tank from a guy who made this sump. It's a 30 gallon tank that he put just on baffle in it. So the intake just overflows into the return. No bubble trap and no divider from the protein skimmer and the return. The intake has some live rock in it and filter sock but the return chamber has my protein skimmer and return in the same spot. I want to fix this as much as I can. The problem is I would have to take apart the entire tank to get the sump out and that can't happen. Any advise on how to make this sump better?

[Joel_155]

Youre going to have to take everything apart to do it.

[Mattdren15]

Cold chance in hell I'm taking my entire system down to put a bubble trap in my sump.

[Mattdren15]

I think what I can do is this. Set my overflow into the return chamber. Drain the intake chamber where I can glue a peice of acrylic to it. The tank can still run in theory. Then whenever it is dried I can pour the water back in. Sounds decent.. but would that be a good way of doing it?

[Mattdren15]

And I think I could do the same thing to divide my skimmer and return.

[ganjero]

Why do you need to take apart the entire tank? if it has to do with the stand, cut a hole on a side panel and take out the sump and fix it. Use a temporary bucket or container as sump while you fix it, or nothing at all just put a heater in the display. You can make a side door where you cut the hole, it is very useful in my experience; or replace the cut panel and use decorative molding to hide the cuts.

Check out Melevs website, he pictures and instruction to do something similar.

[freeswimmingfis]

Cold chance in hell I'm taking my entire system down to put a bubble trap in my sump.

Dont think you will get much help this way?
Maybe you should have planned and researched better before buying.