Dual sump setup? To do or not to do

[rhwimmers]

I have a 120 DT with a 55gallon sump below it. Works ok but really limited on space. I have the ability to make a "fish room" in part of our HVAC room so I thought putting a larger sump in the basement so I have room for a reactor and a better setup for my skimmer etc. Also would like a bigger fuge and nice area to grow frags..
Anyway, my question is if I should keep the 55 running and then drain that one to the basement tank. Would provide more water volume and really I could use that as a huge fuge or something - maybe even a spot to temporarily hold fish (banggai just got pregnant!) or acclimate corals..
My worry is the obvious - flooding and more points of failure!

[d2mini]

My advice is K.I.S.S. :D
Do it all in the basement. I kinda have a dual sump set up. I use the upper one as a "fuge" for mangroves in a sand bed and also a frag tank. I feed it off the return from my manifold and it drains back into the main sump, which the tank drains into.

What you might want to do with that 55, which i may do as well since I also have an empty stand, is use it as a quarantine or hospital tank.

Here's my fish room setup if you havent seen it.
I need to update pics but is mostly still the same.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8021/7671843414_c052894621_o.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8174172154_b27c2b2a86_o.jpg

[ptreef]

If your going to go thru the work to go to the basement....JUST go one. stock tanks shown above are great wats to do it!

[rhwimmers]

Wow - nice setup! I hadn't thought of using rubbermaids - although I am really limited for space.. Is it ever a pain that you cant see in the tank from side view, you can only see from the top? Not sure why I feel like that would be an issue!?
Yeah a q-tank is a good idea - the tank is literally stuck in the stand so might as well use it for something, AND if a fish jumps out (fully enclosed hood) they will fall through the wall and then bounce off a plastic diversion tray and then land in the tank below (6 line showed me how this was done just the other day!)

[Fizz71]

+1 on basement sump setups. What I have is a much messier version of what d2mini has going on. 100g rubbermaid tub, 55g barrels...the only thing under my tank is buckets of stuff I work with (grabbers, turkey baster, drip tubing, towels, etc.), two pipes through the floor and 4 folding chairs. :)

[Breadman03]

Wow - nice setup! I hadn't thought of using rubbermaids - although I am really limited for space.. Is it ever a pain that you cant see in the tank from side view, you can only see from the top? Not sure why I feel like that would be an issue!?
Yeah a q-tank is a good idea - the tank is literally stuck in the stand so might as well use it for something, AND if a fish jumps out (fully enclosed hood) they will fall through the wall and then bounce off a plastic diversion tray and then land in the tank below (6 line showed me how this was done just the other day!)

I can't help but picture that as Anime. :lmao:

[h2hiero]

If you had room to do it in a basement and set it up anything like d2mini's you should do it. It looks impressive.

[d2mini]

Wow - nice setup! I hadn't thought of using rubbermaids - although I am really limited for space.. Is it ever a pain that you cant see in the tank from side view, you can only see from the top? Not sure why I feel like that would be an issue!?
Yeah a q-tank is a good idea - the tank is literally stuck in the stand so might as well use it for something, AND if a fish jumps out (fully enclosed hood) they will fall through the wall and then bounce off a plastic diversion tray and then land in the tank below (6 line showed me how this was done just the other day!)

Wow, well if your day job doesn't work out, you could always join the circus and train the animals. :lol:

No issues with the sumps. I actually love the level they sit at. I can just walk up and peer over the edge. Big one is waist high and the other is chest high. It's soooo much nicer to work with vs under the stand. Haven't felt a need to want to look through the side yet.

[rhwimmers]

Do you have any more pics or diagrams on what everything does or where it all leads to? Really like this idea and think I will try to do something similar.

[rhwimmers]

Also is that top one the rubbermaid 4243 50 gallon model? Why did you go with 2 of them vs the one large?

[zakstrong]

DO IT. back in high school i had a 210 on the first floor with a 40 breeder as a sump. i felt limited so asked my dad if i could drill through the floor into the basement. i used the bulkhead for the original return pump as a drain from the sump to the basement and connected the return line to a pump in the basement. I bought a larger pump and had it feed the DT upstairs, as well as two additional 40 breeder frag tanks.

it was awesome. i could do all maintenance and dosing from the basement. no more water spills on the hardwood.