PDA

View Full Version : Basement sump info


balz3352
08/13/2015, 09:15 PM
Hey they're. I'm in the planning stages of a basement sump/fish room. I want to cuddle some of the dos and donts to this that people have experienced.

What would you do again?
What would you design differently?
What would you NOT do?
What do you wish you had done?

Of course pics welcome...Well not welcome but encouraged!!

Bent
08/13/2015, 09:42 PM
Hey they're. I'm in the planning stages of a basement sump/fish room. I want to cuddle some of the dos and donts to this that people have experienced.

What would you do again?
i would put a sump in the basement, and I would do a remote fuge again, so far it's working swimmingly
What would you design differently?
I would have hard plumbed everything from the get go instead of using vinyl at first.
I would have sized the return lines better. 1.5x the pump output size.
I would have used a gate valve at the sump instead of trying to dial everything in tank side.
I would have plumbed the bean animal a touch differently. I would have not put the clean out Tee on the siphon channel, I would have drilled the holes at different heights.
I would have baffled the stock tank.
I would have made a manifold from the start
I would have set up an AWC
I would have cut the wall and pushed the tank against it instead of leaving it set out.
I would have got a much bigger return pump. The numbers said the one I got was fine. I could have doubled it and been happier.


What would you NOT do?

What do you wish you had done?

Of course pics welcome...Well not welcome but encouraged!!

Bent
08/13/2015, 09:47 PM
Pics:
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/54A2B87B-A17C-46D7-8312-9BEBE4F17BAF.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/FFF3FE77-9F41-413A-B956-47EC743969D9.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/A3ECAD3A-E129-4280-8898-FF091106473D.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/Mobile%20Uploads/19BC6BA9-42DF-4C22-AC93-F145F90545C0.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/Mobile%20Uploads/D09F1929-9F03-4A7F-A066-6C50DB19100A.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/Mobile%20Uploads/989A12A2-2B96-4009-BD39-2B8434FA5B65.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/Mobile%20Uploads/E252BFF5-06AF-4F2E-93AB-A27E36A81FC9.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/A1226801-6138-46D0-92BB-C4AA9CB90272.jpg

Bent
08/13/2015, 09:50 PM
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z433/Tackett1980/Mobile%20Uploads/145DDEFD-CED4-4E22-852D-802402D5C733.jpg

Harry_Y
08/14/2015, 12:57 AM
Yes I would do it again.
I uses Spaflex throughout, and would do it again the same.
I uses a stock tank as the sump, and would do the same again.

Put it in a place that if you had an issue it wound not have water leak into it.
(Mine sump is under my kitchen).


I put in two separate deep sinks, One that is fish only,
the other is for household (mop water etc).

I plumed a pipe they lets me uses a pump (maxijet) in the
sump to drain water to a pre-set level for water changes

My best advice is to think it through thoroughly before you build it.

slapshot
08/14/2015, 01:31 AM
I wouldn't do it any other way! Here is mine:

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t74/TSCWB/keys10118.jpg (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/TSCWB/media/keys10118.jpg.html)

The best thing about it is you can keep adding to it. Since mine is 15 years old now I have made all the changes I wanted. Make sure you have enough sump room to catch all the water during a power outage.

Bent
08/14/2015, 08:48 AM
Yes I would do it again.
I uses Spaflex throughout, and would do it again the same.
I uses a stock tank as the sump, and would do the same again.

Put it in a place that if you had an issue it wound not have water leak into it.
(Mine sump is under my kitchen).


I put in two separate deep sinks, One that is fish only,
the other is for household (mop water etc).

I plumed a pipe they lets me uses a pump (maxijet) in the
sump to drain water to a pre-set level for water changes

My best advice is to think it through thoroughly before you build it.

I would do 3 mop sinks.

One for fish
One for house
One to pee in.

mahenderinde
08/23/2015, 01:05 AM
I put my sump in the basement. Best idea ever. No loud equipment in the tank. Put a wash sink next to the sump with my rodi and salt tanks. I can work on it standing up. Cleaning is easy and I put all the electrical above the tank where it won't get wet. 3 things to consider, you need a bigger pump, piping may need some thought to slow it down and make it quiet, and basements are cool so you may need more heater wattage. Best thing is I can spill and not freak out. And you usually have room to grow.

Harry_Y
08/23/2015, 07:13 AM
I built all mine up on stands so I do not need to bend over much to work on them.
(good for when your back is sore)

balz3352
09/06/2015, 04:04 PM
Do you guys have special ventilation for your sump rooms?

Bent
09/06/2015, 05:37 PM
No. Mines in one of my garage bays that I annexed and turned into a man cave. The door is open almost every night during the summer while I kick back and smoke a stogie.

Bent
09/06/2015, 05:38 PM
I built all mine up on stands so I do not need to bend over much to work on them.
(good for when your back is sore)

This is absolutely what I'm going to be doing my next build.

slapshot
09/06/2015, 09:36 PM
Do you guys have special ventilation for your sump rooms?

Yes, it's sort of complicated because the furnace is in the same room so in the summer I need to heat the water in the winter I need to cool it. Air conditioning drops the room to 60 in summer opposite in winter. So I have a fan hooked up to apex and vent pie that runs outside to the enclosed drip plate then back outside. So it heats water in summer and cools it in the winter. Also carries away a lot of moisture. Other than that I have a huge dehumidifier.

balz3352
09/06/2015, 09:41 PM
I guess I should also ask how big people's systems are...

snorvich
09/07/2015, 08:12 AM
I have two: 240 gallons and 350 gallons (display tanks).

My suggestions:

+ Think how to maximize the ease of water changes
+ Be aware that the return pumps must accommodate head pressure
+ Get the best equipment you can afford as it will be cheaper in the long run
+ Get the largest sump you can for the space available
+ I have a 40 gallon refugium on each tank in the basement
+ think through your electrical requirements carefully and do not overload
+ keep your sumps clean

There are many, many advantages of basement sumps:

+ quiet
+ ease of maintenance
+ keep significant other happier (no mess in living area)

ca1ore
09/07/2015, 08:35 AM
If you have the ability to do a basement sump, it's the way to go. So many advantages, and really the only one disadvantage of having to employ a slightly bigger return pump,to handle the additional head pressure.

I have had multiple incarnations of a basement sump over many builds and few different houses. Each one has improved upon its predecessor to the point that in my current setup I actually have yet to find anything that I wish I had done differently.

I use spa flex for all drains (long drop in a basement sump means less likelihood of air lock problems) and vinyl hose for my return. Sump is a repurposed aquarium with customized baffles. Sump is elevated off the floor; mainly so I can both top and bottom light my chaeto and easily drain my settling chamber. Slop sink is essential equipment (only one needed since I typically pee in the toilet - but that's just me). Easy to run a few dedicated outlets to where you need them.

FishNFun
09/07/2015, 08:52 AM
Plan your basement set up with gravity in mind - gravity is your friend. With my basement sump I had it set up so the fuge would overflow in to the frag tank and then into the sump. I tee-d off the return line to feed the fuge. Also, to more precisely control flow use gate valves instead of ball valve (pay a little more and get good ones). Do some reading on manifolds (if you plan to use one) to understand how they can impact head pressure if you plan on using a single return pump.

Draw everything out to scale and plan for how to access things for maintenance. Use true union connectors and valves to make it easy to swap out pumps and even tanks. It's also a good idea to be able to isolate the basement set up from the display. I had an outbreak of flatworms in my basement fuge due to some chaeto I received from someone. I was able to isolate the display from the basement set up using gate vales and treat just the fuge (never did find flatworms in the display - go figure).

Lastly, minimize the use of 90 degree connections as much as possible by using spa flex. Oversize the return pipe to reduce head pressure and reduce the diameter close to the display. Lastly, make sure your sump has plenty of room to handle the extra water volume with the pump off. The pipes have more water in them than you think so test it and plan accordingly. Good luck!

Drummond
09/07/2015, 09:25 AM
Are you guys drilling through the floor or the top plate of the wall?

5pacey
09/07/2015, 09:45 AM
Question for those who have multiple displays w/basement sump/filtration.

How do you do individual returns to those displays?

1. One Sump, one giant return pump w/manifold /split to all displays?
2. One Sump, multiple return pumps, one per display from the same return chamber?
3. Multiple sumps (one per display) disconnected, w/one return pump per display (naturally)?
4. Multiple sumps (one per display) connected, w/one return pump per display?
5. Other?

I've been building this out... and started w/one display (still in progress), then another display (also in progress) ;) ... and now I am thinking about possibly a 3rd, or it will replace one of the original 2 but in a different spot. Bottom line, I will end up w/multiple displays and wonder whats the best strategy for return(s)... especially if w/Herbie drains it can get tricky to balance things out on a single display. Multiple - it scares me, whether one or multiple return pumps.

@ Drummond

I went into the wall and then down through the wall. Tank(s) stand against walls anyway so no reason to destroy hardwood. That said my basement is unfinished at this point so it was easier to do it this way than w/a finished basement.

Space :)

ca1ore
09/07/2015, 09:51 AM
When I've run multiple displays off a common sump, I always used and prefer dedicated pumps. Single sump is fine as long as it can accommodate all the run off.

danrobberg
09/07/2015, 12:40 PM
I plan on going into the wall then through the top plate 2x4 and the subfloor. Gonna be a pita but I do t want to go right through my floor because I don't want to put any holes in my brand new carpet in the room where the fish tank will be.

vette.tech
09/07/2015, 03:38 PM
For me the only downside is that my other hobby, shooting and reloading, and in fact anything else metal in my basement has rust on it. I would make a room dedicated to it. Also gate valves at the dump would've been nice too and I suppose I could add that though I haven't yet so it must not be that big of a deal.

I also would make it so you can clean the piping, not sure if anyone else has done this but after two years I'm starting to wonder what's going on in there

odj22sailor
10/01/2015, 11:10 AM
Quick question regarding many comments about "should have used or a larger sump pump from the basement to the display tank." What are poeple using and that corrected the problem and also what where you using ?
The biggest question is Head Pressure or Lift distance?

Thanks in Advance
Newbie....lol Dave

slapshot
10/03/2015, 10:25 PM
Currently I'm using a wave line dc12000. It replaced an iwaki md70. Both work great!

dpulve
10/04/2015, 06:41 AM
I'm moving into my final house soon and this is going to be my dream setup. I have a 140 (6'x24"x22") thinking about selling and going bigger :inlove: and I want to go into the basement also. If I keep my current tank it has the middle overflow with the classic one drain one return. I will turn this into the herbie but everything I've read on the herbie/bean setups seems to support the idea that you cant really have any horizontal runs to the basement sump room? Its better to drop straight down. I've been looking at tons of Google images of sump rooms though and it appears most have long horizontal runs?

Do horizontal runs limit the effectiveness of a herbie overflow setup?

scubadan206
10/07/2015, 10:43 PM
I just finished the first part of my stand for my basement sump upgrade. Tank will hold around 350 gallons. Will be an all in one style with refugium, frag, and cryptic live rock area. Jumbo BRS reactor and new larger protein skimmer already waiting. Apex DOS waiting. 4 spare Radion's waiting.
Sump will serve 120 gallon DT currently, and will some day serve as many tanks as I can get away with in the house.
Will someday serve my dream tank of around 1500 gallons. [That will need a new house.]

Who on this thread has flow through containers for added water volume?
Big, I mean like 90-200 gallons big.
What's the best advice having to do with these? Insulated? Good idea? Bad idea?
Daniel. :strange:

odj22sailor
10/07/2015, 11:29 PM
You know something you just me what i think might be a great idea! My thought is to have a 55 gal Brute trash can receive my supply line from the DT and have that overflow to the Refrigium, I think I can fit a lot of rock in the trash can, and gain another 30-40 gal of water volume.

Dave
Newbie still!

scubadan206
10/07/2015, 11:36 PM
Doesn't have to be rock. Can be anything with surface are for stuff to live on. Benthic critters filter the water for you and some sponges actually convert nutrients into things better for your corals to eat.
Could be as easy as a ton of egg crate tied together.
Just make sure their is not too much settling of detritus to break down and cause problems in the future.

tom obrecht
10/08/2015, 05:14 AM
If you go to my TOTM article from 2006 I have pictures of my basement sump. It worked well in my case. Yes I would do it again and with more powerful energy efficient pumps now available it makes good sense if it works in the situation. Make sure you give yourself ample room to work on things and set things up for easy water changes (water containers/mixing units. If starting from scratch plenty of outlets are a must! A utility sink will make you experience much better.

BrettH
10/08/2015, 05:36 AM
In addition to everyone else's great comments, I would also add...

1. Maybe run a cat 6 line from your tank to your sump room for purposes of your controller. For example, I have a door bell button that acts as switch via my APEX that I use to turn off my main pump. Yes I can do it via my iPhone and the web, but it's nice to be able to do it the old fashion way. I also have a float switch over my display tank that is used to turn off my main pump if the tank starts to overflow.

2. Since I am using an APEX, I also ran a 50ft USB cable from the tank to my sump room. I think if you use a different controller like Profilux, it accepts cat6 connections, one drawback about the APEX, must use their proprietary USB cable.

I only run one pump to rule them all, Dolphin Amp Master 6200 with about 14ft of head pressure that also feeds two additional tanks in the basement, a manifold which feeds a pair of vertex filters and my chiller; I still get around 1200 gal/hr to my display with all that attached.

Definitely plan an easy way to do water changes. You can't see my two holding tanks because one is in the closet and the other is under the work stand.

http://www.brettdhowell.com/photos/i-5LVKqgB/0/L/i-5LVKqgB-L.jpg

http://www.brettdhowell.com/photos/i-c7Dp3Tg/0/L/i-c7Dp3Tg-L.jpg

gwlaws
10/08/2015, 05:17 PM
I would absolutely do a basement sump again.

I would do differently...
Add an auto-shut off to the fresh RODI water vat (Yes, stupid had a flood)

Add a frag tank to the system (Or allow enough room off to the side to allow for expansion into the same system. For me, I had a door in the way and gravity only works one way).

Add an exhaust fan to the outside controlled by apex (I have a couple of cooling/evaporation fans over the sump and I think that contributed to some tools like a table saw in the same room getting corroded or rusted).

Someone asked about Herbie overflow and horizontal pipe.. I have about 15 feet of horizontal pipe and that is not a problem. When I turn the main pump back on it does take two or three minutes to clear the air bubbles out of the two returns which to me is no big deal. But I leave my main pump always on.

Breadman03
10/08/2015, 06:32 PM
I'm in the midst of building a 150 Deep Dimension. I pulled the corner flow and am plugging one of the drains. The other will be permanently turned off with a ball valve, which can be used to dump the tank down my emergency drain in case of a tank failure.

In place of the stock overflow, I'm putting in a coast to coast with BeanAnimal drain system. The drains are going to be absolutely vertical, unless I measure wrong and have to go around a floor joist. The floor joists are being supported by floor jacks just for peace of mind.

I have a Blueline 70 for a return pump, but am possibly ordering a RE Red Dragon 230. I know the pump costs a lot, but I expect it will save me about 200 watts on my return pump, plus allow me to eliminate several reactor pumps with a total reduction of around 300-400 watts. That adds up to a lot of cash annually.

Due to it being in a basement, I'm cutting foam board insulation to fit the sump and getting pipe insulation to minimize winter heat loss, but expect there to be a notable decrease in running the air conditioner down there during the summer.

Run extra, dedicated electric circuits so that if one device fails, you aren't out all of your life support. Put half your heating and half your circulation on one circuit with the rest on another.

Consider the height of your sump stand. Do you want it low so that you could readily install frag tanks with a common sump? Do you want to run it higher to ease working in it?

I'm making mine so that the top of the sump is about the height of a workbench. I think that will be a good compromise between expansion capacity, viewing, and working in it.

scubadan206
10/08/2015, 07:27 PM
I think there is some merit to running a higher wattage pump for a return. For example, I will have 800 watts of heater in my sump. That may be enough, but if my pump was adding heat to the system[unlike my DC] that device would be doing a bit of double duty. Overall it might be a wash but every little thing adds up. Same with MH fixtures if it comes down to it...

Breadman03
10/08/2015, 07:32 PM
I think there is some merit to running a higher wattage pump for a return. For example, I will have 800 watts of heater in my sump. That may be enough, but if my pump was adding heat to the system[unlike my DC] that device would be doing a bit of double duty. Overall it might be a wash but every little thing adds up. Same with MH fixtures if it comes down to it...


I agree. The choice of where to spend the watts depends upon the application. I'm just choosing to reduce my summer demand, largely due to using window and portable A/C units, in exchange for needing more heat in the winter, all while using insulation to minimize my need for heaters.

scubadan206
10/08/2015, 07:40 PM
My current dilemma is that my bed is in the basement. [Cool, dry, quiet. Recently changed from third shift].
I am not particularly fond of warm humid conditions to sleep in..:facepalm:

odj22sailor
10/08/2015, 11:53 PM
The pics are so helpful....I have a fair amount of room, i feel lucky!!!
But i do have a question why is everyone leaving everything so open and creationg evaporation? I would feel that keeping lids on sump would be a good idea. Is this thinking wrong?

Dave
The Newbie

Breadman03
10/10/2015, 07:13 AM
There are a few reasons for leaving things open.

Better gas exchange
Heat control
Use of kalk (pickling lime) in topoff water to replace elements consumed by coral growth
Light transmission. Glass significantly reduces the amount of light that reaches corals. One can run brighter lights to compensate, but that costs additional money, and the combination of more heat from lighting and less area for evaporation can lead to overheating issues.

Vinny Kreyling
10/10/2015, 07:46 AM
I built the garage bench with my back in mind. Always had a backache after using the previous one. This one is waist high, no more back aches.
My son complained, TOO BAD!

odj22sailor
10/10/2015, 09:40 PM
Bread, thanks for the input, but I am not sure about your statement regarding light being significantly reduced. is there a calculation for that or a percentage of reduction that you know of.....?

Dave
newbie 46 of 50 left

scubadan206
10/10/2015, 09:46 PM
The more crap you have stuck to the glass the less light gets through.
That's about it. You would be surprised how much though. Some say as much as 50% of PAR[Photosynthetic active radiation] will be blocked with dirty glass.
I however will cover my sump with glass lids.
I don't really want evaporation and heat loss in my basement. The tank upstairs is 120 gallons. Plenty of surface area. I may or may not use them upstairs as well.

Breadman03
10/11/2015, 07:45 AM
Bread, thanks for the input, but I am not sure about your statement regarding light being significantly reduced. is there a calculation for that or a percentage of reduction that you know of.....?

Dave
newbie 46 of 50 left

It's pretty notable. If you are going to run a FOWLR (fish only with live rock), it doesn't really matter as it doesn't do much to our perception of the brightness. It's when you are trying to get enough light for healthy coral growth that it becomes an obstacle to overcome.

Someone with a PAR meter could give you some solid numbers.

odj22sailor
10/11/2015, 08:06 AM
I agree with you regarding things being stuck to the underside of glass. As long as the glass stays reasonably dry it should stay fairly clean.

I was also thinking about the gas exchange...doesn't that happen in the skimmer?

I am looking forward to using heaters again. With the last setup I had the sump was in the stand and it was hard to keep the temp down to 75 degrees (freshwater setup). With the average temp of the basement around 65 degrees and using an external pump I feel I will be needing the heaters again.

odj22sailor
10/11/2015, 10:48 AM
Breadman,
Thanks for the help I respect what your saying. I am hoping for a healthy reef just like all of us do. I am planning on a Par meter along with ALL of the necessary equipment to give myself the best possible chance at a successful tank... How Lumes is necessary 24" high tank?

Breadman03
10/12/2015, 07:00 AM
Breadman,
Thanks for the help I respect what your saying. I am hoping for a healthy reef just like all of us do. I am planning on a Par meter along with ALL of the necessary equipment to give myself the best possible chance at a successful tank... How Lumes is necessary 24" high tank?

I'm not an expert on the numbers, so I will start you on this thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2254480).

Within that thread, there is one post you should keep very much in mind:

There is no definitive answer. Many factors play into how much light a coral requires, including water flow, nutrients and light spectrum. Lighting strength is just one factor.

odj22sailor
10/13/2015, 08:12 PM
So let me ask you what reactors do i need? I have a Reef Octopus skimmer 130, Phosban 150, Fluval 150 I run all carbon through and a Co2 reactor. I am looking to increase my 30gal sump to 50gal refrigium also a 30 gal brute trash can filled with bio balls.


Dave
The Newbie
37 to go!

Gugs Jr
10/14/2015, 06:54 AM
To the OP, would you mind if I ask a couple sump room questions since I'm in the process of planning a basement sump?

odj22sailor
10/14/2015, 10:16 AM
Ask away I believe that is what we here for. I to am doing a basement sump!

Breadman03
10/14/2015, 10:42 AM
So let me ask you what reactors do i need? I have a Reef Octopus skimmer 130, Phosban 150, Fluval 150 I run all carbon through and a Co2 reactor. I am looking to increase my 30gal sump to 50gal refrigium also a 30 gal brute trash can filled with bio balls.


Dave
The Newbie
37 to go!

I would reconsider the bioballs. They are very effective at processing ammonia into nitrate, but fall short at denitrification. A RDSB (remote deep sand bed) or cryptic zone might be good alternatives

I don't have specific reactors planned for my system other than running biopellets and carbon. There are provisions in my return manifold to add more as desired.

Gugs Jr
10/14/2015, 04:06 PM
incase of a power outage, or fail shut off does anyone have an "exit" pipe that leads to a drain or sump pump?

Will saltwater mess up a sump pump?

odj22sailor
10/14/2015, 09:55 PM
I would reconsider the bioballs. They are very effective at processing ammonia into nitrate, but fall short at denitrification. A RDSB (remote deep sand bed) or cryptic zone might be good alternatives

I don't have specific reactors planned for my system other than running biopellets and carbon. There are provisions in my return manifold to add more as desired.


Yes! I will reconsider the Bio balls. The problem I have... I understand the power of saltwater and its corrosive effects from evaporation and spray from bubbles... I have a 1 3/4" line and a 12 foot drop from the top of the tank to the Sump. The water will going pretty fast by the time it gets to the sump. I have thought about a ball valve or gate valve to control water flow but with the drop plus 15 foot horizontal run moving 1200 gph that is still a lot of pressure. Unless my thinking is wrong which it most likely is that is what I am concerned with.

Also my thought was to have the supply empty into a trash can with balls to neutralize the bubbles and keep the lid sealed tight. This is where I feel I can defuse the flow and keep control of the bubbles, from there It flows to my Refrigium which would have a RSDM (oh what is a cryptic zone) then to the skimmer then to the return pump.

The return pump will supply a manifold for all of my accessories reactors UV Steralizer etc...

Harry_Y
10/15/2015, 06:43 AM
incase of a power outage, or fail shut off does anyone have an "exit" pipe that leads to a drain or sump pump?

Will saltwater mess up a sump pump?


No need for a power outage drain if your sump is correctly sized
(I use a 100 Gallon Rubbermaid stock tank).

I believe saltwater will damage a standard sump pump.

Breadman03
10/15/2015, 06:43 AM
^^^ Agreed. You want the sump large enough to handle whatever drains from the tank in a power outage.

BeanAnimal is the answer to eliminating salt spray, as well as making the drain system silent along with having built in failsafes.

Cryptic zone thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1898344)

xanderax1
10/15/2015, 02:47 PM
Hey gwlaws:
How exactly do you have the plumbing etc...returns drains connected. And amount of each return ,drains. Interested in setup. I currently have dual overflows with 2 holes in each. Anyone having same , I'd like to hear your details

Harry_Y
10/15/2015, 07:46 PM
^^^ Agreed. You want the sump large enough to handle whatever drains from the tank in a power outage.

BeanAnimal is the answer to eliminating salt spray, as well as making the drain system silent along with having built in failsafes.

Cryptic zone thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1898344)


I just use standard Glass Holes Overflows

No need to have high water turnover through the sump

odj22sailor
10/16/2015, 07:02 AM
Harry,
I am building a sump in the basement also. But I have some concerns as to the speed of the water when it gets to the sump.
Can share with me what you are experiencing and how you deal spray and bubbles?

Harry_Y
10/16/2015, 10:12 AM
Harry,
I am building a sump in the basement also. But I have some concerns as to the speed of the water when it gets to the sump.
Can share with me what you are experiencing and how you deal spray and bubbles?

I use a 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank as a sump
I run two 1.5 inch drain lines (spaflex) and have them submerged

I run one 1" return with a ball valve that I adjust to
the point the overflows are nearly silent (or silent)

There really is no need to have a highflow through the sump.

gwlaws
10/17/2015, 07:12 AM
xanderax1:

The drains are 2” and the return line is ¾” powered by an Iwaki 70 going for six years now. I have an external coast to coast style overflow about 14” deep, where the two main drains inside are about 6” high and the emergency drain is has about 13 1/2” high, so the water level is about ½” from the top.

The pipes have 5 90 degree turns to get to the sump’s location. I only used the flex PVC where I had to be exact – going through the floor and the final six foot drop to the sump’s eurobracing. I used union fittings at the tank and at the sump. Where the pipe was run horizontally, I used something close to a typical plumber’s drain pipe… maybe 2” over 8 feet.

The two main gate values are located directly on top of the sump (through the euro bracing) with pipe continuing below the water line. I have one drain going to the filter sock/skimmer section, and the other to the refugium section such that I can control the flow separately. The gate vales are not open much maybe only ½ to ¾ turn.

The emergency drain goes to the center of the sump through the eurobrace. Since it does drop about 6 feet straight down to get to the sump, I put a 90 inside the sump, so that I can see a nice gentle steady stream. I also have a T in the emergency drain under the tank such that I can hook up a sand vacuum tube and then cram in a filter sock on that sump 90 to collect the debris.

odj22sailor
10/19/2015, 12:43 PM
The long wait has ended!
Thank you to those who have put up with my stupid questions.

I have cleared out an area in the basement and started hanging equipment. The first piece I received was my Fountainhead Water Treatment System. My hat is off to Fountainhead. I paid $132.00 + shipping. 6 stage 75 gpd. The triple inline TDS Meter, float switches are on order from BRS. I will keep posting my build if there are any comment please feel free say something.
My final system will be using a 55 gal Brute drum for the Cryptic and 50 gal Rubbermaid Stock tank for the Refrigium. That will house the Maricle Mud and skimmers.

Dave
The Newbie

ifarmer
10/19/2015, 03:20 PM
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10316316/reef/permanent%20posted%20-%20do%20not%20delete/elos70%20july%202015/072015/basement_sump.JPG

Rybren
10/19/2015, 04:21 PM
I've been flip-flopping on putting in a basement sump. If I did go with one, I'd have to put it in an area near the furnace and I'm concerned about rust.

How to you guys deal with this issue?

Mrs. Music
10/19/2015, 05:57 PM
Jerry, I am 6 years into it and do not have any rust problems. My fish room and furnace share a 8'x8' area. "Knock on wood" please.

odj22sailor
10/19/2015, 11:07 PM
My solution to the rust is a shower curtain between the furnace and the any water source....I have a well equipped machine and wood shop at the other end of the basement on the same wall. So I will be using a couple of curtains.


Dave

odj22sailor
10/19/2015, 11:12 PM
I have a solution to that! I will be using a shower curtain! I think it is most effective way. Maybe something with Nemo ...lol

odj22sailor
10/19/2015, 11:13 PM
or 1970's style Flowers yes I think that would be better.

Rybren
10/20/2015, 06:15 AM
Jerry, I am 6 years into it and do not have any rust problems. My fish room and furnace share a 8'x8' area. "Knock on wood" please.

Thanks Victoria.

Good to hear that you haven't had any issues. How big is your sump?

The spot that I'd like to put the sump in is about 8' wide and there's about 5' between the furnace and wall. I've been thinking about using 2 45G drums and a 40B to act as sumps/refugia/frag system. That's a lot of salt water in close proximity to the furnace.

Harry_Y
10/20/2015, 06:22 AM
Remember to Paint any wood so it stays dryer

Breadman03
10/20/2015, 06:31 AM
Thanks Victoria.

Good to hear that you haven't had any issues. How big is your sump?

The spot that I'd like to put the sump in is about 8' wide and there's about 5' between the furnace and wall. I've been thinking about using 2 45G drums and a 40B to act as sumps/refugia/frag system. That's a lot of salt water in close proximity to the furnace.

My DT/Rubbermaid stock tank that was supposed to be up for a couple weeks has now been up for about 14 months within 10 inches of my furnace without issue. I run a dehumidifier to keep humidity at 50%.

Rybren
10/20/2015, 08:48 AM
In the winter, the humidity in the upstairs portion of the house drops to below 30% unless I run a humidifier. I've never checked the levels in the basement, but I suspect that they're higher.

Good to know that you're not having any issues either.

Mrs. Music
10/20/2015, 07:41 PM
I have a 50 gallon sump, and a 30 gallon QT, runs intermittently, and a 30 gallon fuge. I love my basement fish room.

slapshot
10/21/2015, 12:48 AM
To solve the speed problem my first sump is a 55 gal barrel. It is closed. Then it flows to three more dumps that are open. The beauty of the basement is you can just keep adding on.

vcnchk
10/21/2015, 05:50 AM
Do you guys have special ventilation for your sump rooms? http://webhostinglo.com/image/images/33.gifhttp://webhostinglo.com/image/images/23.gif http://webhostinglo.com/image/images/24.gif

Flippers4pups
10/21/2015, 05:56 AM
331499

Humidity isn't a problem in mine. The whole basement is in unfinished.

slapshot
10/21/2015, 10:26 AM
It is in an unfinished part. I have a commercial dehumidifier in there but that is just chasing it's tail. My furnace is in the same room so the humidity gets drawn into the system and blown out. It's a minor problem in the summer but not any worse then the rest of the basement. In the winter it's no issue at all.

odj22sailor
10/21/2015, 11:08 AM
Remember that the Air Conditioning system in the home is a big dehumidifier.

Harry_Y
10/21/2015, 11:51 AM
for me I welcome the humidity in the winter and in the middle
of summer when I run AC. without it it would be way to dry.

About the only bad time is a little in the spring and fall (the rainy times)

odj22sailor
10/25/2015, 09:38 AM
What are the best adhesives for mounting dividers in a stock tank?

Harry_Y
10/26/2015, 07:24 AM
What are the best adhesives for mounting dividers in a stock tank?

I don't think much will stick to a stock tank.

An easy way is to just use another container inside the stock tank
(I used to use a second plastic bin with my old skimmer)

Bent
10/26/2015, 07:29 AM
Gorilla glue is the only thing I've found that sticks. But you have to rough up the surface first.

But yeah the easy way is to just use containers inside it. Tats why mine has a 10g tank sitting in the middle for the chaeto.

odj22sailor
10/26/2015, 04:33 PM
Gorilla glue is the only thing I've found that sticks. But you have to rough up the surface first.

But yeah the easy way is to just use containers inside it. Tats why mine has a 10g tank sitting in the middle for the chaeto.

Which Garilla Glue do you use?

JB NY
10/28/2015, 01:04 PM
I moved my sump years ago into the basement. I would now always do a basement sump if I have the room. In my case I had all the equipment in an unused area of the back basement. I did a large tank upgrade project 8 years ago and decided to wall off the area and make a dedicated sump room. 8 years later I am still very happy with the decisions I made. A few key points

Think everything through before you do anything.
Get dedicated power lines run if you can.
As stated before gravity is your friend use it as much as possible.
Plan for what happens when things fail, because they eventually will. Built the setup with that in mind.
I put in a vinyl floor, it's very easy to clean and water proof.
All the floor molding is vinyl that I silicone to the floor so water stays in the room if it floods.
Put a drain in the floor if you can, I could not.
Put a sink in next to the sump.
Oversize the sump so that it can take the water from the main tank plus 20% just in case.
Put in a dehumidifier that auto drains.
Put in an exhaust fan to remove, heat or humidity.
Don't put the sump on the floor, elevate it a little, it makes doing maintenance much easier.
Paint any wood you use, it will keep it both cleaner and dryer. I didn't but wish I did.
Pay attention to wire management, I just plug things in and have wires running all over the place.

http://cnidarianreef.com/G270/images/dscn/DSCN3064.JPG

http://cnidarianreef.com/G270/images/dscn/DSCN3055.JPG

The above is the setup 8 years ago, pretty much the same thing as I have now. I recently replaced the top sump and removed the MH over the frag, tank but everything else is the same, meaning it has held up great.

http://cnidarianreef.com/G270/images/dscn2/DSCNi_20150510_09.jpg

balz3352
11/01/2015, 10:20 AM
To the OP, would you mind if I ask a couple sump room questions since I'm in the process of planning a basement sump?
Go for it if you haven't already. This is for everyone to learn and share knowledge and experience.

balz3352
11/01/2015, 11:16 AM
Awesome info guys keep them coming.


How many people run 2 main pumps on different circuits. How do you run it? Pics?