Building a sump for 55 gal... need help on parts

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hey guys whats up!
ok so here's the deal. i made a plexi box with some baffles. i have NO idea what i need as far as tubing, pumps, bulkheads, to make it a sump. i looked at the plans for a making a sump on this website. i want to keep things relativly inexpensive as far as pumps and whatnot. any help, or tips, or advice would be greatly apreciated. THANKS GUYS!!!
-cant wait for the SF trip!!

[Blown 346]

You are already more than half way there if you already have baffles in place.
Is the tank a drilled tank or undrilled?
There will be different items for both.

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undrilled

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If you dont already have these items then this is what you will need.

I prefer the U tube overflow boxes.
Drain hose from the overflow box to the sump.
That will create the drain side of things.

You will need a return pump, and some return lines back to the tank.
How many return lines is up to you, you can the usual 2 or 3. This is up to you and where you want flow to be.

Here are some links to the items I described below to give you a price average and what is worth the money.

Overflow box( U tube design) This version is the 700 GPH single unit and costs $109
http://www.lifereef.com/frame.html

I would use the 1" bulkhead which is 6.99 to conect the drain hose to. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4013&N=2004+113786

I use the Quiet One pumps, here is a link to there 3000 model that will suit your tank nicely.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9849&N=2004+113041

Here is the return lines that I like to use since they are flexible and you can have them where you want.
You will want to get letters G and H and L. The L fiting will allow you to have 1 return split into two
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4090&N=2004+113794
They are sold seperatly so you will need 2 of each for the exception of L, Only 1 is needed.

Hope this helps out.

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thanks...great links thanks man! do you think it would be wise to make my own overflow box? i have a friend that works at an acrylics store, so i can get rather large peices for next to nothing. anything specific to watch for??

[poedag]

i made my own following the plans found here: http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/overflow.html

it was fairly easy to build, and i just used the scrap left over from the sump i made.

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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7393007#post7393007 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buffer
thanks...great links thanks man! do you think it would be wise to make my own overflow box? i have a friend that works at an acrylics store, so i can get rather large peices for next to nothing. anything specific to watch for??
Definitly, you can make your own overflow box, just make sure you build on that will fit your needs and can possibly do more than what you need know. Basically you wont have to make anotherone if you want to change something down the road.

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i dont get how the water get from the tank... over the edge, and down into the sump. like... how do u get it in there to start its suction?

[Gsxkid]

For the longest time I was like *** how is even possible to get water to rise up over the side. But then i built one and I am just amazed how it works. But to answer your question you put i tiny hole at the top point of the u and you just suck the air out and once the water makes it over the u it just continues to flow. But I guess someone said you can connect a pump to the line to prime it or something like that. Hope that helps

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i drew up a "sketch" of how i plan on puttin together my sump / and overflow box. does anybody know how to get pictures onto a post?

[Blown 346]

You dont want to drill a hole into the U tube and use a lift pump to creat a suction. If the pump fails, gets clogged or dirty, or if the power goes out and the pump fsails to restart, you will have water all over the floor. The return pump will continue to pump water from the sump into the tank, and the overflow box doesnt have siphon and the tank will overflow and your return pump will run dry and burn out.

The normal U tube overflows work the best, in the past 4 years of none stop use I havent lost siphon once, even when the power goes out the u tube still holds its siphon. The only way you will loose siphon is if you dont clean out the algae build up in the U tube, or if you lift the U tube out of the overflow box.

To start a siphon, you take the U tube and insert a piece of airline halfway into it. Make sure the overflow box has water in it. Take the other end of the airline, and place the u tube into the overflow box. Now suck on the piece of airline, you will see the water that is in the overflow box come thru the u tube and go thru. Once that happens stop sucking, the waterwill stay in the U tube from suction. Pull out the airline.
Now just start the return pump, the return will pump water from the sump into the tank, the tank will fill up and the water will reach the teeth of the overflow box. The water from the tank will pour over the overflow box and the U tube will pick it up and send it to the sump.

Here is a animated video of how this works.
http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html