DIY sump in progress

[Reefer769]

hey everyone!

i finally got around to putting together my sump, i finished glueing the acrylic in the tank yesterday and this morning it seems pretty sturdy, and i have yet to either find someone with a pump and overflow i can get for cheap, or i have to buy BRAND new AGAIN... im running out of money haha. well i took some pics of it in progress and i have the pipe/elbows/joints ect.. but when i actually placed the tank in the stand i figured out i need to go out and buy a couple more elbows becuase i need to curve around the legs. Once all the remodeling is done with my room and i have all the plumbing cut/celemted/positioned i will moove the tank back to my room, set up the sump and i will be done!

[SteveP]

hey everyone!

i finally got around to putting together my sump, i finished glueing the acrylic in the tank yesterday and this morning it seems pretty sturdy, and i have yet to either find someone with a pump and overflow i can get for cheap, or i have to buy BRAND new AGAIN... im running out of money haha. well i took some pics of it in progress and i have the pipe/elbows/joints ect.. but when i actually placed the tank in the stand i figured out i need to go out and buy a couple more elbows becuase i need to curve around the legs. Once all the remodeling is done with my room and i have all the plumbing cut/celemted/positioned i will moove the tank back to my room, set up the sump and i will be done!

Looks good. I take it the skimmer will be sitting in the area where the 3 baffles are ?

Steve

[Meric]

I just finished mine this weekend. As you can see I tend to do things ugly, but functional. Also cheap. The whole sump cost me about $7.00, I had to buy the silicone, everything else was donated.

Ebay Overflow at $22.50, would be perfect for your tank @ 300GPH

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=20758

I got my overflow from the same guy. Check with him, he may have more.

[Reefer769]

hey thanks for the replies!, actually i have a cpr bak pak so it will be hung over the part in the middle(the largest compartment) and i will have to check about that overflow it would sure be a lot cheaper then a cpr for 66$, thanks!

[SteveP]

I just finished mine this weekend. As you can see I tend to do things ugly, but functional. Also cheap. The whole sump cost me about $7.00, I had to buy the silicone, everything else was donated.

Ebay Overflow at $22.50, would be perfect for your tank @ 300GPH

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=20758

I got my overflow from the same guy. Check with him, he may have more.

Looks like you went to the same school of sealant application as I did

Steve

[Reefer769]

man... i should have gone to the same school i tested my sump and it has 3 leaks on the bottom, so i need to patch them up, oh and when it was filling up the acrylic was kind of bending will this be okay or will i need to glue in supports too?

[Meric]

You need to be generous with your acrylic application. Acrylic doesn't like to bond to silicone sealant too well. Also make sure you give the sealant plenty of curing time befor adding water, 3 to 4 days.

Don't sweat a few leaks. As long as they are not major leaks you'll be ok. My bubble baffels and refuge leak in a couple of places, but they are small and it doesn't have to be perfect. Just as long as the baffles hold enough water to direct the water over and under them.

Depending on your acrylic thickness a little deflection shouldn't be a problem. It looks like you got .25" Acrylic which should be plenty strong enough to handle 300GPH. I would only be concerned if you purchase 1/8th" acrylic or less.

If you silicone seals leak badly, then put another bead of silicone on the opposite side you put the original bead and let it dry for a few days.

[Reefer769]

alright thanks meric, i will apply more silcone tommarow when the tank dries, and i will let it sit untill the weekend to test it again. its kind of hard to get to the other side to bead it now when all the baffles and walls are in place, and on most of the walls i just put the silicone on one side and not the other, was this a bad idea?

[Reefer769]

oh no... i think i have the 1/8" acrylic

what should i do?

[Meric]

oh no... i think i have the 1/8" acrylic

what should i do?

I never tried 1/8" plexiglass in a sump before. I know that it warps in warm water much easier than the thicker stuff. If this is going to be a permanent sump (ie: you do not have any future plans to replace it) I would replace it with .25". However if you are like me (read cheap), and you plan on only keeping it for a few months to a year, put a thick bead of silicone all the way around the edges of the Acrylic where it meets the glass on the opposite side of the water flow. Make it about .5" to .375" thick on as many pieces as you can reach. Especially on the bottom and sides of the first and last piece of acrylic. Let it cure for about a week then try running water through it. It will still flex, but should last a while, maybe even forever.

[SteveP]

oh no... i think i have the 1/8" acrylic

what should i do?

1/8th will hold back about 10"x12" block of water, assuming your sealant is well applied. You'd have to put a lot more water in there to actually break the acrylic, you are more likely to blow the seal itself. Remember, once the water fills up the other side of the baffle, there is very little stress on the sheet anymore. If you are really concerned about the bowing, add a cross brace or something to help spread the load, or half fill the refugium piece first before filling the rest.

My 15g example uses the .093 acrylic throughout, and other than the small bow when filling it with an empty refugium section, I haven't had any problems

Steve

[new2salt2]

hey Meric i sent you a PM about your sump. Could you read it and get back to me ASAP please.