Building my first sump

Mike Danter · Feb 5, 2024

So I'm about a month into the great hobby and the second hand canister filter that I'm running spung a pretty bad leak. It was a nightmare. So I decided to design and build my first sump. 20 gallon long with a Fiji cube sock holder, AI axis90 return pump and a max spect refugium light. Cut and glued in the glass baffles and made a 3 piece lid for it as well. All the BRS TV videos have been so helpful. Love watching those guys

shakacuz · Feb 5, 2024

looks great! did you do the lid yourself? i'm thinking of doing the same to a DIY 20G tall/high sump i have planned.

Mike Danter · Feb 5, 2024

shakacuz said:
looks great! did you do the lid yourself? i'm thinking of doing the same to a DIY 20G tall/high sump i have planned.

Yeah I made the lid myself. Just got a sheet of acrylic from home depot and use a multi tool and a dremel to cut it and sand the edges

shakacuz · Feb 5, 2024

Mike Danter said:
Yeah I made the lid myself. Just got a sheet of acrylic from home depot and use a multi tool and a dremel to cut it and sand the edges

nice! do you have an idea of what skimmer to run?

Mike Danter · Feb 5, 2024

shakacuz said:
nice! do you have an idea of what skimmer to run?

I'm going without a skimmer for right now. Just going to do a refugium in the center camber. Thinking that I'll probably add a reef octopus recirculating skimmer at some point a run it outside of the sump. At least that's my idea as of right now. My ideas are subject to change though.

shakacuz · Feb 5, 2024

Mike Danter said:
I'm going without a skimmer for right now. Just going to do a refugium in the center camber. Thinking that I'll probably add a reef octopus recirculating skimmer at some point a run it outside of the sump. At least that's my idea as of right now. My ideas are subject to change though.

solid planning. i’d love to follow along your build progress. do you plan on starting a tank journal/thread?