How to configure this sump

ChrisNH · Mar 27, 2019

I purchased this 40B and sump used about 7 years ago and then was unable to move forward when it became clear there was no appropriate space in the house. We have since installed a laundry in the basement so there is some space for me to work with next to it where there is a sink. I plan to start FOWLR with an eye toward some easy inverts/coral down the road.

The person I got this from was a hobbyist who was clearing space for more and bigger tanks. He had modified this megaflow-3 to be a sump and had put in the overflow box. The overflow is a bit bigger than I would want and has only one drain but it will work. He had put his skimmer in the smaller of the two compartments, you can see where he made a cut out for the cup. I can't for the life of me remember what it was he used, I would like to say he was able to jam a reef octopus 11o in there but I am not sure.

I am concerned about the intake area. I see no way to hang a sock and there is no way to access it if something gets in there. I see no way to put in a sock as-is. I could widen the top but I have no experience cutting acrylic.

So, my question for experienced reefers, how best to configure this sump? Should I modify it further? I want to start collecting equipment so i can order rock in the summer when its a bit warmer up here in New Hampshire. I expect I will need to get a skimmer, a couple of heaters (50 degree basement in the winter) , auto top-off, and some bio material.

sprinklerdudes · Mar 27, 2019

looks like it will work fine for a starter sump, just put the hose in the first chamber of the sump, cut you a cheap piece of egg Crete, { Light diffuser from the hardware store, get you a cheap blue reusable air conditioner filter while you are there, cut it to size to sit on top of the egg Crete, this will work for your large particle filter. third chamber put a few pieces of live rock, or broken coral skeletons in there, for your cryptic fuge zone, and the forth chamber for your return pump to sit in, if you have a skimmer you can leave out the live rock in the third chamber and sit your skimmer in there. looks like a good project in the making.

sprinklerdudes · Mar 27, 2019

o, welcome to Reef to Reef

ChrisNH · Mar 27, 2019

Thanks!

So something like this

To put some air con filter material on the top of the second chamber?

Should I still try to stick a protein skimmer in the same chamber or would the skimmer be sharing the third chamber with some rocks?

I could do something to direct the overflow from the first through the egg crate side of that chamber.

I have to get some heaters in there too.

sprinklerdudes · Mar 27, 2019

yes, that will work, I have a a sump like that on one of my tanks, I have been running the ac filter on the egg crete for about 9 years now, works great, cheap and easy. I would either do the rocks or the skimmer, but sooner or later you may need to pull the skimmer to service it, and if there are too many rocks in there it might make the job a little awkward. { I said starter sump, but a lot of folks would really like to have a sump like that on there tanks. so I will change that to a pretty good used sump? } any plans on what type of live stock you are planning on as you plan your tank build?

ChrisNH · Mar 27, 2019

To start I am planning on FOWLR using rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater. To be honest, I am mostly excited about the live rock and the associated life forms (good and bad), I have no immediate plans to get fish although I am sure we will eventually. I am really looking forward to seeing that whole process unfold. Eventually I will upgrade lights and try doing corals. I am starting with T5s but getting a hybrid fixture so I can add LED later.

I am hoping to get the rock this summer when the weather here warms up, so that is what I am building towards. When I actually have a tank on a stand I will start a tank build thread.

sprinklerdudes · Mar 27, 2019

cool, send me a couple of pics of the tank when you get it set up. I like the T-5's for color and growth. I am running a led shop light and a 4 bulb t-5 fixture on one of my tanks, mainly for the atintics.

ChrisNH · Apr 4, 2019

I got a used Vertex Omega 130 skimmer. It won't quite fit in that first compartment so it will have to go in the second. No problem, I will put some of those ceramic brick things in the first one as well as the egg crate filter thing suggested.

I am a little worried about keeping the water level constant for the skimmer but I will worry about that after I get the tank set up and see how it all flows.