New Sump Build

BostonReefer300

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I have a big custom sump for my 300G DT from Advanced Acrylics (66x24x18, ~ 50G net water volume) that is 5 years old. I've really liked it and it has served me well, but it was made before the fancy PVC hybrid sumps became popular (at least popular to me). After seeing some gorgeous sumps online the past couple months, I decided to upgrade. I've been working with the owner of Advanced Acrylics, John, to design an awesome new sump and it'll be here in a couple months. I went with gray PVC/Acrylic as the major color with lots of orange highlights, accessories, etc. While I wait for it to arrive (and figure out how to explain that giant box to my wife), I decided to start on the plumbing.
Here are three pics of what my sump looked like this morning. I did all the plumbing myself years ago when I first installed the sump. I never liked the white PVC or the nasty job I did with priming and cementing the fittings.

centerold.jpg leftold1.jpg rightold.jpg

After doing about 4 plumbing orders from BRS (because I forgot stuff and made some mistakes), I finished pre-assembling plumbing last week. I installed it this morning. Here are the new plumbing photos. (BTW, that lighted tank in the sump is my attempt at a "display refugium". It has a couple skunk clowns, two big RBTAs, 2 baby engineer gobies who are too small for the DT right now, and a few snails and small hermits.)

centernew.jpg leftnew.jpg rightnew.jpg

I used several unions this time to give me flexibility in the future---and to make sure I can adjust things easily for the new sump.
I also put George Fischer check valves on the top of each return pump as an upgrade. I really like the look of the new plumbing and like that its color scheme is the opposite of what the sump will be.
I'll post more when the new sump comes in and will update my general build thread with everything then too. I can't wait for the new sump!
 
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BostonReefer300

BostonReefer300

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I have a big custom sump for my 300G DT from Advanced Acrylics (66x24x18, ~ 50G net water volume) that is 5 years old. I've really liked it and it has served me well, but it was made before the fancy PVC hybrid sumps became popular (at least popular to me). After seeing some gorgeous sumps online the past couple months, I decided to upgrade. I've been working with the owner of Advanced Acrylics, John, to design an awesome new sump and it'll be here in a couple months. I went with gray PVC/Acrylic as the major color with lots of orange highlights, accessories, etc. While I wait for it to arrive (and figure out how to explain that giant box to my wife), I decided to start on the plumbing.
Here are three pics of what my sump looked like this morning. I did all the plumbing myself years ago when I first installed the sump. I never liked the white PVC or the nasty job I did with priming and cementing the fittings.

centerold.jpg leftold1.jpg rightold.jpg

After doing about 4 plumbing orders from BRS (because I forgot stuff and made some mistakes), I finished pre-assembling plumbing last week. I installed it this morning. Here are the new plumbing photos. (BTW, that lighted tank in the sump is my attempt at a "display refugium". It has a couple skunk clowns, two big RBTAs, 2 baby engineer gobies who are too small for the DT right now, and a few snails and small hermits.)

centernew.jpg leftnew.jpg rightnew.jpg

I used several unions this time to give me flexibility in the future---and to make sure I can adjust things easily for the new sump.
I also put George Fischer check valves on the top of each return pump as an upgrade. I really like the look of the new plumbing and like that its color scheme is the opposite of what the sump will be.
I'll post more when the new sump comes in and will update my general build thread with everything then too. I can't wait for the new sump!
Just finished more plumbing...including some serious work on a UV bypass. Will post tomorrow or Saturday after a couple key parts get here.
 
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BostonReefer300

BostonReefer300

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In the meantime, here's a VERY ROUGH diagram of the new sump design. (Please note that things aren't to scale and this is just a crude powerpoint drawing done by yours truly.). I locked the design with John at Advanced Acrylics this week.

1623973039293.png
> Colors: The main body will be light gray PVC. Every accent piece that can be made orange will be orange! (Think baffles, internal walls, sock holder, etc.). Also, all the outer edges of the sump (including the windows) will have orange highlight ribbon

> Bulkheads: The black circles represent bulkhead fittings that will be female thread on both sides.

> Refugium: Back wall of the refugium will also be gray PVC though because I wanted a neutral, darker background in there as it'll start life as an ANEMONE TANK instead of a refugium. I want to focus eyes on the contents of that "tank" instead of the back wall. On the back refugium wall, those three bulkheads will be 15 inches up. The one on the left will be used for the inlet and it'll be fed with a small Sicce pump and plumbed with loc-line stuff including a check valve to prevent back-siphoning. The two on the right will be the drains and fitted with strainers in side the refugium and then 90-degree hose barbs and hoses on the other side. If the refugium drains ever get clogged, the back refugium wall is slightly lower than the rim of the sump, so overflow will still go into the reactor chamber. Refugium will be lit with an old Radion G3 I have laying around. (I need to remember to ask John to build a three walled box that'll sit on top of the refugium and restrict light to that area---and that can be removed easily.)

> Reactor Chamber: The 1" bulkhead fitting in the back of the reactor chamber is at the top of the sump. That's where I'll plumb the fancy manifold I made to run two custom Geos Reef reactors (also in orange and gray!!!). At the bottom of the baffle partitions will be small 1/2" bulkheads with plugs---as close to the floor as possible. This is so I can unscrew them and create one continguous water system for the whole sump (minus the refugium) for easy draining for water changes, maintenance, etc.

> Return section: has room for two pumps (Sicce Synchra 9.0 SDKs).

> Covers/Lids: The only sections with lids will be the sock section (solid, clear) and the refugium (mesh)

> Other: I'm not showing all the goodies that John puts in standard (dosing line holders, wire grommets, etc.) but you can imagine where all those will go.

What do you all think? Helpful comments/questions are more than welcome. John starts construction next week so let me know if you have any suggestions! I'm so excited!!! (And I realize how pathetic it is to be so excited about something called a "sump")
 
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