Sump Build

Tango2 · Oct 1, 2015

First, I'd like to say hi, as this is my first post here. I've been reading more an more posts on R2R over the past months, and I decided I should join - so here I am.

I recently did some sketchup drawings of a proposed sump design for my 45G cube. I'd like to solicit any feedback on the design, as well as how hard something like this would be to build for someone new to acrylic. I have all the tools I would need (tablesaw, routers, etc.), however this would be my first acrylic project.

To talk through the design, the water would enter to the right in the picture through bulkheads in the two large holes in the top. The pipe would extend to below the water level in the recessed "step" to keep things quiet. The three large holes are for filter socks, which would drain in to the skimmer section. Next over the weirs to the return section, which would pump back to the tank as well as to the refugium, which runs the entire length of the sump. The fuge would drain back to the skimmer section.

Any feedback on any part of the design or the complexity of building this would be greatly appreciated.

Tango2 · Nov 15, 2015

I really hoped I would get some feedback on this by now. I have since gotten some 3/8" acrylic that I plan to build this out of, however I haven't gotten a free minute to start this. I want to make sure everything is right before I start cutting.

One thing I'm wondering is if the fuge section (4" x 16" x 26") would be worth having. My plan was to get a 24" LED strip light to light it on a reverse light cycle (as my current fuge is). It is very narrow, but would still hold about 7 gallons of water and could grow chaeto and a safehouse for pods. Is a fuge this small worth having?

ReeferBob · Nov 16, 2015

Interesting design. Is the entire sump going to be acrylic? Also will you have enough room in the sump for the skimmer? With the fuge being just 4", I am not sure it will be of any value.

Tango2 · Nov 16, 2015

The sump will be all acrylic, and I've checked dimensions of the skimmer and I should be good to go there.

I thought the same thing about the fuge, but in reality it's 7 gallons of water which may be more than what I have now. I believe adding that in will complicate the build a bit, but not incorporating that in will leave me fuge-less in the future. Not sure if the trouble outweighs the benefits.

ReeferBob · Nov 17, 2015

You don't need a "fuge" per se, just put as much space as possible in the main compartment and use it as a fuge. 2 compartment sumps work fine.

Epicreefster · Nov 17, 2015

I like having a refugium and having it as large as possible is always helpful so I would try to incorporate one in some way but it doesn't need to be a separate compartment. I would be somewhat skeptical about the LED strip light I have used some in the past and they seem under powered. I would recommend at least two one "magenta" red and blue leds, and one white to fill out the spectrum if you go with them. a cheap dual bulb t5 from home depot might be a better alternative too. The size of refugium is not quite as important as utilizing the light you shine on it and harvesting macro.

As for working with acrylic it is very similar to very high quality woodworking . You need to make your inner dividers and the ends of the tank perfectly square. If they aren't then when gluing with solvent you can get a bad seam or it can pop later on when full of water. I would recommend weldon 40 or acrifix makes a similar catalyzing resin. This stuff is more like gluing with watery silicone than solvent welding and more forgiving for inexperienced acrylic workers.

Tango2 · Nov 17, 2015

Maybe a stupid question, but with a 2 compartment sump with a fuge, I'd be concerned with macroalgae getting in my skimmer. I've seen two compartment sumps before, but not sure how this would work with a fuge as well.

Tango2 · Nov 17, 2015

Epicreefster said:
I like having a refugium and having it as large as possible is always helpful so I would try to incorporate one in some way but it doesn't need to be a separate compartment. I would be somewhat skeptical about the LED strip light I have used some in the past and they seem under powered. I would recommend at least two one "magenta" red and blue leds, and one white to fill out the spectrum if you go with them. a cheap dual bulb t5 from home depot might be a better alternative too. The size of refugium is not quite as important as utilizing the light you shine on it and harvesting macro.

As for working with acrylic it is very similar to very high quality woodworking . You need to make your inner dividers and the ends of the tank perfectly square. If they aren't then when gluing with solvent you can get a bad seam or it can pop later on when full of water. I would recommend weldon 40 or acrifix makes a similar catalyzing resin. This stuff is more like gluing with watery silicone than solvent welding and more forgiving for inexperienced acrylic workers.

A T5 would definitely be an option. I'm currently using a PAR38 LED bulb and getting plenty of growth, but that's not to say I couldn't get more using something else. Surface area is a big thing for light effectiveness, but I'm currently only getting light to a fraction of the amount of macro currently in my fuge. It would be an interesting data point to compare the surface area of my current fuge section to that of the proposed design.

The complexity with this design is that I would essentially have baffles going both directions in my sump. The wall between the fuge and the main compartments of the sump would be this perpendicular baffle that I think would make things a little more difficult. Not not-doable, just more difficult. I have Weldon 3 currently. I may try a couple different types to see what works best.

Tango2 · Mar 9, 2016

Here we are almost 6 months later and I have yet to build this sump. My plans are to get this going very soon. I'm also reconsidering the design based on the complexity. I'm a little worried about getting everything together easily with the multiple pieces and sides.

Can anyone with acrylic experience comment on how difficult this would be to fab up for someone very capable of DIY'ing a wide variety of things, but no acrylic experience?

Tango2 · Mar 13, 2016

I made my first cut today on my 3/8 sheet of acrylic. I mainly wanted to see how easy it cut, and to do some practice glueing. I also drilled it using a hole saw in the drill press and ran it through the router table. I think I'm almost ready to start cutting my pieces for the sump.

On another note, is anyone using an overflow wall on their fuge? I'm debating if I want to put teeth at the top or if I should go with a wall overflow. Even a bulkhead would be an option. Thoughts?

Tango2 · Apr 11, 2016

I'm slowly making progress on this. Looking forward to getting the last few panels together.

Sock holder:

It's taking shape. Here's a dry fit of the space I'll have in the skimmer chamber:

Really looking forward to the extra room this dump will give me. I couldn't move my skimmer an inch any direction with the pump attached in my old sump.

p8ntballjunky06 · Apr 12, 2016

Looks like a clean build idea

Tango2 · Apr 12, 2016

Thanks, I didn't get too much feedback on the design, but did reach out to a couple people to build it for me. Most of what I got back was design changes with no real justification. I was a little intimidated with this being my first build. Given the complexity of the design, I'm happy with it so far.

The real test will be to see if it holds water!

p8ntballjunky06 · Apr 12, 2016

Yeah keep me posted if am planing to build a larger one for my 240

Tango2 · Apr 12, 2016

So for anyone following this, what you see in this picture has all been welded together. As you look at this picture, the right is the front and the left is the rear.

The rear panel has not been welded on yet, but that is my next step.

I'm brainstorming on the best way to flip the front up so the rear panel is horizontal for gluing. I'm thinking I need some type of support or something to keep everything stable. That is in addition to my square jig and clamps.

Any ideas?

Tango2 · Apr 21, 2016

Fast forward about a week and here's the almost finished product installed in the sump for a dry fit.

Front view:

Side view:

So far, I'm extremely happy with the design. There is so much room for maintenance as well as increased water volume. I will be doing a leak test and adding a top and lid on the filter sock area, as well as a cover for the fuge section. I'll be putting a 1" piece of foam under the tank as well.

I'm still debating what to do for my probe holder and float switches. I grabbed some up with acrylic to attach internally, but since my water level is adjustable in the skimmer section, I'm not sure exactly where the best place is to put them.

dabeyta · Apr 21, 2016

Looks good. Following.

Tango2 · May 2, 2016

I'll post some pictures soon, but I finally got the new sump up and running. Unfortunately, my coral beauty was lost today, which I am attributing to shock from the changes in temperature, salinity or a combination of both.

It always sucks losing a fish, especially one that I've had for a while and that seemed to be doing good, even yesterday.

I welcome the stability of having my sump and ATO back online.