Sump option

RobertK

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I think I am giving up on the idea that the sump is going between the supports on the front since it reduces the size so much or changing the supports.

I have one more question on this.

I am looking the Trigger Saphire 34 vs the Bashsea Smart Series 30-18. I can get both at a very good price and pretty much the same price so which one should I go with?

Also, I wanted to thank all of you that have answered and tried to help me find a solution. I sincerely appreciate your help. Thank you!

I just ordered a Trigger Triton 34 yesterday. I looked at the Bashsea sumps too. Spent a long time comparing brands and models. Both brands are good choices. Its really a matter of preference about what features you are looking for in a sump - number and location of drain inlets, sock holder type and location, chamber sizes, etc. The Bashsea you are looking at holds 37 gallons, vs. 34 for the Trigger, so that might be a factor for you.

The one thing I didn't like about the Bashsea was the size of the return pump area. I want to run dual return pumps for redundancy - in case one return pump stops then the other is still working. The Bashsea didn't have enough room for that, at least not with the pumps I wanted.

I chose the Trigger Triton over the Sapphire because it has a bigger refugium area, but I considered the Sapphire as well (they have the same dimensions). I don't plan to run filter socks all the time so I liked that the Triton didn't take up dedicated space for a sock holder, but does have one for use when needed. The Bashsea looks similar in that regard.

What type of drain are you planning and do you plan to use filter socks all the time? If you are using a BeanAnimal drain the Bashsea has 3 drain inlets with one sock holder per drain, so the sock from your main drain will get dirty faster than the other two. The Sapphire has 2 drain inlets (but you can still run a BeanAnimal drain if you want) and distributes the water across two filter socks. But you might get some water trickling noise from the Sapphire sock holder, plus it is located behind the skimmer which might make it a little cumbersome to change socks depending on your skimmer.

So those are some considerations. My tank won't be set up for a few months so sorry I can't give advice from actual experience, but I did check with other R2R members who use these sumps in making my decision. Good luck!
 

Bbio

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My tank is the same length and width with a similar stand probably. I cut a 18”x18” square 3rd cabinet in the right side to fit a Fiji-36 advanced reef sump. I reinforced around the hole with oak 2x4 because it was load bearing. It’s even more solid now with a new hole and the 2x4 framing. Pics on my build thread of the process.
 

Freenow54

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I am trying to decide what sump to get for my 120 gallon 48x24x24 aquarium that is on its way.
One problem I have is the cabinet has a center brace on front, top, and back. I tried a bashsea 30-18 smart sump and it would just fit going through the top. I’m sure I could remove the top brace and put something bigger in if needed. The top brace is held on by staples. Once the aquarium is on the cabinet whatever is in there will be there to stay.

Do I need anything bigger? Any opinions on this sump? Is this a good size sump for the 120? I can get this for a very good price.
Is there anything better that I should look at and that doesn’t break the bank.

I’m not against this but trying to make sure since I can’t replace it without removing the aquarium.

Thank you in advance!
The size is great to me but would not use if you cant get it out . How about a picture ?
 

Freenow54

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I just ordered a Trigger Triton 34 yesterday. I looked at the Bashsea sumps too. Spent a long time comparing brands and models. Both brands are good choices. Its really a matter of preference about what features you are looking for in a sump - number and location of drain inlets, sock holder type and location, chamber sizes, etc. The Bashsea you are looking at holds 37 gallons, vs. 34 for the Trigger, so that might be a factor for you.

The one thing I didn't like about the Bashsea was the size of the return pump area. I want to run dual return pumps for redundancy - in case one return pump stops then the other is still working. The Bashsea didn't have enough room for that, at least not with the pumps I wanted.

I chose the Trigger Triton over the Sapphire because it has a bigger refugium area, but I considered the Sapphire as well (they have the same dimensions). I don't plan to run filter socks all the time so I liked that the Triton didn't take up dedicated space for a sock holder, but does have one for use when needed. The Bashsea looks similar in that regard.

What type of drain are you planning and do you plan to use filter socks all the time? If you are using a BeanAnimal drain the Bashsea has 3 drain inlets with one sock holder per drain, so the sock from your main drain will get dirty faster than the other two. The Sapphire has 2 drain inlets (but you can still run a BeanAnimal drain if you want) and distributes the water across two filter socks. But you might get some water trickling noise from the Sapphire sock holder, plus it is located behind the skimmer which might make it a little cumbersome to change socks depending on your skimmer.

So those are some considerations. My tank won't be set up for a few months so sorry I can't give advice from actual experience, but I did check with other R2R members who use these sumps in making my decision. Good luck!
Why don't you use external pumps I use Ecotec vectra
 

UncommonSense

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Why don't you use external pumps I use Ecotec vectra
External pump mounting is excellent for heat reduction and space savings, but inherently creates multiple additional joints (potential leakage points) which are outside the sump!
 

Freenow54

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External pump mounting is excellent for heat reduction and space savings, but inherently creates multiple additional joints (potential leakage points) which are outside the sump!
I suppose that is possible. I used PVC What I like especially is that if the pump fails I can literally replace that make in about 5 minutes two twist connections
 

RobertK

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Yeah I had external return pump on my last tank. I'm trying to keep everything in the sump this time to save space and minimize the chance of a leak.
 

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