Sump Won’t Fit In Stand

[ChiReefGuy3]

Hello! I am building a planet 94 setup (48” length, 18.5” depth) and I DIY-ed a 40 breeder tank to use as my sump. However, I did not account for the supports on the stand to be so large and the sump will not fit in the stand by about a quarter of an inch on each side. Do you think it would be ok for me to sand down the sides of these supports by a quarter inch so the sump can slide in? Also once it is sanded, what kind of paint should I paint the sanded areas with to prevent water damage? I just don’t want to mess anything up that will cause the structure to fail. It looks like the sump will stick out about 3” behind the stand which I’m alright with and will cut some blocks to place under it so the back wall of the sump will have support.

 

[melonheadorion]

you could probably do it a couple ways. you could probably shave a little off of both the tank frame and the cabinet on both sides. if you will ojnly have to do minimal removal. is it the whole tank that is too big, or just the frame? you will probably be ok with removing a little. its the matter of 1/4 inch or so, and i doubt that would matter enough.

If it were a concern, you could always add a small supprt to that panel, but i honestly wouldnt even worry about that small amount

 

[Dom]

Okay... so you need open the front 3/4"; 1/4" on each side and 1/4" extra for play. I would just take 1/2" off of each side.

Before you shave anything, have you measured to make sure that there is enough room (front to back) for the sump?

If there is, then you could shave off 1/2 inch on each side. BUT, I would frame out the front of the cabinet on the inside; place a 2x4 across the top the full length of the stand supported by (2) 2x4s down the front left and right corner.

 

[Atherial]

I had a similar issue with my sump. I cut a hole in the back panel so I could slide the sump in slightly sideways and then use that new back hole to give myself the room to straighten it out. I could have replaced the back but I decided to leave the hole to run wires out and add some air circulation.

 

[Dom]

I had a similar issue with my sump. I cut a hole in the back panel so I could slide the sump in slightly sideways and then use that new back hole to give myself the room to straighten it out. I could have replaced the back but I decided to leave the hole to run wires out and add some air circulation.

Cutting a second, big hole in the back will weaken the structural integrity of the stand, unless it is a stand with a skin over it.

But it looks like the stand is more along the line of what Red Sea uses.

 

[argiBK]

Could you just remove the trim on the tank to get the tank down to size? If you do this you’d need to add a mat below the tank to evenly support the tank bottom.

 

[Steve2020]

If that is a tank that is similar to the ones you can get at Petco the frame is probably less than a 1/4" on the outside to begin with. My 29gal quarantine tank frames are only 1/8 on the outside. I would not sand down the frame if it is a Petco type aquarium. They are not put together well to begin with. Just my opinion.

 

[dedragon]

Could you just remove the trim on the tank to get the tank down to size? If you do this you’d need to add a mat below the tank to evenly support the tank bottom.

I wouldnt do this with a 40 breeder, they just use really thin glass. I tested with a 10 gallon and it caused the glass to bow outward

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello! I am building a planet 94 setup (48” length, 18.5” depth) and I DIY-ed a 40 breeder tank to use as my sump. However, I did not account for the supports on the stand to be so large and the sump will not fit in the stand by about a quarter of an inch on each side. Do you think it would be ok for me to sand down the sides of these supports by a quarter inch so the sump can slide in? Also once it is sanded, what kind of paint should I paint the sanded areas with to prevent water damage? I just don’t want to mess anything up that will cause the structure to fail. It looks like the sump will stick out about 3” behind the stand which I’m alright with and will cut some blocks to place under it so the back wall of the sump will have support.

Did you try to stand the tank up, then lay it down once inside?
If so, you can (which I had to do) , , , move stand from wall and feed tank in, then turn it.
Last option. If top is open, Takt tank off and lower the sump into the stand and place the tank back on top

 

[MoshJosh]

I am assuming you tried all the "turn it sideways", "flip it over", "drop it in from the top", "take off one of the wooden supports then put it back"?

 

[ChiReefGuy3]

Did you try to stand the tank up, then lay it down once inside?
If so, you can (which I had to do) , , , move stand from wall and feed tank in, then turn it.
Last option. If top is open, Takt tank off and lower the sump into the stand and place the tank back on top

The sump doesn’t fully fit inside - it will hang out the back about 3 inches so I was hoping I could slide it in the back as far as it will go and then just support the extra 3 inches of the sump hanging out with some wood blocks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The sump doesn’t fully fit inside - it will hang out the back about 3 inches so I was hoping I could slide it in the back as far as it will go and then just support the extra 3 inches of the sump hanging out with some wood blocks.

Or As I did once. place a wood base that supports the tank as the weight will be mostly forward. Mine stuck out 1 3/4" and keeping in mind there is Maybe 20 gals of water in the sump- not the full capacity

 

[ChiReefGuy3]

Okay... so you need open the front 3/4"; 1/4" on each side and 1/4" extra for play. I would just take 1/2" off of each side.

Before you shave anything, have you measured to make sure that there is enough room (front to back) for the sump?

If there is, then you could shave off 1/2 inch on each side. BUT, I would frame out the front of the cabinet on the inside; place a 2x4 across the top the full length of the stand supported by (2) 2x4s down the front left and right corner.

What kind of paint would you use on the additional 2x4 supports?

 

[ChiReefGuy3]

Or As I did once. place a wood base that supports the tank as the weight will be mostly forward. Mine stuck out 1 3/4" and keeping in mind there is Maybe 20 gals of water in the sump- not the full capacity

Great idea!

 

[Dom]

What kind of paint would you use on the additional 2x4 supports?

Aesthetically, you won't see it so you could put a clear coat on it to protect the wood from the salt and humidity.