Crazy Sump Idea?

[singlemalt]

I've been trying to figure a way to get a decent sized sump under my standard 55 gal stand. Obviously the problem is that the width of the stand is only 10 inches or so at it's narrowest point limiting me to a 10 gal sump if I use a standard size glass tank. Now for the Crazy Idea...
Has anybody ever tried joining 2 ten gallon tanks together? I thought I might cut out one side of each of the tanks, then put the two back toghether by siliconing some acrylic or plexigalss to each seam that would now be created. Then build a wood frame for the top and bottom that would include a support brace or two? Presto a slimline 20 gal sump.
So am i nuts or not? All comments accepted!! Or even better tell me there is a 40 x 12 x 10 standard aquarium out there somewhere

 

[jjboods]

Probably better of getting them drilled and use bulkhead fitting. Then you can have one for equipment and the other as a refugium.

 

[scooter8416]

i am doing same thing....my lfs said 10 gallon tank r too small to be drilled...im gonna find some on else to do it for me, like local machine shop....i bought 2 ten gallon tanks the fit nicely under neath.......ill attact a diagram of exactlly what i am doing...hope it helps u in some way..........i will be taken real pictures of this setup also sometime soon....let me know what u think.
~shawn

 

[jjboods]

You might want to post a new thread and ask a shark, but I think the tee should be on the overflow line...not the return.

 

[glazer]

Hmmm, wonder what the reason behind "too small to drill" is/was... glass thickness? I had a 7 gallon minibow drilled with an overflow and return... the glass shop said they couldn't get the tank on the drill press cuz of the curved front so they did it by "hand" with a router and bit not unlike the tile cutting bits used in the roto-zip tools. Sooooooo, me gots to thinking, why not... I am using a ten gallon tank for my sump/refugium for the aforementioned drilled 7... I am mounting an IceProbe in the sump so needed to drill an 1 1/4" hole in it.... the glass shop only charged me 5 bucks a hole but since the ten gallon tank costs me 7 dollars I decided to "go for the gusto". Got my dremel out, attached the router base to it, insert tile bit and presto! One hole drilled in tank 15 minutes later... It's not to small dammit! hehehe

 

[singlemalt]

New Ideas as always. The two tank Sump/Refugium sounds like the way to go. Thanks for the help

 

[hairtrigger]

yeah, if you just stick em together... you will probably have problems getting the water levels to stay. One will eventually overflow the other. I tried it once and it was a huge pain in the a$$. You might as well just get a 20 long or something similar. They are pretty inexpensive if that's an issue.

 

[singlemalt]

The 20 long was my original plan but my stupid 55 gal stand is only 10 inches wide. Maybe I'll build an new stand while I'm at it. Of course it might not be the most healthy thing for my marrige........