home made sump

mkroher

mkroher

Member
So.. i bought some plastic today to make my own sump.
dimensions are going to be 36"x14"x18".
It's going to hold the skimmer. I assume once the skimmer is in there, it stays there?
I can't imagine a way to pull the skimmer out without dismantling the whole tank. There won't be enough clearance to pull it out after.
I have to install the sump in the stand, then place the tank on the stand, therefore, locking the sump inside the stand.
Any ideas?
I'll try to get some pics up.
Thanks
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
sounds right... as long as you have room to get the cup off that should be fine... make sure you can get to the pump incase something goes wrong with it and you will have to clean it every so often but once the skimmer is in you shouldnt need to pull it out...
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
you cant use silicon to glue acrylic you have to weld them... and if the sump is 14" high that thinkness MIGHT be ok but it is 18" high your really pushing it... i used 3/8" for mine and its only 16" high... wait for more responses on the thickness thing but i know the silicone will not hold...
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
i'm not going to use the full height.
i'm thinking maybe 12-14" of water in the sump.. not sure yet..
thanks for the tip on welding it.. i googled it. you are correct.
 
bulldog123

bulldog123

Member
You do not want to lock your skimmer in there for good. Anything could happen and need to be replaced and cleaned. Most skimmers will not take or be under 9" of water(check yours). As for the welding your edges must be clean. Just go with a smaller build.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
Measure the tank. lets just say for giggles its 12 inches wide. You want your dividers to be 11" 3/4 of an inch. This will give it a nice snug fit. The glass is an 1/8 inch thick on each side. That will cover the 1/4 inch you gave up on the cuts. You can get plexiglass at lowes. They will cut it for you. Then use this.
http://www.dap.com/images/products/h...listerCard.jpg
That will seal it. I did this on my sump I built. It holds perfect.
Also you want room to able to take out your skimmer. It should be cleaned every few months and what happens if your pump goes bad? I put my skimmer in my sump then slide the dividers up against it as close as I could. I can take out the skimmer with ease to work on it or clean it if need be.
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3059220
Measure the tank. lets just say for giggles its 12 inches wide. You want your dividers to be 11" 3/4 of an inch. This will give it a nice snug fit. The glass is an 1/8 inch thick on each side. That will cover the 1/4 inch you gave up on the cuts. You can get plexiglass at lowes. They will cut it for you. Then use this.
http://www.dap.com/images/products/h...listerCard.jpg
That will seal it. I did this on my sump I built. It holds perfect.
Also you want room to able to take out your skimmer. It should be cleaned every few months and what happens if your pump goes bad? I put my skimmer in my sump then slide the dividers up against it as close as I could. I can take out the skimmer with ease to work on it or clean it if need be.
That stuff is a "sealant", not a weld... Now i'm confused.
Well, i've already purchased the glass and made my first cuts. The total box is 36" long, 15" high, 14" wide. I did not glue it together yet.
I do not have a skimmer yet.. I guess this sump build is on hold until i get one. Maybe a HOB will work better, since I can pull it out of the sump from the back of the stand.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
Ignore what I said.
Although it would be easier and cheaper to buy a 30 or 40 gallon, which is what your tank is coming out to be, then just use plexiglass dividers.
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3059347
Ignore what I said.
Although it would be easier and cheaper to buy a 30 or 40 gallon, which is what your tank is coming out to be, then just use plexiglass dividers.
I agree.. but I want a long sump, that's not too high. I want to be able to get my hands in there without cursing

There is a level of enjoyment to building my own sump, so I don't mind doing it at all.
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
when making dividers, how much lower should the next one be to create flow?
I know there are many variables.. but on average.. 1/4"? 1/2" ? more?
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
here's the acrylic sump i made, with no dividers yet. It has about 1" of water in it. I plan on filling it with water and leaving it in the garage for a few weeks.. to make sure there's no leaks.
 
taznut

taznut

Active Member
Originally Posted by mkroher
http:///forum/post/3059319
That stuff is a "sealant", not a weld... Now i'm confused.
Well, i've already purchased the glass and made my first cuts. The total box is 36" long, 15" high, 14" wide. I did not glue it together yet.
I do not have a skimmer yet.. I guess this sump build is on hold until i get one. Maybe a HOB will work better, since I can pull it out of the sump from the back of the stand.
im using 2hob skimmers with mine (the one i got didnt have enough flow and the 2nd one i had from before)... i went with the hob due to clearance issues and the problem with water depth... before adding any of the dividers check to see how far below the water line you skimmer pump is suppose to be...
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
Originally Posted by taznut
http:///forum/post/3070237
im using 2hob skimmers with mine (the one i got didnt have enough flow and the 2nd one i had from before)... i went with the hob due to clearance issues and the problem with water depth... before adding any of the dividers check to see how far below the water line you skimmer pump is suppose to be...
yeah... i ran the skimmer with about 6-8" of water in the display tank, it seemed to be be ok.
 
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