What Should I do Now??? Any Ideas?

hot883

hot883

Active Member
Ok, I ordered a 150 gal. rated sump/refugium w/skimmer, lights, overflow etc. complete. It is about a 12 gallon tank. (look up auction # 7718153814 to see one like it) It came with a 200 gallon rated skimmer that is way to tall for my application. I specifically asked for a shorter skimmer and was told they had a 17" model for a 100-150 gal. tank. They sent it, told me to keep the bigger one. I recieved the smaller one and it's to tall for my application too.
I was going to have to break down my tank, change out the CC
and add 40 lbs. of base rock, (lost in mail, do not have either) and 60 lbs. of LS.
So my situation is; I do not know if I still want to break it all down and try to make this work, or buy something else. I now have $275 invested with shipping.
Any suggestions? MY email is bcool831@pldi.net if you are interested in this setup.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
What do you mean its too tall? Does it sit in the sump, or hang off the back. I'm going to move your thread over to Equiptment, if you don't mind, where I think you might get more help.
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by Beth
What do you mean its too tall? Does it sit in the sump, or hang off the back. I'm going to move your thread over to Equiptment, if you don't mind, where I think you might get more help.
Thanks Beth. It's to tall because I'm trying to get all of it under the tank in the stand.
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
Sounds like a limited space issue......I got around all that by having my display plumbed thru the wall and my sump/refugium/reactor all in a different room. But......it may be time to consider a display with more space.....if you can afford the system. :notsure:
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by NM reef
Sounds like a limited space issue......I got around all that by having my display plumbed thru the wall and my sump/refugium/reactor all in a different room. But......it may be time to consider a display with more space.....if you can afford the system. :notsure:
Thats about a year away. (New Harley first) Ha! Should I just send it all back, get a refund and try something else, or make this work now?
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I guess I'm not sure why it doesn't fit...since they sold it all to you as a package. Is it just not fitting under the tank? Or the skimmer doesn't fit in sump?
If it won't fit any way in the space you have under the tank, then your only other option would be move it to the side or behind the tank. Maybe get a smaller sump? Mayb not spend so much money on it since you are upgrading in a yr. I personally have never had used a sump, so I'm the last to advise on this, but can't you diy a sump and get a skimmer hand picked for your sump? You can just get a rubbermaid container for the sump, and put the skimmer of your choice in it. There really is no need to spend to much money on the "sump" per sa. Save all your money for the best skimmer that you can afford.
Just my humble, inexp. .01cent worth.
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by Beth
I guess I'm not sure why it doesn't fit...since they sold it all to you as a package. Is it just not fitting under the tank? Or the skimmer doesn't fit in sump?
If it won't fit any way in the space you have under the tank, then your only other option would be move it to the side or behind the tank. Maybe get a smaller sump? Mayb not spend so much money on it since you are upgrading in a yr. I personally have never had used a sump, so I'm the last to advise on this, but can't you diy a sump and get a skimmer hand picked for your sump? You can just get a rubbermaid container for the sump, and put the skimmer of your choice in it. There really is no need to spend to much money on the "sump" per sa. Save all your money for the best skimmer that you can afford.
Just my humble, inexp. .01cent worth.
Well Beth I value your opinion very much. Yes, the problem is that the skimmer is to tall in the sump to fit into my stand. Would modifying my stand that much be worth the added benefits? I can use the same set up when I do the upgrade, except I would use the 55 as my refugium. Ha! I do see your point in the DIY portion, just feeling like I need to do this. I currently have no skimmer running now, but I do have spagetti and chaulerpa in my main tank and my water is great.
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
I think I might have a solution. I think I could plumb the skimmer and not use it as a in sump or hang on. Might be able to make it fit then. :thinking:
 
farmboy

farmboy

Active Member
Maybe some pics would spark an idea out here in cyber space.
Oh, not from me, of course. I'm no plumber.
 
mitzel

mitzel

Active Member
Originally Posted by Farmboy
Maybe some pics would spark an idea out here in cyber space.
Oh, not from me, of course. I'm no plumber.


Well I'm an aprentice plumber. I still have to work on my crack before I can be a journeyman.
Ok not really . I just had to make a plumbers crack joke since all I have been talking about is plumbing today.
this is what your skimmer looks like? This looks to me like it can be plumbed to sit outside of the sump. You could also try trimming the collection cup down a bit if you only need a small bit of clearance
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by mitzel
Well I'm an aprentice plumber. I still have to work on my crack before I can be a journeyman.
Ok not really . I just had to make a plumbers crack joke since all I have been talking about is plumbing today.
this is what your skimmer looks like? This looks to me like it can be plumbed to sit outside of the sump. You could also try trimming the collection cup down a bit if you only need a small bit of clearance
That is the model. The lid is resessed a bit so don't think it can be trimmed and the lid stay on unless I glue something up. Thought of that at first. Since you know the model, what ya think of the whole setup?
Ok, so I started yesterday at 3:30pm. and got down/quit at 8:30/9:00pm.
Hard lessons were learned thats for sure. The large 32 gal. trashcan I bought for most of the water containment leaked. So...I ended up using ice chests and other realative clean items to hold water.
I had to modify my stand to accomidate the sump/fuge and got that all good to go.
Put in base rocks then sand and then slowly added water. DID NOT cloud 1 bit
i WAS VERY HAPPY.
Got everything transfered and then attempted to start new pumps and fuge system.
I don't think I understand the overflow box and how that syphon is suppose to work. Any hints or tricks there? Or is it all in the water level?
The skimmer pictured above is not exactly the same but very close. The hose on the left coming out from under the collection cup is not there. There is a very small tube connector in the bottom, I assume is for an external container.
When I started everything up, water poured from this little hole all over the inside of my stand
and it took me a while to figure out where the water was coming from. ( a double
) If anyone has this type, I NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE!
I was very tired and back was giving out so I went to bed, but I started the 2 old filters and 2 power heads for circulation. After church I will continue on my endeavor. I also have to mix up some more sw because of my leak last night. (doing that now)
 
tinmanny

tinmanny

Member
Hot it sounds like you are having a bad tank day wish you luck is the leak from the venturi hole if so is it suppose to have a hose attached to it located in a higher place again good luck sorry about the spill that just adds insult to injury

Good luck

Manny
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Hi Manny, thanks for looking. The 2 airline tubing going to that small 1" cannister looking thing is necessary I gather? I do not have that larger hole or hose in the bottom of the collection cup as I said (left hand side). Nor do I have the hole in the side of the hard plastic downspout which I gather from the crappy directions is the intake? Also, should I have a airline hose fitted to the side of the pump? It has a plastic disk in there now.
Man I need help. Ha!
 
tinmanny

tinmanny

Member
can you post pictures of the skimmer you have from different angles and what is the name of it I must have missed
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by tinmanny
also is that a coral life or just a knockoff of it

It's the one in the pictures above. The box said CA so I don't know about the brand. Came with the set up mentioned in the beginning of this thread. Thanks, Barry
 
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