Sump?

[Sinn]

hey guys,

im new to this forum and im glad ive found it ...

ive got a question to ask... i have intentions of having a sump behind my 2 feet tank.. However, i dont have much space ( ard 20 cm ) for the width of the tank and i think ive gotta custom make it.

Question is, where can i go to custom make it ( tried looking for glass shops but dont seem to find any ).

If anyone knows could u give me an estimate of the price for a tank with dimensions ard 600 x 200 x 250mm? (hoping it doesnt cost me <$100 )

Thanx guys..

[dodo]

i just got my sump tank at 83 Tagore Lane....company name is Coral Reef Tank Mfr Pte Ltd....beside the Thompson used car centre....got custom make,got ready made....everything also got...by the way....my 2ft sump tank cost $123.60....if you custom make....add another 30-40 bucks should be fine

[spade]

For 2ft sump, i think if u buy a 2ft tank (~$20) and a few of those acrylic partitions (~$2 per sheet, i think) used in LuoHan. Glue those partition up using a Silicon sealant (~$4 from ntuc). less than $50. ther rest can use to buy somemore livestock

my $26 worth of suggestion

[Phang]

Don't use silicon for acrylics and glass....won't work as AT mentioned in the other thread...

Those $20 "claimed to be glass tanks" are actually acrylic based however....The next problem with acrylics are the solvent...

don't think they are available off the shelf as they contain the restricted ingredient chloroform.....

[dodo]

quite agree with Phang....saving a few dollars on tpt here and there i would encourage....comparing two entirely different products are out of the questions....DIY stuffs are cheap and fun to make....but come end of the day....DIY stuffs will not outlast those made commercially or those made for a specific purpose....y save on a $70-$80 dollars whereby it is a neccessary equipment?

[spade]

ooops

[Phang]

quite agree with Phang....saving a few dollars on tpt here and there i would encourage....comparing two entirely different products are out of the questions....DIY stuffs are cheap and fun to make....but come end of the day....DIY stuffs will not outlast those made commercially or those made for a specific purpose....y save on a $70-$80 dollars whereby it is a neccessary equipment?

Actually DIY ing stuffs are fun and saves you money, provided you know how...

I have personally DIYed some stuffs and saved my "pocket"..

When done properly, these DIYed equipments would be as effectively and good as the real thing....

Only issue is... you must spend time searching and gathering infor so you won't go wrong......

IMO, in regards to glass/tank making... leave it to the experts unless you have a steady hand and know-hows, or else don't attempt it.... a room full of saltwater isn't a pretty sight.....

Spade has a nice design for a sump...... ask him for details.....

He's a nice guy....

[dodo]

no offence spade....jus stating my point of view...end of the day...still suggest buy from a expert(sump tank manufacturer)

[hydra]

Sinn,

You can get your sump from this guy. Customed a 4ft sump for $120. A 2ft will cost much less.

Also, check out those sump design in the last few threads, and customed one that suit you.

Kwong Ling Framemaker

3 Kelantan Road

Tel: 62940531

[newdamsel]

Just to offer an opposing opinion.... but those 2ft acrylic tank should be fine for a sump... afterall its down there and who cares about scratches... I used it for my main tank and its still free from scratch...

From what I have built...using silicone and 3mm acrylic for partitioning in a 2ft is also ok.... strong enuff to withstand the pressures... but definitely for anything thats larger than 3ft.... glass is better...

Acrylic glue can usually be bought at neighbourhood hardware shops... Art Friend at bras basah sells them in bottle.... It's used like super glue.. but for water proofing... or to prevents leak... smear another layer of silicone using your finger would do the trick...

dirty??.. sure..thats DIY... silicone on fingers is easy to remove... but trick is wait for it to dry on ya hands first.. it cannot be washed off with soap and water... usign towel will leave you with a furry hand...dun try to rub it while its not set or it'll cover ya whole hand... when its all set.. peel it like sunburnt skin

[Sinn]

thanx for the help guys...

will be coming down to kelantan road probably in the next few days...

fingers are itching rite now, but wallet is moaning

anyway...

im setting my sump just for 2 reasons ( to put my skimmer and to increase the water capacity of my tank )

i hope its worth it...

[Sinn]

came down to kelantan road and ordered my 2 feet sump tank..

cost is $40..

but i suddenly have a better design

hope the guy doesnt kill me when i call him tmr morning

lesson learnt from initial design = its super hard to work with 2 pumps ( one for inflow to the sump, the other to the main tank) cus its almost imposibble to maintain the water level as desired... overflows the best...

oh well... wish my sump luck!

[Tanzy]

Double pumping is trouble waiting to happen. Over time, calcium deposits or algae growth will decrease the pump rate and either the sump or main tank is gonna go dry and the other overflow.

Good thing you noticed.

[Sinn]

hey mr joe...

ive got yer pm but i cant reply to u via pm cause my netscape dont allow me to and my internet explorer is spoilt...

anyway, be forewarned that im really a newbie and watever information i gathered is entirely based on things i read in

forums and websites

my design for my sump is very simple..

theres theres 2 pieces of glass acting as partitions , the first one flows from the bottom and the next one from the top

so as to minimise bubbles coming out from the skimmer from entering the main tank

after which i hope to incorporate a super mini refugium ( for additional sand and live rocks)

the top part of the last section i ask to drill a hole so that if it reaches a certain height will flow back to main tank( overflow )

my main tank is only 2 feet

as for having a 3 feet tank with a 2 feet sump is possible, but alot of pple advice me to go bigger. let money and space be the restriction

as AT said = a small tank with a big sump can look better then a big tank with a small sump.

the most important thing is that uve gotta know what u want for yer sump and whats the purpose of it

i spoke to mr hong at kelantan road and hes been very helpful and funny

i suggest u go there with a design and talk to him about it

dont forget the dimensions

i hope that helps...

[Sinn]

hehe tanzy...

im pretty glad myself...

my initial design had an overflow to an external bucket and a pump to the main tank, in case theres overflow have to

pour the water back into the system(very mah fan). if its underflow, my pump can say goodbye!

lesson learnt from a newbie:

i wud have made that mistake if i didnt read up on head pressure (if yer stubborn like me, research and find out. so far

all the stubborness i had - against lfs disagreeing, has been unrewarding)

[Limpc]

Hi Sinn,

The sump you bought is it a custom made to your requirement ? or is it off the shelf ?

Limpc

[Sinn]

custom made to my desired size and design

[Sinn]

hi guys,..

ive got another question...

with regards to the pump,

would a cheap pump be good enough to transfer water from my 2 feet tank to the sump?

was thinking that since my water capacity after adding the sump is only ard 80 litres, the turnover rate would be ilttle rite?

the distance between the main tank and the sump is very little ( sump is located behind the tank )

thank uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[chanbi]

Hi Sinn, first u must let us know what is your plan? Main 2' tank has a little pump that transfer water to your sump and overflow back to main tank? It makes a lot of difference whether u are really using a overflow back to main tank. If yes, u can go for a cheaper pump cos' there will be no danger of flooding even when the pump fail (of course it will still be harmful to your coral/fish/invert as water transfer stop, oxygen will drop). And if u ask me, i would prefer to get a reliable pump and as well as looking out for low power consumption (long term cost). For 80l, a 600-800l/h pump will be good enough.

[Phang]

would a cheap pump be good enough to transfer water from my 2 feet tank to the sump?

You confused me....

Your sump is above your mains????

I think 5 - 10 times total volume exhange of water is good.....

[Sinn]

my sump is behind my tank

water is pumped from the main 2' feet tank to the sump

an overflow would be used to transfer the water back...

thanx guys...

will be buyin the pump today...

my sump prob coming tmr or sat...