A fish tank followed me home!!!!

Jagertime · 12/20/2016, 08:59 AM

Hello all, I've been out of the salt water game for about 7 years now. I was at the pet store last week looking for some dog bones and noticed they had a 54 gallon corner tank on sale. It was half off because it was missing it's lid. When I talked to the owner, I told them I wanted a new one, they said they wouldn't order a new one until this one sold. Then said I could have the tank, stand, and lights for $100.00. I said sold and brought it home.

I took the tank to lowes and had them cut plexiglass to make a lid. On Saturday I filled up the tank and added "dead" rock and live sand, Sunday I added about 20 pounds of live rock to mix in with the 25 pounds of dead rock. Last night I added more live rock. All of my parameter tests are 0's and ph is 8.1.

Now on to the question. I have a canister filter currently, I wanted to build a sump and actually started with the pipping for the overflow. But the wife wanted to start it up before Christmas with everything except fish until the tank gets established.

So the biggest tank I can fit under the stand and is available locally to me is a 10 gallon sump. Have the drain line from the display tank already built, I was planning on 3 chambers with in the sump. thats where I'm getting stuck and need some help. The plan is to have:

1st. Water entering the sump, Also in that chamber would be the skimmer

2nd the water would pass through a baffle going into a second chamber which would house the heater?

3rd it would pass through another baffle before hitting the last chamber with the return pump.

So what type of filtration should I use in the first chamber and in the second chamber????

My thought was to have the water enter the sump into a sock that had bio carbon inside it, and also have the skimmer in that chamber. I was planning on putting something like poly filter between the glass baffles on before the water flows into the second chamber. The second chamber would house the heater, some live sand and live rock. Then go through the baffling again to keep the micro bubbles from entering the tank into the 3 chamber which would include a return pump.

I'm not really sure what size pump I need as a return. I have two power heads in the tank that each do 500 gph each.

Any ideas would be helpful. Also, as of now it's just a FOWLR.

ericarenee · 12/20/2016, 09:27 AM

I think the sump would be fine in the above arrangement.. I have my drain dump into the first chamber where the skimmer is.. I have a single baffle there that is just two inches down from the top of my sump. I PUT THE Skimmer on a stand made of acrylic to get it at the correct height. Under my skimmer is one of my buckets for Deep sand bed.

There is then another chamber in my sump that i have 4 more 1.5 gallon containers full of sand more DSB.. Detritus will also settle in this area and i vac it out once a month.. Then i have 3 baffles under over under but are only about 10 inches tall and 1.5 inch between them..then the return pump section.. I DO not run filter socks but when i need to i put micron filter pad that i have cut to fit between the baffles before the return pump for when I am cleaning ...

As far as the size of the pump that will be determined by the over flow on the back of the tank and drain setup....

My Return pump has a manifold that has 3 ball valves over my sump for Carbon Reactor and two 1 inch pipes going down inside the sump that i can add additional things to or turn on just to add more circulation in the sump if need be. I also have a ball valve to shut water off to the tank and one so the pump can push water to the washer box for water changes..

My sump is 75 gallons and is in the basement right under my display and 75 gallon refugium...

I think your on the right track..

ohh Be sure to remove the tanks feet or it might decide to walk to neighbors house.

thegrun · 12/20/2016, 10:29 AM

I'm nearly positive the 10 gallon sump will not be nearly big enough. You have to accommodate all the drain down water that will drop into your sump when you turn off the power to your return pump, otherwise you will have a flood. Unfortunately you may need to build a custom sump for your corner tank, the dimensions of the tank make it difficult to get a large enough sump to accomplish what you want.

Sk8r · 12/20/2016, 11:29 AM

You'd be happier with a 20 gallon sump, maybe a 30. I ran a 10 successfully for 4 years, but was SURE glad to get more space down there so I could run a meaningful skimmer. Skimmers of various brands have 'spitting' or overflow instances, and a hang-on for a skimmer poses risks to your carpet.

Jagertime · 12/21/2016, 12:43 PM

If I have the return flow set at the top of the tank just at the waters edge, during power loss it should be less than 3 gallons of back flow if my calculations are correct

Jagertime · 12/21/2016, 12:45 PM

Any ideas on using something other thank a pre build tank as a sump? I am going to be looking at a LFS that say they have a 15g tank but I think the 20g would have the same foot print and be to big to fit.

12/20/2016, 08:59 AM	#1
Jagertime Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Waynesboro VA Posts: 8	A fish tank followed me home!!!! Hello all, I've been out of the salt water game for about 7 years now. I was at the pet store last week looking for some dog bones and noticed they had a 54 gallon corner tank on sale. It was half off because it was missing it's lid. When I talked to the owner, I told them I wanted a new one, they said they wouldn't order a new one until this one sold. Then said I could have the tank, stand, and lights for $100.00. I said sold and brought it home. I took the tank to lowes and had them cut plexiglass to make a lid. On Saturday I filled up the tank and added "dead" rock and live sand, Sunday I added about 20 pounds of live rock to mix in with the 25 pounds of dead rock. Last night I added more live rock. All of my parameter tests are 0's and ph is 8.1. Now on to the question. I have a canister filter currently, I wanted to build a sump and actually started with the pipping for the overflow. But the wife wanted to start it up before Christmas with everything except fish until the tank gets established. So the biggest tank I can fit under the stand and is available locally to me is a 10 gallon sump. Have the drain line from the display tank already built, I was planning on 3 chambers with in the sump. thats where I'm getting stuck and need some help. The plan is to have: 1st. Water entering the sump, Also in that chamber would be the skimmer 2nd the water would pass through a baffle going into a second chamber which would house the heater? 3rd it would pass through another baffle before hitting the last chamber with the return pump. So what type of filtration should I use in the first chamber and in the second chamber???? My thought was to have the water enter the sump into a sock that had bio carbon inside it, and also have the skimmer in that chamber. I was planning on putting something like poly filter between the glass baffles on before the water flows into the second chamber. The second chamber would house the heater, some live sand and live rock. Then go through the baffling again to keep the micro bubbles from entering the tank into the 3 chamber which would include a return pump. I'm not really sure what size pump I need as a return. I have two power heads in the tank that each do 500 gph each. Any ideas would be helpful. Also, as of now it's just a FOWLR.

12/20/2016, 09:27 AM	#2
ericarenee Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Louisville Kentucky Posts: 3,110	I think the sump would be fine in the above arrangement.. I have my drain dump into the first chamber where the skimmer is.. I have a single baffle there that is just two inches down from the top of my sump. I PUT THE Skimmer on a stand made of acrylic to get it at the correct height. Under my skimmer is one of my buckets for Deep sand bed. There is then another chamber in my sump that i have 4 more 1.5 gallon containers full of sand more DSB.. Detritus will also settle in this area and i vac it out once a month.. Then i have 3 baffles under over under but are only about 10 inches tall and 1.5 inch between them..then the return pump section.. I DO not run filter socks but when i need to i put micron filter pad that i have cut to fit between the baffles before the return pump for when I am cleaning ... As far as the size of the pump that will be determined by the over flow on the back of the tank and drain setup.... My Return pump has a manifold that has 3 ball valves over my sump for Carbon Reactor and two 1 inch pipes going down inside the sump that i can add additional things to or turn on just to add more circulation in the sump if need be. I also have a ball valve to shut water off to the tank and one so the pump can push water to the washer box for water changes.. My sump is 75 gallons and is in the basement right under my display and 75 gallon refugium... I think your on the right track.. ohh Be sure to remove the tanks feet or it might decide to walk to neighbors house. __________________ 240+G Mixed BB Reef tank.. 350 G Marine Pond. And the expensive stuff that runs it. Chic's are for Chic's You silly men Go Fishing or something... Current Tank Info: 240= gal Reef /550 Gallon Saltwater pond 72 G Bay front Tropical aquarium

12/20/2016, 11:29 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You'd be happier with a 20 gallon sump, maybe a 30. I ran a 10 successfully for 4 years, but was SURE glad to get more space down there so I could run a meaningful skimmer. Skimmers of various brands have 'spitting' or overflow instances, and a hang-on for a skimmer poses risks to your carpet. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/20/2016, 10:29 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I'm nearly positive the 10 gallon sump will not be nearly big enough. You have to accommodate all the drain down water that will drop into your sump when you turn off the power to your return pump, otherwise you will have a flood. Unfortunately you may need to build a custom sump for your corner tank, the dimensions of the tank make it difficult to get a large enough sump to accomplish what you want.

12/21/2016, 12:43 PM	#5
Jagertime Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Waynesboro VA Posts: 8	If I have the return flow set at the top of the tank just at the waters edge, during power loss it should be less than 3 gallons of back flow if my calculations are correct

12/21/2016, 12:45 PM	#6
Jagertime Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Waynesboro VA Posts: 8	Any ideas on using something other thank a pre build tank as a sump? I am going to be looking at a LFS that say they have a 15g tank but I think the 20g would have the same foot print and be to big to fit.