Sump for 55 stand

thecichlidpleco · 01/04/2008, 01:45 AM

I have a 40 gallon long which is a 55 but shorter, so the stand I have is a 55 and has about 11 inches wide of space to fit something. Right now I have a rubbermaid 18 gallon sticking out the door which is both tacky and awkward. So any suggestions on some wierd sized tank or a plastic container skinny but tall. And yes I know I can do 10 gallons, but would like to not have to use 2 or 3 with various U tubes.

Kannin · 01/04/2008, 01:59 AM

Do you have "Tap Plastics" in your area? If not... maybe a place like it. I just went there to have some pieces cut for my baffles in my new sump. I bet you could get all the pieces for a sump cut for about a hundred bucks including the glue... while you wait.

I found a tank for my last tank that would fit and I was disappointed. I'm gonna build a new one out of acrylic from Tap Plastics and get what I want.

kwaters · 01/04/2008, 02:07 AM

I have a 55 gallon stand as well. I built my sump for about 100 bucks and was able to customize it. 10" X 16" X 32" (w/h/l). It was a little tricky getting it together, but it works out nicely!

Kris

thecichlidpleco · 01/04/2008, 09:50 PM

okay I think I am just going to have a 10 gallon with the return and the protein skimmer and this rubbermaid high up and gravity feed down to the 10 gallon, this will be the fuge. Now for gravity feed, should I have the hole higher up so that the water running from the return to the fuge fills the tank and pushes water out when it gets too high, or should it be low and always be flowing out, constant with the water running into it?

stingythingy45 · 01/04/2008, 10:07 PM

I would think you would want the drain high.So that if you stopped everything the rubbermaid wouldn't run dry.This might be a problem if you have a skimmer running in there.

BTW...........kwaters,I love that sump/ref.
Got any pitures of it under your stand?
Trying to figure out why so many baffles.

thecichlidpleco · 01/04/2008, 10:15 PM

yep, makes sense, but the skimmer is in the 10 gallon and not the rubbermaid.

jubjub · 01/04/2008, 11:01 PM

i put in a 20gallon long under my 55galon stand......ends up i put some trim around the door to extend it out half inch works like a top

jcpatella · 01/05/2008, 01:09 AM

I had the same problem with my 55g. Here is a picture from the back. Let's just say it took some real "brainstorming" to get a semi-reliable solution.

As you can see, the HOB overflow drains into a kitchen trash can, which I cut for easy access from the front. This holds the skimmer, and drains into a 10g 'fuge'. After a couple of baffles, the water is returned into the main display. Ugly? YES! But it wasn't sticking out of the doors!

thecichlidpleco · 01/05/2008, 02:26 PM

Big problem right now is the rubbermaid sticking out the door, not for me, but the girlfriend. I guess I will do a trash can, but your stand much higher than the AGA stand I have.

jcpatella · 01/05/2008, 03:48 PM

I used a jig-saw to cut away the front of the trash can for easy access. You can kind of see it in the picture. Maybe you could get a shorter trash can, or cut off 5" around the top. I'd recommend getting a shorter trash can, though. They have a rim around the top that helps keep its form when it's filled up with water (they have a tendency to bow when filled).

01/04/2008, 01:45 AM	#1
thecichlidpleco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,227	Sump for 55 stand I have a 40 gallon long which is a 55 but shorter, so the stand I have is a 55 and has about 11 inches wide of space to fit something. Right now I have a rubbermaid 18 gallon sticking out the door which is both tacky and awkward. So any suggestions on some wierd sized tank or a plastic container skinny but tall. And yes I know I can do 10 gallons, but would like to not have to use 2 or 3 with various U tubes. __________________ knowledge is power, power leads to abuse, study hard, be evil Owning a tank is like being with that girlfriend who could care less about you, but you couldn't stand being without her. Current Tank Info: 125 Reef, (3) 250w aquamedic oceanlights ETSS 600 skimmer, mag12 return, (2) Tunze 6055's with 7095 controller, 100 gallon sump

01/04/2008, 01:59 AM	#2
Kannin Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fall City, WA Posts: 1,538	Do you have "Tap Plastics" in your area? If not... maybe a place like it. I just went there to have some pieces cut for my baffles in my new sump. I bet you could get all the pieces for a sump cut for about a hundred bucks including the glue... while you wait. I found a tank for my last tank that would fit and I was disappointed. I'm gonna build a new one out of acrylic from Tap Plastics and get what I want. __________________ I used to target feed mojanos... until I found out that they weren't baby bubble tips.

01/04/2008, 02:07 AM	#3
kwaters Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Newberg, Oregon Posts: 364	I have a 55 gallon stand as well. I built my sump for about 100 bucks and was able to customize it. 10" X 16" X 32" (w/h/l). It was a little tricky getting it together, but it works out nicely! Kris __________________ Pacific North West Marine Aquarium Society (PNWMAS)-Secretary Kris Waters Current Tank Info: 110 gallon tall

01/04/2008, 09:50 PM	#4
thecichlidpleco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,227	okay I think I am just going to have a 10 gallon with the return and the protein skimmer and this rubbermaid high up and gravity feed down to the 10 gallon, this will be the fuge. Now for gravity feed, should I have the hole higher up so that the water running from the return to the fuge fills the tank and pushes water out when it gets too high, or should it be low and always be flowing out, constant with the water running into it? __________________ knowledge is power, power leads to abuse, study hard, be evil Owning a tank is like being with that girlfriend who could care less about you, but you couldn't stand being without her. Current Tank Info: 125 Reef, (3) 250w aquamedic oceanlights ETSS 600 skimmer, mag12 return, (2) Tunze 6055's with 7095 controller, 100 gallon sump

01/04/2008, 10:07 PM	#5
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	I would think you would want the drain high.So that if you stopped everything the rubbermaid wouldn't run dry.This might be a problem if you have a skimmer running in there. BTW...........kwaters,I love that sump/ref. Got any pitures of it under your stand? Trying to figure out why so many baffles. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

01/04/2008, 10:15 PM	#6
thecichlidpleco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,227	yep, makes sense, but the skimmer is in the 10 gallon and not the rubbermaid. __________________ knowledge is power, power leads to abuse, study hard, be evil Owning a tank is like being with that girlfriend who could care less about you, but you couldn't stand being without her. Current Tank Info: 125 Reef, (3) 250w aquamedic oceanlights ETSS 600 skimmer, mag12 return, (2) Tunze 6055's with 7095 controller, 100 gallon sump

01/04/2008, 11:01 PM	#7
jubjub Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: vacaville, cali Posts: 2,698	i put in a 20gallon long under my 55galon stand......ends up i put some trim around the door to extend it out half inch works like a top __________________ "The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence." - Abu Ala Al-Maari

01/05/2008, 01:09 AM	#8
jcpatella Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 814	I had the same problem with my 55g. Here is a picture from the back. Let's just say it took some real "brainstorming" to get a semi-reliable solution. As you can see, the HOB overflow drains into a kitchen trash can, which I cut for easy access from the front. This holds the skimmer, and drains into a 10g 'fuge'. After a couple of baffles, the water is returned into the main display. Ugly? YES! But it wasn't sticking out of the doors! __________________ Dogs - Man's best friend; entropy's greatest catalyst. Current Tank Info: Biocube 8 on the way!

01/05/2008, 02:26 PM	#9
thecichlidpleco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,227	Big problem right now is the rubbermaid sticking out the door, not for me, but the girlfriend. I guess I will do a trash can, but your stand much higher than the AGA stand I have. __________________ knowledge is power, power leads to abuse, study hard, be evil Owning a tank is like being with that girlfriend who could care less about you, but you couldn't stand being without her. Current Tank Info: 125 Reef, (3) 250w aquamedic oceanlights ETSS 600 skimmer, mag12 return, (2) Tunze 6055's with 7095 controller, 100 gallon sump

01/05/2008, 03:48 PM	#10
jcpatella Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 814	I used a jig-saw to cut away the front of the trash can for easy access. You can kind of see it in the picture. Maybe you could get a shorter trash can, or cut off 5" around the top. I'd recommend getting a shorter trash can, though. They have a rim around the top that helps keep its form when it's filled up with water (they have a tendency to bow when filled). __________________ Dogs - Man's best friend; entropy's greatest catalyst. Current Tank Info: Biocube 8 on the way!