I spent to many hours yesterday helping make a sump for a friend. We started out with a 40 gallon critter cage. We drilled for a one inch bulkhead on the back right of the sump for the return pump to set behind the sump. Because of the size of the skimmer that is going in this sump, the skimmer section ended up being very large, it was 20 inches long, which only left 16 inches for the return and fuge section. Because of this we combined the return and fuge section.
Plus the skimmer was pretty short so we raised it up on a platform in the skimmer section. To make the platform we used 1 inch PVC pipe fittings covered with eggcrate and some acrylic plates for the skimmer and pump to set on. This way the rubber feet for would have something sold to sit on.
To combine the return and fuge section into one, we used eggcrate to cover the return intake. This sump will not have sand in the fuge so we did not have to worry about sand being sucked up into the return pump, so the return strainer is a piece of 1 inch pipe that is drilled full of holes and capped off on the end. we used 2 45s to move this to about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the sump and the end. We then made an egg crate wall in front of and over the pump intake to act as a strainer for the chaeto.
What do you think?
more pics
http://www.jensalt.com/gallery2/v/shanesump/
Plus the skimmer was pretty short so we raised it up on a platform in the skimmer section. To make the platform we used 1 inch PVC pipe fittings covered with eggcrate and some acrylic plates for the skimmer and pump to set on. This way the rubber feet for would have something sold to sit on.
To combine the return and fuge section into one, we used eggcrate to cover the return intake. This sump will not have sand in the fuge so we did not have to worry about sand being sucked up into the return pump, so the return strainer is a piece of 1 inch pipe that is drilled full of holes and capped off on the end. we used 2 45s to move this to about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the sump and the end. We then made an egg crate wall in front of and over the pump intake to act as a strainer for the chaeto.
What do you think?
more pics
http://www.jensalt.com/gallery2/v/shanesump/
