A
Anonymous
Guest
Okay, storytime. 
Last summer I wanted to move my 75 gal reef into an empty 125 gallon tank that I had. The stand/canopy for the 125 was junk, so I broke out the powertools and went to town. Ended up with a gorgeous stand and canopy that could probably support the weight of the house if need be. :lol: Into the stand went my 37 gal sump, and all was well.
Minor problem. I didn't figure in enough headspace above the top of the sump to the underside of the cabinet to get in to clean pumps, clean the skimmer (could get the collection cup off, but that was about it), clean the detritus out of the sump, etc. After a year my sump was in dire straights, as you can imagine! To top it all off, the only opening I'd built into the front of the stand was a double-door opening to access the sump--with a 2x4 support between the doors. D'oh!!
Well my first summer project was to find a solution to this mess. I finally decided to bite the bullet and really fix the thing like it should be done. So I cut a new support strut for the stand, put it in, took out the 2x4 that was blocking me, pulled the sump out, reinstalled the 'official' support, etc.
Now I had nowhere to put the sump, though, because I sure as hell wasn't going to go through this every year!! Luckily, right behind the wall that the tank sits on is our laundry room, which has a little niche for the water softener. The only thing holding me back was my wife's stern glare at the thought of me cutting a couple of holes in the drywall. :lol: I just waited until she went to work. :thumbsup:
Took most of the day, but here's what I ended up with. Totally easy access to the sump. It's also out of the living room, so I can run the skimmer 24/7 now. Ahhhhh happiness! Now I've got to run and make dinner to appease the wife.
Last summer I wanted to move my 75 gal reef into an empty 125 gallon tank that I had. The stand/canopy for the 125 was junk, so I broke out the powertools and went to town. Ended up with a gorgeous stand and canopy that could probably support the weight of the house if need be. :lol: Into the stand went my 37 gal sump, and all was well.Minor problem. I didn't figure in enough headspace above the top of the sump to the underside of the cabinet to get in to clean pumps, clean the skimmer (could get the collection cup off, but that was about it), clean the detritus out of the sump, etc. After a year my sump was in dire straights, as you can imagine! To top it all off, the only opening I'd built into the front of the stand was a double-door opening to access the sump--with a 2x4 support between the doors. D'oh!!
Well my first summer project was to find a solution to this mess. I finally decided to bite the bullet and really fix the thing like it should be done. So I cut a new support strut for the stand, put it in, took out the 2x4 that was blocking me, pulled the sump out, reinstalled the 'official' support, etc.
Now I had nowhere to put the sump, though, because I sure as hell wasn't going to go through this every year!! Luckily, right behind the wall that the tank sits on is our laundry room, which has a little niche for the water softener. The only thing holding me back was my wife's stern glare at the thought of me cutting a couple of holes in the drywall. :lol: I just waited until she went to work.
:thumbsup:Took most of the day, but here's what I ended up with. Totally easy access to the sump. It's also out of the living room, so I can run the skimmer 24/7 now. Ahhhhh happiness! Now I've got to run and make dinner to appease the wife.
