Anyone with Rubbermaid sumps?

[maurod]

I am looking for ideas on how to handle overflow from tank above, detrious collection, skimmer placement, sand/rock in sump? etc.

I have a 100Gal Rubbermaind stock tank and will be starting a tank build thread shortly.

M.

 

[~Flighty~]

Come over and see mine someday. We use buckets for different chambers. I had to move everything around recently to make room for a floating qt bucket. It is nice to have the ability to do that too.

 

[marco67]

I've done a few of these and just use waste baskets as chambers. My favorite design as yet is the one we used on Daires tank you can see it pretty goodhere.
The first chamber (basket) sits higher than sump level and is for settling / debris collection, once full this overflows into a second through 2X1.5" bulkheads. We use the second as a place to run carbon as well as bubble reduction (water out of the second is through narrow horizontal slits near the bottom).

 

[maurod]

New question - should I be cutting bulkheads into the Stocktank?

I figure I need a way to get water out of the stock tank and since the display will be 12 feet above the stock tank, I believe I will need an external pump.

What is common practice?
Use the existing plug? (I see Daire did not)
Drill one hole for return, and one for water changes?

Thanks,
M.

 

[delta]

i replaced the existing with a regular bulkhead and added an extra one

i think on daires sump they used the existing one

check the reefnrolls tank of the month http://www.bostonreefers.org/totm/200503/

also checkout Daires sump here
http://starrfish.blogspot.com/

 

[joefitz]

I drilled two new holes in each of my 150g stock tanks and plugged the existing ones.

 

[marco67]

Because of hole size, thread size and position. I've found the stock hole and bulkhead are a pain to use and adapt to standard bulkheads and plumbing, so I always (so far) just drill in new ones.

 

[starrfish]

We (Marc actually did it ) drilled two new holes/bulkheads - one goes to the return pump and the other goes to the fuge pump. I love Marc's design of my sump - the two barrels to catch detritus, run carbon, and reduce bubbles. I also have a huge filter sock on the drain into the first barrel to catch detritus. There isn't any sand in the sump - just tons of live rock. The sand is in the fuge. I think it's an awesome design!

 

[maurod]

Next question!
I am going to need to cut new bulkheads in the sump this weekend as I am moving the Stock tank to my basement and adding salt water to it.

Before I can cut the new bulkheads, I need to decide how big to make them.

I am going to be feeding a low head quietone to run the fuge and an Iwaki 70 to feed the tank upstairs. The Iwaki comes fitted with 1" inlet and output pipes. I believe the quietone has 3/4" in and outs..
I am figuring on two 1.5" holes, near the same height as the current built in bulkhead. Will this be sufficient? Should I put in 2" bulkheads instead? (Should I screen the inlets to these holes???)

Thanks,
M.

 

[marco67]

I'd stick to the 1.5" and yes screen strainers are much cheaper than impellers and tank crashes. Also consider some plumbing inside the sump, for instance if your flow is left to right run the 1.5" pick up line over to the right side and stub up a few inches so you are not drawing from the botom. If you are feeding the refugium with the second line run it over to the left and give it "raw" or unfiltered tank water. One other cool idea would be to use one to feed a manifold across the botom of the sump. Face all the jets down you could use this for periodic "back flushing" of detrus or other unwanted build up.with this you would shut off your main pump, back flush then do your water change from the dirty sump water.

 

[maurod]

I'd stick to the 1.5" and yes screen strainers are much cheaper than impellers and tank crashes. Also consider some plumbing inside the sump, for instance if your flow is left to right run the 1.5" pick up line over to the right side and stub up a few inches so you are not drawing from the botom. If you are feeding the refugium with the second line run it over to the left and give it "raw" or unfiltered tank water. One other cool idea would be to use one to feed a manifold across the botom of the sump. Face all the jets down you could use this for periodic "back flushing" of detrus or other unwanted build up.with this you would shut off your main pump, back flush then do your water change from the dirty sump water.

Mark,

Thanks a ton for the feedback! I am really looking forward to the next few weeks of effort!

I saw how you laid out Daire's sump and I am going to definately copy that to keep the intake out of the potential "muck".

Wouldn't I want to feed the fuge filtered water, but return it's water unfiltered to the sump to preserve plankton/micofauna for the potential return to the main tank?

I like the backflush concept, but I am not sure how you describe implementing it. I am also concnered about how to pump that detrius out of the sump and into a drain without damaging a pump...
Perhaps you are suggesting to run that backflush loop with a cheap/rebuildable pump and after the "mixing" phase, redirect the output to a drain/slopsink?

Thanks,
M.

 

[marco67]

Mark,

Wouldn't I want to feed the fuge filtered water, but return it's water unfiltered to the sump to preserve plankton/micofauna for the potential return to the main tank?

No you want to feed the fuge unfiltered water to take advantage of the nutrient, phosphate export etc.
Then return it to the sump at the point of your return to the tank for the reasons you mentioned.

I like the backflush concept, but I am not sure how you describe implementing it. I am also concnered about how to pump that detrius out of the sump and into a drain without damaging a pump...
Perhaps you are suggesting to run that backflush loop with a cheap/rebuildable pump and after the "mixing" phase, redirect the output to a drain/slopsink?
Thanks,
M.

Basicly yes maybe an old mag drive etc ...only used a few times a year.
This is asuming a bare bottom sump

 

[maurod]

Ok I finally drilled the stocktank to take 1.5" bulkheads.
Two holes, opposite each other on the sides of the tank.
I figure this way I'll have the room I need to rig some wastebasket baffles.

I also got the stands made for the pair of 29's I will use as a fuge and frag tank.

This is going to be fun.

Pics and a new thread coming to night as this project starts to take shape.

M.