diy basement sump area

WeePee

WeePee

New member
okay. so the new plan for my 75 gallon display tank will be a basement sump/fuge/frag grow out area.

but i am no expert, so i enlist your help!


heres what i have in mind:
glass tank for fuge/frag rack. (tank size?)
rubber tub for live rock.
1" drain, 3/4" return.
auto top off directly from RO filter.
10 gallon tank for water change
10 gallon tank for quarantine.

equipment will be all external (not in sump):
return pump (will need like 700gph with 10-15' of head)
external recirculating skimmer (reef octopus)
calcium reactor (future use)

hazards:
my basement has flooded in the past, so things will need to be a minimum of 1' (max flood has been about 4") off the ground. all electrical outlets are safely on the wall.


now to just brainstorm and design it out, hopefully with your help and advice. Use this thread to shoot ideas please. ill upload drawings of plans, layouts, and diagrams as i think of them.

thanks


here is something i'll be leeching ideas from:
Reef LED Lights .com Build Part 2.m2ts - YouTube
don't need this huge of a scale, but do want a similar filtration idea.
 
Smitty

Smitty

Premium member
Sounds like a cool idea, I'll be following along also, because I plan to do this one day also. You should go with a 55 gal as the sump/fuge.
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
my basement is unfinished, and this setup will be directly below where the display tank is set up. so i guess i can have as room for as large as i can afford.

so far my idea will be (generally speaking)

drain from tank directly into skimmer input.
skimmer output through filter sock then into rubbermaid bin of live rock (lit with CF bulbs)
from live rock bin into sump/fuge tank.
from tank to external pump and back into display tank.

i don't want this setup to be huge, ill get exact measurements of the space i'd ideally like to work with tomorrow. as well as a general floor plan of the open space.

i'd also like recommendations on sump/fuge design, as well as where to get a nice rubbermaid tub to use (like that large grey one you see all the time)

building a wooden stand, drilling a glass tank, siliconing baffles, or working with PVC are all no problem for me. I have the tools as well as the experience. i'm no pro, but i can get the job done.
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
the area i have to work with measures 30" x 92".
so i should have all the room to do the setup i'd like.


would still love some other advice or ideas flowing though.
 
jcarlilesiu

jcarlilesiu

Active member
I wouldn't plumb the tank straight to the skimmer. By doing so, you are forcing the water to flow throw the skimmer at the pace established by the return pump. This could move water through the skimmer fast than the skimmer ability to create good foam.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
jcarlilesiu said:
I wouldn't plumb the tank straight to the skimmer. By doing so, you are forcing the water to flow throw the skimmer at the pace established by the return pump. This could move water through the skimmer fast than the skimmer ability to create good foam.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
i have an external, recirculating skimmer.



also might incorporate a split and some ball valves so i can route the water around the skimmer if needed. as for maintenance and such.
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
decided today that i will just use the extra 30 gallon tank i have for my live rock/chaeto section. the stock tank is too hard to find, and im cheap.
then i bought a 55 gallon from petco ($1 per gallon sale) and that will be used as my sump/frags

i am currently on a break from building the stand that everything will be one. approx 2' tall, 6.5' long, and 30" deep.

ill get some pics at the end of the day. i've also added some frags to my display, but ill post that in a separate thread.
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
pretty much all planned out.
the table support structure is complete, will have it finished and in place tomorrow.

heres my plans:


though will probably have the 30 gallon tank set higher up so it can feed the 55 gallon easier.
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
the table is complete. this weekend will be the setup and the plumbing.
then a week of running just the basement area to check for leaks or problem areas.
then come the holes in the floor and connecting the hoses.
 
WeePee

WeePee

New member
working on the 30 gallon tank today, heres whats goin on so far...


theres the table with the 30 gallon (will hold live rock) tank on its stand.


here you can see the skimmer above on the shelf. the skimmer will feed directly into the 30 gallon tank.


here is the start of the plumbing for the 30 gallon.
top left: return for new mixed salt water for water changes (tanks will be to the left)
top center: drain to 55 gallon tank.
top right: return from closed loop
bottom center: drain for closed loop as well as drain for dirty water out of system.


here is the pump that will take the water from the 55 gallon frag tank iup back to the display. it can also been seen in the other pics about where it will be on the table.
 
scotty

scotty

Member
I'm thinking you might want to put some sort of insulation between the concrete and the tank to avoid the cold leeching into the tank with it being that close.
 
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