Dawn's seahorse garden. Farewell 36g bowfront!

[markalot]

That's pretty much how my commercial sump is designed except there are 2 walls before the return section to function as the bubble trap, water has to go down and back up. I really wanted to put the skimmer in the first section like you have drawn but the darn thing did not fit.

 

 

I'm still baffled (ha, baffled) why so much importance is placed on filter socks.

[vlangel]

That's pretty much how my commercial sump is designed except there are 2 walls before the return section to function as the bubble trap, water has to go down and back up. I really wanted to put the skimmer in the first section like you have drawn but the darn thing did not fit.

 

 

I'm still baffled (ha, baffled) why so much importance is placed on filter socks.

Thanks for the pic. I think I will do my return that way and then I can just drop a carbon filter pad between the 2 walls if I want to polish the water.

Yes, it's nice to design the size of the compartments to suit my needs. I need a full 10 and a half inches for my skimmer but I will also have a smaller rio pump running water from the first chamber, through the chiller and into the return chamber. Right now I have allowed 14" but I might be able to get away with 12". That would give me 2" more for my fuge, making it 12" x 12" x 12" which would be pretty nice. I could even move my clown fish in it and with the macros and LR he would be pretty happy.

 

I never run filter socks either. It's easier to occasionally use filter pads or even floss and just throw it away. This sump will be up on a desk so I can easily syphon the bottom when detritus or sentiment build up.

[vlangel]

Well, I bought plexiglass from Lowe's and have it all drawn out where it needs cut. I am going to get Dave's help with that. I am not sure if we will use a circular saw or the table saw. The table saw is not real accessible at the moment.

 

Maybe I will order the plumbing tonight too.

[vlangel]

The holes for the plumbing have been drilled through our livingroom floor, thanks to my hubby. I guess I am committed to the basement sump now.

This is the fish/sump room with desk and tank in. I also have the stand for the 30g XH to hold the chiller, and the petco metal stand to hold the ATO reservoir.

[vlangel]

I am a disaster with silicon! This is not my first sump that I have made and I still had gooey sticky messy silicon everywhere except where it was suppose to be. If I weren't so cheap I can see the merit to buying a ready made sump. At least this tank is in our basement where it will rarely be seen (well except by you folks, my friends on NR).

[Arce]

Meh its a sump, doesnt have to be pretty, just has to work.

[vlangel]

Meh its a sump, doesnt have to be pretty, just has to work.

My sentiment exactly.

[Sk8n Reefer]

Cool! Looks good to me!

[vlangel]

Cool! Looks good to me!

Thanks Scott. Good enough is what I am hoping for, ha ha. I still have some siliconing to do.

 

I ordered the plumbing yesterday so maybe I will have it by next weekend. It was free shipping so maybe not. Whenever it comes is ok. At any rate the sump should be ready when the plumbing arrives. I ended up choosing Eheim green tubing. It's a straight up run so I do not think it is in danger of kinking and it will be easier to use than flex PVC or braided vinyl, especially in the 1" size.

[markalot]

Oak trim, very fancy.

[vlangel]

Oak trim, very fancy.

Check out my pics and you will see all my tanks have the oak trim which is apparently dated since none of the companies make it anymore. That 20L was a display tank many moons ago.

[Sk8n Reefer]

How much flow are you planning now with a sump- what pump?

[vlangel]

How much flow are you planning now with a sump- what pump?

I am able to use the same 9.5 mag drive I am currently using and with a single 1" diameter run that goes straight up for the return. With 10 feet of head I should still have 420 gph which is more than I have now because I have the flow split into 2 returns through equipment, one through the chiller and one through the UV.

[markalot]

Check out my pics and you will see all my tanks have the oak trim which is apparently dated since none of the companies make it anymore. That 20L was a display tank many moons ago.

 

My old Bowfront had oak trim as well.

[vlangel]

My old Bowfront had oak trim as well.

☺

[teenyreef]

My 90g FW tank has oak trim. It's a genuine antique

[vlangel]

My old Bowfront had oak trim as well.

My 90g FW tank has oak trim. It's a genuine antique

I remember when I first saw the oak trim on the 20g L in the 80s and thought it was so cool that I would be able to have my fish tank match the furniture and trim in my house! I felt like it was trendy and gave my home a 'put together' look. LOL Now my fish tanks and my home reflect the era in which they were installed and that is getting to be a long time ago, ha ha! Life is funny. I guess my fish tanks and myself are getting to be antiques.

[Mirya]

I worked in a little mom & pop pet store in the mid-90's. We stocked All-Glass Aquariums. (Not surprising as this was in Wisconsin, which was the home for All-Glass.) The oak trim aquariums were popular! I had bought a walnut trim All-Glass flatback hex while I worked there that I kept as a FW tank. I really, really liked that tank. It is still at my parent's house, home to a few neon tetras.

[vlangel]

I worked in a little mom & pop pet store in the mid-90's. We stocked All-Glass Aquariums. (Not surprising as this was in Wisconsin, which was the home for All-Glass.) The oak trim aquariums were popular! I had bought a walnut trim All-Glass flatback hex while I worked there that I kept as a FW tank. I really, really liked that tank. It is still at my parent's house, home to a few neon tetras.

Ha ha, I remember the flat backed hex's in walnut and that is even going back farther than the oak trim. I loved the flat backed hex's and the hexagon tanks too. I even considered trying to get a 36g hexagon for my seahorse tank but doing a sump under the cabinet of one of those is tough so I nixed the idea.

 

You should take a pic of your parent's tetra tank for nostalgia. I would love to see it!

[teenyreef]

Yeah, I remember when anything other than a standard rectangle was SO COOL! Bowfronts and rounded corners were unthinkable back then. We've come a long way

[vlangel]

Yeah, I remember when anything other than a standard rectangle was SO COOL! Bowfronts and rounded corners were unthinkable back then. We've come a long way

We sure have. We aquarists demand lots of choices, don't we? LOL

[Orangutran]

I am a disaster with silicon! This is not my first sump that I have made and I still had gooey sticky messy silicon everywhere except where it was suppose to be. If I weren't so cheap I can see the merit to buying a ready made sump. At least this tank is in our basement where it will rarely be seen (well except by you folks, my friends on NR).

Not sure if everyone knows this trick… but if you want to get silicone off your fingers, rub your fingers with a plastic bag (the ones that make a crunchy sound) and it'll come off like magic!

[vlangel]

Not sure if everyone knows this trick… but if you want to get silicone off your fingers, rub your fingers with a plastic bag (the ones that make a crunchy sound) and it'll come off like magic!

 

No I did not know that but am glad that you shared it with me. Thanks for the tip!

[vlangel]

My peppermint shrimp have gotten very bold and no longer recognize the barrier that they should be seahorse prey. They begin descending upon the feeding bowl as soon as I put the feeding tube into the tank. With 6 of them it is almost impossible to keep them out of the mysis until the ponies are done. They stir up such a commotion that frozen mysis gets flung everywhere. I think I will move at least 4 of them to the fuge section of the new sump when I have it ready.

[Felicia]

I love shrimp, but they can get really obnoxious when it comes to food.