7 replies to this topic

[teknoboo]

Hi all, about to set up my 6x2x2 shortly and Was hoping to get some ideas for other peoples setups for their sumps. I have a 4x1x1 ft spare tank I plan to use for the sump. I hope to have a refugium in the sump to keep my peppermint colony/plants too.
As glass is too hard to work and expensive, I'll probably be using perspex and silcon for the compartments.

Let me know what you are using and any good sump designs you have seen!

Cheers

[malawiman85]

Glass is actually pretty easy to work with.
acrylic/perspex is harder to stick with silicone than glass. Masters will cut your glass down to size for free, all you pay is for the sheets of glass. They sell 5mm sheets for about $20. One sheet should be enough for your baffles.

[teknoboo]

Oh wow! i did not know that.  I remember calling some glass place to get sheets of glass cut up for lids, and they quoted about 150 for it.  Lame.

[teknoboo]

I just rang up masters and they said they used to do it... not any more..... hmmmm

[malawiman85]

Bugger, OK sorry 'bout that. I got it done a couple weeks ago... Must be recent, ill talk to the guys at my local Masters and see what the go is.

[Riggers]

I've made a bunch of sumps, I get my glass cut at balcatta glass. Depending on the thickness it's not super pricey, a 6mm piece costs around $30 for a 600mm x 600mm sheet. Most glaziers will be able to sort you out and it doesn't need to be anything special just standard float glass is fine.

The other option is to scrounge up cracked tanks that are similar size to your sump tank (free on gumtree) cut them apart using a razor blade, clean up the panels and use them for dividers. For example if your sump is a 3'x18"x18" tank and you find a tank that's #'x18"x18" it's easy to cut out the base and end panels, cut them to your height requirements and silicon them in place. You want a %100 silicon, acetic cure, bostik v2 is good structural stuff but the selleys glass is fine for using on small tanks and dividers

It's always a good idea to use glasses, good gloves or gauntlets and a clean working area when cutting glass, it only takes a small shard to ruin your day...

As far as the design aspect goes there's so many styles to suit many applications but a good place to start is Google images, you'd be surprised how many pictures of sumps are on the web haha it will give you a good idea of what's achievable with the space and sump size you've got

Hope that all makes sense, it's late and I'm tired

Edited by Riggers, 23 November 2014 - 01:28 AM.

[aussiemcgee]

aquotix and vebas also supply glass to size, on my last 2 sumps builds I had about 4 pieces supplied and cut to size for about $15 from memory.
old cd covers or timber offcuts make ideal 'stands' so you can create the under/ over bubble traps.

[MattyB]

always get glass from an aquarium shop, never a glass shop/glazer, I wanted 4 pieces of 10mm glass at aprox 600x600 for my 6x2x2 sump, glass shops were quoting me 350, even had one quote me 500, went to Paul and Morley aquariums, 175 dollars.

Edited by MattyB, 09 December 2014 - 09:14 PM.