Looking to add a sump

[FragOutpost]

Just fired up the laptop.

[EvilTwin]

Well, I am really lost with all this talk of skimmers, sumps overflows, etc. Just TMI for me to absorb in a day. Our chat helped yesterday but I am now having trouble figuring out what direction I want to go.

After trying to clean my Seaclone 150 skimmer yesterday, it started to leak at the seal in the base where the j-tube connects. I figure it's time to pony up for a much better rated skimmer. I've decided I want an Aqua C, but do I go with the HOT Remora or the sump Urchin model? Getting a sump model requires the additional complexity and expense of adding a sump and overflow and the perils that come with that. A HOT model will replace my current one but has it's own issues on my tank.

I have a canopy on my tank. It's nice, makes the tank look more like furniture and I've already bought it, so I'd like to keep using it. Wife would be mad if I don't. The problem with the canopy is that the current skimmer I have is so tall that the canopy brace in the rear actually rests on to pof the collection cup. I must remove the canopy to empty the cup. I only have 5 inches of clearance between the top edge of the tank and the underside of the canopy. The other factor is noise. Buying a good HOT skimmer like the Remora means I won't be able to use it in a sump later on.

Checking the sump route, I was able to get a storage container of 24x17x15 into the openining in the stand. It was 18+ gallons in size. Is this enough? This would also require getting an overflow box. Not a big deal but I want to get a good one. Recommendations here? Also, when I look at a skimmer to put underneath, I need to be wary of the skimmer height. Since the stand has drawers, there isn't much more room obove the door height.

Another option that my wife suggested was this: since the majority of the wall behind the tank covers open space in my unfinished basement area, I could run the pipes through the wall to another stand set up back there for the sump. Not a bad idea but I'd be worried about water contamination, since I do various other things like sawing and such back there. I would still have to worry about the overflow box, too. Are there any considerations if I wanted to build a nice refugium/sump back there and put it on a stand? how high musthe stand be/not be?

My head hurts thinking about all of this.

[Peterock]

if you are looking to add a sump look at my post peterock 90 gallon i am using a 40 gallon tank that i glued some baffels into so the water flows the way a $300 sump or fuge would. if you go this rought you can space them out to acoumadite any and all equipment that you need to add.

[FragOutpost]

A used aquarium with some baffles siliconed in would work great too if you could fit it under your stand. Another option could be to get two 10 or 15 gallon tanks and get them drilled and add some bulkheadsto connect the two. That would easily fit under the stand and would provide 2 chambers.

I've never used the aqua c skimmers so I can not comment on them. If you do decide to get another skimmer then get one a little bigger than what you think you need. You can't skim enough!

The 18 gallon storage container should work just fine. You might have a height problem with it though. Most overflow boxes are the same. You pretty much have two types, the u-tube type and the weir type. The weir type is better but less common and usually more expensive.

The best option would be to put the sump in the other room. That would solve all of your space concerns and provide much more flexibility in your options. Do you just do woodwork in the other room or do you do a lot of painting or staining or anything that would produce airborne chemicals?
The water level in the sump should be a minimum of 6-12 inches below the drain bulkhead on the overflow.

[EvilTwin]

I don't usually do a bunch of woodworking, and chemical use is not a constant thing. I now do more fish related stuff back there than anything else. It's really just my workshop/storage area. Doing this behind the wall would leave me with a LOT of flexibility with the sump design, and probably allow a fuge as well.

Damn this is gonna get expensive.

I checked with Aqua C about their remora HOT skimmers. According to them, you need 6.5 inches of clearance from the top of the tank. I will only have 5 with the canopy in place. In addition they say add another 4 inches for cup removal, though I could use a cup with a drain to a bottle. But because of the clearance issue, this is prolly not an option.

If I want to do the behind-the-wall sump option, I need to know if my tank will be OK without a skimmer for a bit. Since my seaclone is leaking it is currently off the tank. I suppose I could try and get a new o-ring to seal it up.

I would really like to get a sump that is something like this:
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s...p_model_j.html

Or maybe this:
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s...p_model_e.html

[FragOutpost]

Lowes and Home Depot sell various sizes of o-rings. Just take your old one with you to match it. If you have to run skimmerless for a little while then you might want to increase your water changes. Your sps corals will probably not like not having a skimmer but everything else should be fine for a little while.

Have you checked ebay for used sumps?
http://cgi.ebay.com/150-Gallon-Aquar... QcmdZViewItem

[EvilTwin]

My single SPS coral seems to be the champ in this case. Xenia looks less than enthusiastic about pulsing and the gorg is probably a goner. My button polyp seems just as happy as ever and the yellow polyps are making a comeback, as long as the snails stop lawnmowering them. I'll head to HD at lunch today to find an o-ring. At least if I get this skimmer on again, it will buy me some time to really plan out my whole sump issue.