Help With Plumbing For Sump Tank

[peckham125]

so i got a 30? gal sump tank, but im horrible with plumbing.

my 135g isnt drilled

what the sump came with, a Rio 3100 aqua pump powerhead, 8-10 gals worth of bio balls and sponge also some piping but not what i need for my setup (see pictures)

if anyone know what il need and how to set it up id appreciate it

like i said plumbing is not my strong point

[ty_s]

How much you get it for did you see the pump up and running

Edited May 17, 2011 by ty_s

[jvision]

Go to the DIY forum of MonsterFishKeepers.com and look up the DIY Overflow threads - there is a tonne of how-to info w pics.

Plumb the drain to the top of your sump. You can use flex hose if you want from your sump pump back to the tank to avoid cutting a whole bunch of PVC

[hdrob]

I made a DIY sump system in my 90g and it worked out ok. I would def buy an overflow next time. I built mine from acrylic with instructions from a website. It took me while but it works good, not the most eye pleasing overflow though.

+1 for the flexible hose. rigid pipe is nice but you have to measure and cut more.

Get the biggest overflow box you can get. I think they are about $100-$125 for decent ones.

[peckham125]

ok so i bought a overflow box @ $80 the single one, got some see through flex pipe ect i think im ready to go !

BUT now i have to empty out my 135g and move the tank away from the wall for an extra 5inches to fit the overflow on the back of the tank !! what a pain !! even when its empty it weighs a ton !!

[jcgd]

Make sure you overflow is matched to your return pump. The overflow has to be able to handle more GPH than the pump. From the sounds of it, your overflow probably handles 300-600 GPH if it's only on tube. Just double check everything.

[peckham125]

i have this for overflow http://www.aqueonproducts.com/products/hangon-overflow.htm the single modle which is rated for 125g

and my pump is a rio 3100

[jcgd]

Not really what I meant. Those ratings are pretty much useless. You want to match the flow rate of the overflow to the output of your pump at whatever head you'll be running it at. For example, the pipe in the overflow might only handle 400 gph but the pump might return 600 gph , the result being your tank overflowing with water. You could add a valve to control the output of your pump, but its better to use a unrestricted pump with a overflow that can handle the flow rate. That overflow is probably too small because you will overstock your tank. Everyone does.

[hdrob]

I Tee'd a line with a ball valve off the pressure line from the pump and redirected back to the sump. So instead of restricting the flow with a ball valve in the pump pressure line it just splits the flow so your pump lives longer and doesn't overflow the main tank. You can adjust the amount of flow going though overflow by closing/opening ball valve. The second line is also helpful if you want to add a UV sterilizer. That's what I use mine for.

[jvision]

What hdrob said :thumbs:

[jcgd]

Good idea. I still think that overflow is too small, and if it loses its syphon is isn't designed to automatically restart. I don't think so anyway. That could also cause flooding.

But adding a ball valve and splitting the line is a good idea.

[hdrob]

That overflow should be self starting. The 'U' tube ends would be in the overflow under the waterline.

Also, a good idea would be to cover the overflow from your lights to keep the algae to a minimum.

If you google flow rates through pipe, it should give you GPH for different sizes of bulkhead/pipes. You can match that to how much flow you want going through the sump. I'm assuming somewhere around 350GPH?

Hope this helps. I spent hours researching sumps before i set mine up. lol.

Good idea. I still think that overflow is too small, and if it loses its syphon is isn't designed to automatically restart. I don't think so anyway. That could also cause flooding.

But adding a ball valve and splitting the line is a good idea.

[jcgd]

That overflow should be self starting. The 'U' tube ends would be in the overflow under the waterline.

Also, a good idea would be to cover the overflow from your lights to keep the algae to a minimum.

If you google flow rates through pipe, it should give you GPH for different sizes of bulkhead/pipes. You can match that to how much flow you want going through the sump. I'm assuming somewhere around 350GPH?

Hope this helps. I spent hours researching sumps before i set mine up. lol.

Good idea. I still think that overflow is too small, and if it loses its syphon is isn't designed to automatically restart. I don't think so anyway. That could also cause flooding.

But adding a ball valve and splitting the line is a good idea.

Ah yes. Of course you are right. My bad.