I started planning a budget sump to fit in the cabinet below my 55 gallon that I can assemble next summer (or sooner if I get antsy), but right now I'm trying to find an inexpensive sump tank. I've checked e-bay, craigslist, etc, but they all seem to be pretty costly. Plus, I only have 11-inches depth to work with in the cabinet. Question 1: where can I find an inexpensive sump tank that would fit in this space?

One idea I had was using a small aquarium. We have a grocery store that sells bare 10-gallon tanks for $9.99, bare 20-gallon tanks for $19.99. The problem is the 10-gallon, I'm afraid will be too small (I'm hoping to add a refugium) and the 20-gallon is too deep for the cabinet. Question 2: could I put two 10-gallons side-by-side and cut overflow holes in the sides and pvc them together essentially creating a long 20-gallon sump tank?

Question 3: Am I just being too much of a tightwad?

No


I recommend you use a plastic storage container for your refugium and a smaller container for your sump. When I first looked at containers I was perplexed on how to get them in the stand untill I realized you can put the long dimension for and aft with the aft part sticking out behind the tank. Then the overflow can drain direcly down to that refugium.

Then the smaller sump can be placed in the stand beside the refugium.

To give you some idea of the costs my refugium cost $5 and has been running for 5 years now. You can get 30g containers from wall mart for like $10 but they may be too wide to cram in the cabinent. So if you have room they would have to be behind the tank.

You can also do the same function as baffels by putting smaller containers inside the larger container.

just some ideas.

worth at most .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

can you post a pic of your setup. i am new as well.

thanks

Can't post a picture at work. Will try from home.

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

on photobucket page:

55gmixedreef pictures by beaslebob - Photobucket


my wet dry with oyster shells that set in a plastic storage container:

top view:




side view:



display with in tank refugium:




my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

nice bob, i really like the double overflow you built as well.

Thanks.

I demonstrated at a local club meeting how to setup a sump with that overflow. Locals called me a mad scientist.

One stated it looked like a half drunk engineer designed it. I stated that he was wrong. I was all the way drunk.

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Ha!

nice


mtchttp://airheatnt.com