Once all my pieces were in place, I ran a thin bead of Weld-On #16 along the seams as well, just in case. I bought a very small can, but only used a fraction of that can for this entire project. Less joints also means less chances for leaks.Įverything was glued together with Weld-On #3, using a needle applicator. By heating and bending I was able to make the outer walls with 3 pieces of acrylic rather than 8. Once it was at the angle I wanted to achieve, I held it in place for a minute or two to cool. To reduce the amount of joints needing glue, I used a propane torch to carefully heat the material until it was pliable enough to bend. The sump was built from 1/8" Acrylite, and cut on a simple table saw. Polyfoam sheet (to relieve any pressure points). You can see the horizontal 2x4 near the topĬross braces rested on the temporary beam, Here is a small picture of what I had before.Īn inverted "U" was installed temporarily. Also, because of where my electrical outlets are located, I made an allowance for those with a special angle. The indention is about 4", so the width of that middle section is 10 3/4" wide, compared to the end sections which are 15" wide. Notice the recessed area? That is where the center brace of the stand is located. It was filled with water to test for leaks. Here is a back view of the sump prior to completion. If I were to fill this entire sump to the top, it could potentially hold 35 gallons! And it still fits inside the stand. The water level is governed by the bubble trap. Return section (where evaporation takes place): 10 gallons Intake section (where PS is located): 10 gallons Lastly, I wanted a refugium to help export nitrates and add copepods, amphipods, bristle worms and other beneficial critters to aid in filtration as well as the general health of the tank's inhabitants. I also wanted a large return area, so that evaporation would be less of an issue if I couldn't tend to the tank for a few days. This PS can also add a lot of micro bubbles to the water, so I had to make enough room for it to skim the water and still allow the air bubbles some time to dissipate. I really wanted to avoid running it externally, in case it ever "went nuts" and overflowed. It stands 23" tall, barely fitting in the stand. I have a huge protein skimmer - the Aqua C EV-200. Obviously not all stands are constructed the same way, but perhaps this will give you some ideas that may help you design one that works for you. Reducing the risk of leaks and 'dead' zones in the water flow, I designed this to fit my exact needs. So now I knew it was possible to build a single unit that would fit, and avoid any bulkheads between individual smaller containers. After a few weeks, I finally realized the perfect solution.
#Bubble trouble needle coral install
I gave this a lot of thought, trying to come up with a way to install the sump within the stand without having to take down the tank in the process.
However, I had more space on both sides of the brace, which would add up to more gallons of water if utilized. What I needed was something that would fit in a very narrow area, due to the bracing in the back of the stand. Having trouble fitting a sump under a 55 gallon Reef? After giving it some thought, I came up with a solution!
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