Skimmer in sump????? - Page 2

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 02:45 PM

I guess I could hang it off the side, but I would have absolutely no room under than tank for anything at that point. Which would be fine if I could still convert the filter into the refugium like I want to do?????

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 02:49 PM

If you want to do the conversion.....you can. I would just put the return pump in the slanted side. Maybe you could hang the skimmer off the back of the bioball side. You would just have to add enough water to fill it some more but no enough to overflow it if power fails.

Take the bioballs out a little at a time. I have my hose from the overflow completely under water at the end so I don't hear that. Got rid of the drip plate, and prefilter and all that mess. Too much for me to clean all the time and get rid of little critters that could be beneficial to the system.

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 02:50 PM

Errr ummm, I missed the fuge part....lemme go look at the pic again...

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 02:54 PM

That is the same problem I had with my old wetdry...that &%@@$*! acrylic piece right in the middle.

Rather that cut up my expensive wetdry, I salvaged 1 or 2 parts that I did not alter, and got the cheap tank. That might be the better way than cutting that middle piece. I can't figure a way to have any decent space for a fuge with it that way. sorry. You can get around the slant, but not that middle piece....unless you want to cut holes and what not into it.

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 03:01 PM

I don't mind cutting holes. I cut holes in my other wet/dry to run my pumps external and for a return drain for my aqua-c ev180 skimmer on that tank. 3 holes to be exact. No problem drilling. If cutting holes in this wet dry will work and I can convert this into a fuge/sump then I am all for it. I assume that I will need to cut a hole in this anyway for the overflow feed into what would be the skimmer portion...that would flow to the fuge???? then through the holes of the middle sheet into the return side back to the tank???? Did I miss anything?

Or make the bio-ball area for the skimmer...cut holes in the middle plate... what would normally be the sump...take 3/4's of that and make it the fuge and then section off enough for the return pump?

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 03:10 PM

You would want the largest area for the fuge, plus it needs a light....could you perhaps......split the slanted area in half....lengthwise...put the skimmer in one half -then have holes flowing into the bioballs area (fuge) and then holes to flow back into the other half of the split section which would be the return area? Does that make any sense? The whole bioballs area would be the fuge. You would have to close up the bottom with acrylic sheet to hold the sand on that side.

As for my hose from my overflow...it is just shoved under the water level....no hole or fitting or anything.

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 03:18 PM

That makes sense. I guess that would work. At least it does in typed format.

Will any type of acrylic work for this? Just want to do it right the first time.

to make sure we are on the same page....

close up the bottom of the bio-ball area...cut the sump area in half lenghtwise by using a sheet of acrylic... drill holes on the skimmer side going into the fuge....opposite side drill holes to the return side with awaiting pump back to tank?

How high do I drill the holes? half way up? Depend on how much I have in the fuge? Special lighting for this?

Is your overflow hose held in place with anything? I guess the weight and force of the water going through would be enough.

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 03:28 PM

[quote author=Poppy828 link=board=Newbie;num=1098909345;start=15#16 date=10/27/04 at 18:18:41]That makes sense. I guess that would work. At least it does in typed format.

Will any type of acrylic work for this? Just want to do it right the first time.

Pretty sure...

to make sure we are on the same page....

close up the bottom of the bio-ball area...cut the sump area in half lenghtwise by using a sheet of acrylic... drill holes on the skimmer side going into the fuge....opposite side drill holes to the return side with awaiting pump back to tank?

Yes, I would consider cutting like a 2 inch gap (check my sump pic far right baffle) on each side so the water flows good.

How high do I drill the holes? half way up? Depend on how much I have in the fuge? Special lighting for this?

I would say at least halfway up, You would have to consider how much sandbed you will have and make it about 2 or 3 inches higher that that. I use a regular 13 W? NO fluorescent tube.

Is your overflow hose held in place with anything? I guess the weight and force of the water going through would be enough. [/quote]

No, just gravity...and it is underwater so I don't hear it at all!

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 03:31 PM

But obviously, think about it , and consider various options...that just came into my head....I have a whole thread here on my sump and building it....I was pretty clueless and this is the only one i have built so I am not that experienced.

Lay it out and post it here...peeps will comment and give you their opinions! I think I changed mine 3 or more times before I actually did it!

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 03:34 PM

Makes sense Birdlady thanks.

With all that being said....do I still need to remove the bio-balls slowly? Or just remove them, make the fuge/sump, add live sand and a piece or 2 of live rock and turn it on?

Don't want to kill everything by being hasty. Or I could house some of the bio-balls on the skimmer side possibly before it goes to the fuge but after the skimmer?

I know a lot of questions sorry.

T