# My 75 Gal w/ DIY Custom Stand and DIY Sump/Refugium



## Williak

Wow. That stand. Job well done.

In the process of doing my own custom 75 set up.... Made my DIY sump, built the stand and now just waiting to buy the tank and build the canopy.

Nice to see your plumbing for the sump... I am currently debating hard plumbing it all or trying to avoid and doing braided tubing. I see how you did a bit of both to avoid vibration. I went with the Eshopps 1200 overflow doing a Herbie modification. Still debating running soft tubing from the overflow bulkheads vs hard plumbing.... Everyone complains about hard plumbing is much louder. Any input on that?

Can't wait to see how this does!


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## JerrySingh

Very nice!
Love the DIY projects, always cool watching these projects take shape[emoji1360]


From hobby to addiction


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## The Big Buddha

Bravo! Great job.

.


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## kurshin

With that overflow box is the tank drilled or does it go over the side some how?


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## AbbeysDad

Kudos on the cabinet/stand and it looks great in the room! A definite A+.

I think the sump might be improved. I think I'd move the heaters to the clean/pump side so they don't get mucked up. You might also use a filter sock to initially catch debris. Then again, do you even get much detritus with an overflow? I'd imagine that most stays in the tank (which is fine for a planted tank as it organically fertilizes plants).

Unless your replacing bio-balls with pot scrubbies in a wet/dry, they are far less effective submerged. Your sponge dividers are a far better platform for beneficial bacteria.I'd remove the scrubbies and either add another sponge or move the two together creating a larger refuge and/or larger return chamber.


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## BettaBettas

looks fantastic, anyone who wants to make something similar to this, or a sump, will definitely need to come here first.


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## fokestn

Williak said:


> Wow. That stand. Job well done.
> 
> In the process of doing my own custom 75 set up.... Made my DIY sump, built the stand and now just waiting to buy the tank and build the canopy.
> 
> Nice to see your plumbing for the sump... I am currently debating hard plumbing it all or trying to avoid and doing braided tubing. I see how you did a bit of both to avoid vibration. I went with the Eshopps 1200 overflow doing a Herbie modification. Still debating running soft tubing from the overflow bulkheads vs hard plumbing.... Everyone complains about hard plumbing is much louder. Any input on that?
> 
> Can't wait to see how this does!


Thanks!

Funny thing is, I had this originally plumbed from overflow to sump with braided tubing. It allowed for a more sweeping bend than rigid PVC was going to allow me. The only thing I did not like was the fact that it was going to be exposed to a decent amount of light and eventually get covered with algae. I know I could have just covered it with some tape, but because PVC is so cheap, I decided to try it to see how loud it was. 

When it's tuned, you can barely hear anything at all, even with the cabinet door open and holding your head close to it. Maybe it's due to the flow rate being half of what my overflow is designed for, but either way, it's silent. I can sit next to it in the chair, and can't hear _anything_.


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## fokestn

AbbeysDad said:


> Kudos on the cabinet/stand and it looks great in the room! A definite A+.
> 
> I think the sump might be improved. I think I'd move the heaters to the clean/pump side so they don't get mucked up. You might also use a filter sock to initially catch debris. Then again, do you even get much detritus with an overflow? I'd imagine that most stays in the tank (which is fine for a planted tank as it organically fertilizes plants).
> 
> Unless your replacing bio-balls with pot scrubbies in a wet/dry, they are far less effective submerged. Your sponge dividers are a far better platform for beneficial bacteria.I'd remove the scrubbies and either add another sponge or move the two together creating a larger refuge and/or larger return chamber.


Thanks! I've been thinking of ways for small improvements. I put the heaters on that end first only because the output side was little cramped for space and I was reluctant to put them on the side glass until I could get a feel for the evaporation rate. The pic in the post is 3 months of the system running with a bio-load. There's almost no ditritus in the first chamber. I took the heaters out last week to raise the temp due to a slight case of ich, and they were completely clear of slime or build-up. The only lings that seem to make their way down there is a few flakes and plant matter. Most is caught by the weir. Ironically, the chamber is the 2nd cleanest behind the pump chamber.

I've thought about moving the scrubbies out as well. I'm almost convinced that the foam is _all_ I need for bio. Swiss Tropicals recommends at leat an inch between foam pieces (although I'm not sure why), and I figured I'd just throw in some scrubbies for added bio while I was at it. I'm starting to think my fuge is too big for my system because I've never registered a nitrate reading since cycling. Although, it _may_ be due to the fuge light running 24/7...

Bump:


kurshin said:


> With that overflow box is the tank drilled or does it go over the side some how?


I had to drill 2 60mm holes through the side. The overflow came with a template to assist with hole placement. Drilling was a heck of a lot easier than I thought it would be.


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## klibs

10/10 DIY work right here - very well done


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## billb

Wow!
That is a beautiful tank and stand. It completely goes with the other cabinets in your room. Love the Synergy Reef overflows. I just got one for a tank I am looking to set up. Very low profile.

Your scape looks good too. Any chance of a closer shot?


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## fokestn

klibs said:


> 10/10 DIY work right here - very well done




Thank you!


Jeff

Fish keeping veteran, planted tank greenhorn


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## fokestn

billb said:


> Wow!
> 
> That is a beautiful tank and stand. It completely goes with the other cabinets in your room. Love the Synergy Reef overflows. I just got one for a tank I am looking to set up. Very low profile.
> 
> 
> 
> Your scape looks good too. Any chance of a closer shot?




Thank you! I built the bookshelves in that room as well. I wanted the tank to match as much as possible. Luckily, I had lots of leftover paint.

I haven't taken a ton of closer shots of the scape yet, but I have a few..




















Jeff

Fish keeping veteran, planted tank greenhorn


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## SingAlongWithTsing

what's holding up your removable panels? roller catches?


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## fokestn

SingAlongWithTsing said:


> what's holding up your removable panels? roller catches?




Magnets at the top and a strip of 1x2 wood at the bottom that rests on the opening to bear the weight. 


Jeff

Fish keeping veteran, planted tank greenhorn


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## Greggz

Very, very nice DIY stand build and tank too!

You obviously spent a lot of time thinking the whole thing through. I'm sure that stand build will inspire others to make something similar, as it is a great design. Fits very well into your space.

And once again, the tank looks beautiful as well.


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## fokestn

Greggz said:


> Very, very nice DIY stand build and tank too!
> 
> You obviously spent a lot of time thinking the whole thing through. I'm sure that stand build will inspire others to make something similar, as it is a great design. Fits very well into your space.
> 
> And once again, the tank looks beautiful as well.


Thanks! I spent 2 months planning before I cut my first 2x4. It took a good amount of discipline not to start before felt I thought everything through.. But, I kept reminding myself that I would thank myself later..


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## ScubaSteve

Wow....you are quite the craftsman! Beautiful Stand, Sump and Hardscape....great job!


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## fokestn

ScubaSteve said:


> Wow....you are quite the craftsman! Beautiful Stand, Sump and Hardscape....great job!


Thanks ScubaSteve!


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## 20 20

Gotta love pot scrubbers. They work great in canisters too


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## fokestn

20 20 said:


> Gotta love pot scrubbers. They work great in canisters too




Absolutely! Plus, I'll try and save everywhere I can without sacrificing effectiveness. Scrubbies ftw.


Jeff

Fish keeping veteran, planted tank greenhorn


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## Greggz

fokestn said:


> Thanks! I spent 2 months planning before I cut my first 2x4. It took a good amount of discipline not to start before felt I thought everything through.. But, I kept reminding myself that I would thank myself later..


I couldn't agree with you more. When I built my stand, I spent countless hours planning every detail. Far more time planning than actually building it. 

In retrospect, when I realize how many things could have gone wrong, every moment of planning was time well spent.

Once again, a unique design and well executed.


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## fokestn

Greggz said:


> I couldn't agree with you more. When I built my stand, I spent countless hours planning every detail. Far more time planning than actually building it.
> 
> 
> 
> In retrospect, when I realize how many things could have gone wrong, every moment of planning was time well spent.
> 
> 
> 
> Once again, a unique design and well executed.




After reading your post on your 120 gal Bow tank, you sound as careful of a planner as I am. Seriously nice work yourself!


Jeff

Fish keeping veteran, planted tank greenhorn


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## briandmiles

fokestn said:


> Magnets at the top and a strip of 1x2 wood at the bottom that rests on the opening to bear the weight.


I've been thinking of doing the exact same thing with my upcoming (probably much further away than I would like) tank and stand. I've also been looking at the poret foam but I would still do dividers to direct the flow a bit differently. Any more detail shots of the magnets? and is the 1x2 just the trim that you added? What are your thoughts on the poret foam. I'm thinking a down flowing stack of 4" poret 10ppi, 20ppi, 30ppi, and then the 45ppi after a refugium, then the output. If you need a picture to visualize I can upload one. I know what you mean about very little info on planted tanks with sumps.

Thanks,

Brian


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## fokestn

briandmiles said:


> I've been thinking of doing the exact same thing with my upcoming (probably much further away than I would like) tank and stand. I've also been looking at the poret foam but I would still do dividers to direct the flow a bit differently. Any more detail shots of the magnets? and is the 1x2 just the trim that you added? What are your thoughts on the poret foam. I'm thinking a down flowing stack of 4" poret 10ppi, 20ppi, 30ppi, and then the 45ppi after a refugium, then the output. If you need a picture to visualize I can upload one. I know what you mean about very little info on planted tanks with sumps.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> 
> 
> Brian




Here's a shot of the backside of the front panel. There's a 1x2 that rests on the bottom of the opening to bear the weight. The magnets simply keep it from tipping out.










Here's a closer shot of the magnet. Nothing fancy, like $1.20 at Home Depot.










Your sump design sounds familiar and popular. I recommend sketching it up and emailing it to Stephen at Swiss Tropicals. He was immensely helpful with feedback on my sump ideas. I thought about stacking in the return chamber, but realized I could orient them vertically and get the dividers I wanted. If you will be running a smaller sump, or don't need a Fuge, you may not find the foam as dividers as advantageous as I did.


Jeff

Fish keeping veteran, planted tank greenhorn


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## chayos00

So I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on ordering my poret foam 4" of 10, 20 & 30. Do you still feel each of the 3 layers is important, or if you had to do over would you go 20, 20, & 30 or 20, 30, 30? Also I was initially planning on going with a 3" layer of polyfill right before the sump pump. With your setup do you think that would even be needed as I've got a similar design in mind. Except having a refuge area just after the input of DT water.


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> So I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on ordering my poret foam 4" of 10, 20 & 30. Do you still feel each of the 3 layers is important, or if you had to do over would you go 20, 20, & 30 or 20, 30, 30? Also I was initially planning on going with a 3" layer of polyfill right before the sump pump. With your setup do you think that would even be needed as I've got a similar design in mind. Except having a refuge area just after the input of DT water.




Great questions. If I had it to do all over again, I can't say I would do it any differently. Since I myself had never worked with Poret, I trusted Steve from Swiss Tropicals and his recommendation based on the layout illustration I provided him. I haven't experienced a single problem with it. 

I can't say that I think 20 as the first baffle would offer any tangible benefit in my setup. The overflow box does an awesome job as a surface skimmer, so the first chamber gets a decent amount of debris. That being said, I don't think 20 would clog any faster than the 10 I have in there now. 

I asked Steve about the polyfill myself and he said I wouldn't need it. Plus, he said that polyfill had to lay horizontal, and couldn't be oriented vertically as a baffle. Nonetheless, the 30 acts as a fantastic polisher on its own. I haven't felt I have needed anything beyond its polishing capabilities. The pump chamber in my sump is crystal clear.


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## Econde

Wow. That is just.. wow. Your stand is awesome and it goes so well with your home. I like the choice of painting it a lighter color too. Seriously really nice work on your tank and tank setup.


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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> Great questions. If I had it to do all over again, I can't say I would do it any differently. Since I myself had never worked with Poret, I trusted Steve from Swiss Tropicals and his recommendation based on the layout illustration I provided him. I haven't experienced a single problem with it.
> 
> I can't say that I think 20 as the first baffle would offer any tangible benefit in my setup. The overflow box does an awesome job as a surface skimmer, so the first chamber gets a decent amount of debris. That being said, I don't think 20 would clog any faster than the 10 I have in there now.
> 
> I asked Steve about the polyfill myself and he said I wouldn't need it. Plus, he said that polyfill had to lay horizontal, and couldn't be oriented vertically as a baffle. Nonetheless, the 30 acts as a fantastic polisher on its own. I haven't felt I have needed anything beyond its polishing capabilities. The pump chamber in my sump is crystal clear.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


This is good feedback thank you! With the poly I was going to make an eggcrate box to stuff the poly in which I would imagine would work if needed, but based on your feedback 30's getting it all. So guess I'll pull the trigger with 10, 20, & 30 then! 

Again I do love the look of your setup too! 

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## fokestn

Econde said:


> Wow. That is just.. wow. Your stand is awesome and it goes so well with your home. I like the choice of painting it a lighter color too. Seriously really nice work on your tank and tank setup.




Thanks Econde! That corner of the living room had aquarium written all over it. I'm just glad my wife thought so too. The paint matches the built-in shelves of the room along with the trim and molding. It definitely helps the tank feel like part of the room.


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> This is good feedback thank you! With the poly I was going to make an eggcrate box to stuff the poly in which I would imagine would work if needed, but based on your feedback 30's getting it all. So guess I'll pull the trigger with 10, 20, & 30 then!
> 
> Again I do love the look of your setup too!
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk




Thanks and good luck! You won't regret it!!


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## Mattb126

Wow, beautiful tank and stand!

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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> Thanks and good luck! You won't regret it!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Out of curiosity, have you had to clean your poret foam yet? 

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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Out of curiosity, have you had to clean your poret foam yet?
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk




Not yet. The website advises every six months, so I'm just about due. I'll post pics of before and after using their technique of "slapping it against the concrete."


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## Mattb126

fokestn said:


> Not yet. The website advises every six months, so I'm just about due. I'll post pics of before and after using their technique of "slapping it against the concrete."
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ignore this, replied to wrong thread* [emoji15] 

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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> Not yet. The website advises every six months, so I'm just about due. I'll post pics of before and after using their technique of "slapping it against the concrete."
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sounds good! I was just curious if the time frame really is that long between cleanings! Do you have any water level drops between the different foams yet compared to new? 

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## fokestn

Thank you!


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Sounds good! I was just curious if the time frame really is that long between cleanings! Do you have any water level drops between the different foams yet compared to new?
> 
> Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk


It doesn't look bad at all in my opinion. Nothing like the sludgy gunky buildup in a can after 6 months of no cleaning. I would argue that I could go longer.. Or, perhaps my memory of what it looks like while am at work is faulty...

The water level drops equally throughout the sump. I love that. Otherwise, I'd have to be topping off the pump chamber more often than I am. One consistent level allows me to go weeks between topoffs. From what Stephen said, even the 30ppi can move so much water that it would have to be incredibly clogged to slow the flow-thru rate. Given that it's at the end of the sump, after all the big debris has already been trapped, it's unlikely to happen _from my experience_.

The only thing I still need to engineer is the intake into the sump. It can hear water falling if the level drops too much. The simple solution is to just top it off more often. However, that goes against me trying to find a solution to a challenge. 

I'll post pictures of what i'm talking about tonight if I get a chance. It will illustrate the challenge far better than me explaining it.


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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> It doesn't look bad at all in my opinion. Nothing like the sludgy gunky buildup in a can after 6 months of no cleaning. I would argue that I could go longer.. Or, perhaps my memory of what it looks like while am at work is faulty...
> 
> The water level drops equally throughout the sump. I love that. Otherwise, I'd have to be topping off the pump chamber more often than I am. One consistent level allows me to go weeks between topoffs. From what Stephen said, even the 30ppi can move so much water that it would have to be incredibly clogged to slow the flow-thru rate. Given that it's at the end of the sump, after all the big debris has already been trapped, it's unlikely to happen _from my experience_.
> 
> The only thing I still need to engineer is the intake into the sump. It can hear water falling if the level drops too much. The simple solution is to just top it off more often. However, that goes against me trying to find a solution to a challenge.
> 
> I'll post pictures of what i'm talking about tonight if I get a chance. It will illustrate the challenge far better than me explaining it.


Good to know! This sounds promising! I posted on Reddit about my sump design, but got nothing but people saying poret is bad and I needed to go another route like a K1 floating media or a trickle tower.... It's like thanks for not reading what I wrote that I'm sticking with poret in my design. They claim poret will get dirty faster, but what you are saying is far from what they claim. LOL

So with the sound issue, I was designing my sump with a 5" wide return chamber at 17" tall to keep my water level at a consistent height to keep noise down by having the water at the same height for the plumbing coming in. 

Here's my plan.


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Good to know! This sounds promising! I posted on Reddit about my sump design, but got nothing but people saying poret is bad and I needed to go another route like a K1 floating media or a trickle tower.... It's like thanks for not reading what I wrote that I'm sticking with poret in my design. They claim poret will get dirty faster, but what you are saying is far from what they claim. LOL
> 
> So with the sound issue, I was designing my sump with a 5" wide return chamber at 17" tall to keep my water level at a consistent height to keep noise down by having the water at the same height for the plumbing coming in.
> 
> Here's my plan.


Nice plans!


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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> Nice plans!


Thanks! Hope that gives you an idea about what to do to keep your return quiet.


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Thanks! Hope that gives you an idea about what to do to keep your return quiet.




Thanks! I may have to work that in if I don't come up with another solution.


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## Bananableps

Wait, that area in the back is for you to crawl into for maintenance? You can fit back there?


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## fokestn

Bananableps said:


> Wait, that area in the back is for you to crawl into for maintenance? You can fit back there?




That would be handy, but no. It was to pull it away from the wall, hide plumbing, and give me an option for a shadow box background if that's the direction I decided to go. 


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## Bananableps

fokestn said:


> That would be handy, but no. It was to pull it away from the wall, hide plumbing, and give me an option for a shadow box background if that's the direction I decided to go.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ahh that's smart! I see now: it helps it keep flush with the other wall.

During the Industrial Revolution, children were used to mine coal in veins of ore too narrow for adults to fit into. Just a thought.


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## vvDO

Sweet build!!

Which lens are on your halos?


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Thanks! Hope that gives you an idea about what to do to keep your return quiet.


So here are some shots of the sump sections after 6 months. I have not taken the foam out once to clean. 

Intake


Bio


Refugium (I have temporarily re-homed 4 angels, as two others have paired off in the DT) The ditritus in this compartment combined with the small amount of algae is the ugliest of the compartments)


And Pump Chamber


A shot of the whole sump


As I said before, I don't think it's bad at all. The refugium could use some love, but I don't think it's horrendous. And I definitely have not noticed a slowdown in flow rate. However, I don't own any equipment to take any readings. Other than slight tuning of the overflow after a startup, I've never had to mess with anything else.


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## Svynx

I'm coming from the salt world. Bean's overflow system is awesome. Completely silent, and pretty much a "set it and forget it" item. Add in the safety pipe which can run both open and full siphon...can't go wrong. It does take some room for all three pipes though. 

Nicely done. I too am a big fan of sumps, and will be utilizing one on my next build.


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## fokestn

vvDO said:


> Sweet build!!
> 
> Which lens are on your halos?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks! I have left the 120s on from the factory. I think I definitely need it on the left, but have thought about experimenting with the 80 degrees on the right and angling the fixture to play with how it affects the mood of the lighting..

Bump:


Svynx said:


> I'm coming from the salt world. Bean's overflow system is awesome. Completely silent, and pretty much a "set it and forget it" item. Add in the safety pipe which can run both open and full siphon...can't go wrong. It does take some room for all three pipes though.
> 
> Nicely done. I too am a big fan of sumps, and will be utilizing one on my next build.


Thanks and agreed! Since this was my first venture into this type of filtration, I was nervous about how it would all go down. However, it was much simpler than I thought. Multiple safety systems in place give me a lot of comfort.


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## fokestn

Bananableps said:


> Ahh that's smart! I see now: it helps it keep flush with the other wall.
> 
> During the Industrial Revolution, children were used to mine coal in veins of ore too narrow for adults to fit into. Just a thought.


I have 2 children (8 and 4). I can't break any child labor laws if they work for the family, right? :wink2:

Making it flush with the outer wall was definitely part of the plan. Also, I wanted for it to act as a corner table (of sorts) between the two seats. If I didn't have anything to pull it away from the wall, the chair in front of it would have to sit too far away and defeat the purpose. My wife (and I) also wanted a ledge to put drinks on, so it works out nicely!


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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> So here are some shots of the sump sections after 6 months. I have not taken the foam out once to clean.
> 
> A shot of the whole sump
> 
> 
> As I said before, I don't think it's bad at all. The refugium could use some love, but I don't think it's horrendous. And I definitely have not noticed a slowdown in flow rate. However, I don't own any equipment to take any readings. Other than slight tuning of the overflow after a startup, I've never had to mess with anything else.


So based on these pics, I bet you could probably get away with just vacuum cleaning the media to suck some of the poo out. From what I was reading if your levels drop 1-2" between sheets is about when they recommend to clean them. However if it's that full, that's gonna be a LOT of poo to clean out! LOL

Thanks for these pics! Do you vacuum clean out the sump during water changes at all? If not that's not a bad buildup for running since 09/16 - 12/16! I was thinking of putting some low grade cherry shrimp into my first chamber of the sump to be a little poo cleanup crew.


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> So based on these pics, I bet you could probably get away with just vacuum cleaning the media to suck some of the poo out. From what I was reading if your levels drop 1-2" between sheets is about when they recommend to clean them. However if it's that full, that's gonna be a LOT of poo to clean out! LOL
> 
> Thanks for these pics! Do you vacuum clean out the sump during water changes at all? If not that's not a bad buildup for running since 09/16 - 12/16! I was thinking of putting some low grade cherry shrimp into my first chamber of the sump to be a little poo cleanup crew.


I have vacuumed the fuge about once every 6-8 weeks. A little longer than I should go between cleanings, but my WQ has never taken a dive. In fact, I had to add nitrates due to a small BGA outbreak. Some cherries in there would be a great idea. After, of course, the angels are re-homed.

When you say levels drop 1-2" between sheets... Do you mean cleaning them everytime my water level drops in the sump more than 2 inches from the level I top it off at? I leave the top 2" or so of the foam exposed at all times. My water level drops on a regular basis 2" below what it is now. I figure I'm probably losing the bacteria that has built up in that part of the foam, but the scrubbies are always below the level, as is 2/3 of the foam in all sections, so I should never lose that bacteria (in theory).

Just trying to determine if I need to change by maintenance routine... Or add a glass baffle at the end like your design. I'm just concerned that i would have to top it off every few days...


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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> I have vacuumed the fuge about once every 6-8 weeks. A little longer than I should go between cleanings, but my WQ has never taken a dive. In fact, I had to add nitrates due to a small BGA outbreak. Some cherries in there would be a great idea. After, of course, the angels are re-homed.
> 
> When you say levels drop 1-2" between sheets... Do you mean cleaning them everytime my water level drops in the sump more than 2 inches from the level I top it off at? I leave the top 2" or so of the foam exposed at all times. My water level drops on a regular basis 2" below what it is now. I figure I'm probably losing the bacteria that has built up in that part of the foam, but the scrubbies are always below the level, as is 2/3 of the foam in all sections, so I should never lose that bacteria (in theory).
> 
> Just trying to determine if I need to change by maintenance routine... Or add a glass baffle at the end like your design. I'm just concerned that i would have to top it off every few days...


So for the water level, not the overall tank's water level dropping due to evaporation. But from before a sheet to right after that one, if that has a drop in level thats' when they say it needs cleaning.. Hope this pic helps, think it's more for a Hamburg Mattenfilter, but I would think would still apply to a sump. I wouldn't let it go that long myself though LOL.










Based on info from here. The easy and effective way of cleaning Poret filter foam.


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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> So for the water level, not the overall tank's water level dropping due to evaporation. But from before a sheet to right after that one, if that has a drop in level thats' when they say it needs cleaning.. Hope this pic helps, think it's more for a Hamburg Mattenfilter, but I would think would still apply to a sump. I wouldn't let it go that long myself though LOL.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Based on info from here. The easy and effective way of cleaning Poret filter foam.


Ahhh. I understand now, thanks. Yeah, that makes sense. And no, after 6 months, I've never had a drop in compartmental water levels. However, I wouldn't say I have a huge bioload, so YMMV.


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## Bruz4023

This build is exactly what I wanted to do in my house! I have almost the same setup as you! That little area of kinda dead space that I don't know what to do with but just screams fish tank! I have had turtles my whole life and have decided that this space will have a planted turtle tank. I believe if I plan it right and build it with the idea that turtles can be destructive I can create a beautiful habitat! But The stand I planned to build to fit into the room better and you have done exactly what I was thinking! 

I have a question though! Did you paint the back of the tank white? Or is that the white of the shadow box?

The 3 cabinets just sit next to each other? The strips that cover the seams of the different stands, how do they go around the end of the ledge for drinks. How did you get the tank to sit up against the wall with the base board?

I apologize in advance but I am going to copy A LOT of aspects of you stand and sump build!


----------



## theDCpump

I think the floating plants in the top of the (OP) original poster's refugium help reduce the surface area on that little patch of water area.
The surface of that water will get a film without baffles.
Even good flow gets a stale film on it in the open areas.
The point was to not have extra circulation pumps humming away down in an area with a trouble spot
like I had on mine.

*I found the stale chamber had little fruit fly bugs that were loving the stagnant film in that trouble spot area between sponges*.

It works out well if you stuff foam in the right spots to keep the sump-water's surface film minimal.

Choices of thick foam, glued baffles as on a reef sump, or zip tied barriers will help aid the finer or thinner foams from moving as they get saturated with turds.

The best method is said to be heavy amount of thick Poret sponge.
The PPI (pores per inch) need to be dialed in on what block of sponge you stuff in.
I think 30 PPI was the right "pore size".

Downstream is a finer polyfluff or finer PPI foam block to catch smaller stuff.
(*)Imagine water rolling down your house steps and placing the correct towels, gutter screen and pot scrubbers to clean the water for an imaginary science experiment.

The key is to really load up the Bio area, but I hear that the bio will usually balance out to how much is in the tank as for fish.
Almost NEVER be on the low side of the scale when it comes to not enough of this sponge for the bio to convert.


----------



## theDCpump

This is a 20gal high 24x12x16 sump below a 60cube.

The OP has it correct.
Maintenance is minimal on a these sumps.
The foam sponge gets smacked on a flat or screen surface just like a heavy wet car wash sponge.
Bam.
Smack.

Soak.
Bam.
Smack.
The heavy water runs out of it so easily.

A lid to a tote or a trash can will aid
in catching the dripping sponge when the user 1st pulls out this 
loaded fish-poop sponge to clean it.
-Carry it to the back yard.
-Smack it out.











Tanks in stores:

*The normal 2 holes seen on tanks found in the reef section can be modded.*
-Run the water in the small pre-drilled hole as the 100% siphon draining water downward.
-Run the big hole as AN EMERGENCY pipe with a slight slant-cut (water will find the low side 1st).

*If ANYthing goes wrong, then* the big Emergency standby pipe will take the load of the pumping water.
The OP is running a 3-hole type method.
A standard pre-drilled at the store has 2 holes.
Some have more or different configurations.

You can always run the return line up over the tank like a garden hose or with glued dark PVC pipe and Lok-line fittings.

*The OP has the best one in my opinion.*
"1 nostril running full go, and 2 back up holes for when the aquarium life punches ya' in the nose".




















This next pic is a driftwood stained 80gallon.
A Herbie 2-pipe method is fitted on the Deep Blue rimless 80.

-The main drain is fully submerged under that water line a few inches as a full drain.
-The water draining is "choked" by a valve to adjust the siphon speed.
-The water will slowly rise in the overflow section of the tank and match closely with your 2nd hole, the Emergency pipe.
-The overflow section height is fianlly quiet when you get all the pipes cut to the right length.
-The harmony takes a good day of tinkering.

It's the most educational thing I've done in fluid dynamics in my life.
I like this stuff.

*A water top off robot is a must have item.*
Choose your droid wisely.
There are a few brands to choose from.
*The water level in the sump will make it easy or harder on the pump AND make the overflow section water level change (more noise with daily evaporation)*.
A top off droid will ensure your safe and very quiet new tank.
A DC pump will really take it to the next level of sound dampening.
- get a bigger pump.
-run on 1/3 to 2/3 speed.

All vibrations and noise are dialed in like a dimmer down to almost nothing.

Add a Kessil A80 fan-less light and your about to have a zen garden in no time.
Enjoy.


----------



## fokestn

Bruz4023 said:


> This build is exactly what I wanted to do in my house! I have almost the same setup as you! That little area of kinda dead space that I don't know what to do with but just screams fish tank! I have had turtles my whole life and have decided that this space will have a planted turtle tank. I believe if I plan it right and build it with the idea that turtles can be destructive I can create a beautiful habitat! But The stand I planned to build to fit into the room better and you have done exactly what I was thinking!
> 
> 
> 
> I have a question though! Did you paint the back of the tank white? Or is that the white of the shadow box?
> 
> 
> 
> The 3 cabinets just sit next to each other? The strips that cover the seams of the different stands, how do they go around the end of the ledge for drinks. How did you get the tank to sit up against the wall with the base board?
> 
> 
> 
> I apologize in advance but I am going to copy A LOT of aspects of you stand and sump build!




Don't apologize! Copy away! I always appreciated others who posted their work online for me to pull ideas from. Im just paying it forward!

There are 3 pieces; the stand and side cabinet as one unit, the canopy, and the back. What you're seeing in the pic is a frosted window film on the back glass. I have since removed it because I would get the water's ripple effect on it, and it was distracting. I felt like I lost the depth I was after. 

The seams at the ends of the ledge were cut to fit as precise as I could get it. The one on the side cabinet is one piece, so it never moves. The one on the side is attached to the same piece as the drink ledge, and the back piece slips under the strip to "seal" the seam. Here's some close ups:


















I pushed the tank as close to the baseboard as possible. I didn't want to remove the baseboard, as this wasn't a permanent installation. There's a small gap that doesn't bother me at all.










Glad you found this helpful and good luck with your build!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## fokestn

theDCpump said:


> This is a 20gal high 24x12x16 sump below a 60cube.
> 
> The OP has it correct.
> Maintenance is minimal on a these sumps.
> The foam sponge gets smacked on a flat or screen surface just like a heavy wet car wash sponge.
> Bam.
> Smack.
> 
> Soak.
> Bam.
> Smack.
> The heavy water runs out of it so easily.
> 
> A lid to a tote or a trash can will aid
> in catching the dripping sponge when the user 1st pulls out this
> loaded fish-poop sponge to clean it.
> -Carry it to the back yard.
> -Smack it out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tanks in stores:
> 
> *The normal 2 holes seen on tanks found in the reef section can be modded.*
> -Run the water in the small pre-drilled hole as the 100% siphon draining water downward.
> -Run the big hole as AN EMERGENCY pipe with a slight slant-cut (water will find the low side 1st).
> 
> *If ANYthing goes wrong, then* the big Emergency standby pipe will take the load of the pumping water.
> The OP is running a 3-hole type method.
> A standard pre-drilled at the store has 2 holes.
> Some have more or different configurations.
> 
> You can always run the return line up over the tank like a garden hose or with glued dark PVC pipe and Lok-line fittings.
> 
> *The OP has the best one in my opinion.*
> "1 nostril running full go, and 2 back up holes for when the aquarium life punches ya' in the nose".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This next pic is a driftwood stained 80gallon.
> A Herbie 2-pipe method is fitted on the Deep Blue rimless 80.
> 
> -The main drain is fully submerged under that water line a few inches as a full drain.
> -The water draining is "choked" by a valve to adjust the siphon speed.
> -The water will slowly rise in the overflow section of the tank and match closely with your 2nd hole, the Emergency pipe.
> -The overflow section height is fianlly quiet when you get all the pipes cut to the right length.
> -The harmony takes a good day of tinkering.
> 
> It's the most educational thing I've done in fluid dynamics in my life.
> I like this stuff.
> 
> *A water top off robot is a must have item.*
> Choose your droid wisely.
> There are a few brands to choose from.
> *The water level in the sump will make it easy or harder on the pump AND make the overflow section water level change (more noise with daily evaporation)*.
> A top off droid will ensure your safe and very quiet new tank.
> A DC pump will really take it to the next level of sound dampening.
> - get a bigger pump.
> -run on 1/3 to 2/3 speed.
> 
> All vibrations and noise are dialed in like a dimmer down to almost nothing.
> 
> Add a Kessil A80 fan-less light and your about to have a zen garden in no time.
> Enjoy.




Just last week was the first time I had to clean the foam in the sump. The 30ppi foam in the last section had some build up of gunk from the fuge. It began to bow from the flow of water and the level in the last chamber had dropped by about a half an inch. 

I took the foam out back, banged it on the patio, gave it a quick rinse in tank water, and reinserted.

4 minutes and it was back in place with full flow again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## theDCpump

fokestn said:


> Just last week was the first time I had to clean the foam in the sump.
> I took the foam out back, banged it on the patio, gave it a quick rinse in tank water, and reinserted.
> 
> 4 minutes and it was back in place with full flow again.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's it! 

Ha! Can you imagine if the stores did not sell all the products on the shelves and just sumped-it-out or used media compartments packed with some poret or decent foam? $$
The tough hydrophilic surface is advertised to be resistant to breaking down like and old beaten hydro-sponge as well as having some better foam qualities if you dig deeper into the the foam philosophies.

The "Art of Foam"
PPI (pores per inch) and how it all works. Good stuff.


----------



## danbayne

I know I'm late to the party, but, all I can say is WOW. Nice job!


----------



## fokestn

danbayne said:


> I know I'm late to the party, but, all I can say is WOW. Nice job!




Thank you!!


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## Matsnork

Really nice job. And the scape looks super clean as well. 

Two questions or possibly constructive critiques for you:

Why the scrubbers between the foam? To me it seems a wasted space since the same space filled with foam should have much much larger surface area. Maybe just put three foam instead of just two Like they use in pre-filters? Coarse -> Medium -> Fine. 

Why the slow growing plants in the sump? Wouldnt fast growing plants be more beneficial?

Edit: Sorry, I spoke too soon. Totally missed the planning part of the sump on page 3. The 1-2-3 bit was taken care of haha. Still dont get the whole deal about the scrubbers though.


----------



## fokestn

Matsnork said:


> Really nice job. And the scape looks super clean as well.
> 
> Two questions or possibly constructive critiques for you:
> 
> Why the scrubbers between the foam? To me it seems a wasted space since the same space filled with foam should have much much larger surface area. Maybe just put three foam instead of just two Like they use in pre-filters? Coarse -> Medium -> Fine.
> 
> Why the slow growing plants in the sump? Wouldnt fast growing plants be more beneficial?
> 
> Edit: Sorry, I spoke too soon. Totally missed the planning part of the sump on page 3. The 1-2-3 bit was taken care of haha. Still dont get the whole deal about the scrubbers though.




Thanks! I would agree that the scrubbers may not be needed. I guess in my approach, I was looking for as much area as possible for bacteria to grow. 

I had seen on Swiss Tropicals' page where they had foam cubes to do the same thing, but was trying to cut a few costs at the time to complete the project. Here's a link to what I'm talking about. 

http://www.swisstropicals.com/filtration-shop/poret-aqua-media-shop/


I'm not sure my bio load with this type of tank will ever justify the scrubbies, but I figured I haven't needed the sump space for anything else yet.

I appreciate your feedback!


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## Bruz4023

Thank you for the up close pictures of the joints! that really helps! I am so glad you have it just off the wall because that has been an area I have been struggling to design. BTW I have been showing everyone your tank this weekend! I have been saying for a year that this is what I wanted to do but no one could picture it! Now they can and they love yours!

The frosted tint: The shimer bothered you? I know you built it like a shadow box behind but didnt you run some equipment in that area? Can I see what it looks like without the frosted tint? BTW never thought of using tint I always painted them that is a cool idea because it could let you add colored LEDs in the background to change the mood of the tank or to make specific colors pop!

theDCpump, God I wished I had seen that way back when I had my saltwater tank! I never thought to have a full siphon and to cut the AUX overflow at an angle to direct all the falling water to one side! That would have been clutch! I spent so much effort trying to quiet that area! Thanks for the tip next go around it will be used lol!


----------



## fokestn

Bruz4023 said:


> Thank you for the up close pictures of the joints! that really helps! I am so glad you have it just off the wall because that has been an area I have been struggling to design. BTW I have been showing everyone your tank this weekend! I have been saying for a year that this is what I wanted to do but no one could picture it! Now they can and they love yours!
> 
> The frosted tint: The shimer bothered you? I know you built it like a shadow box behind but didnt you run some equipment in that area? Can I see what it looks like without the frosted tint? BTW never thought of using tint I always painted them that is a cool idea because it could let you add colored LEDs in the background to change the mood of the tank or to make specific colors pop!
> 
> theDCpump, God I wished I had seen that way back when I had my saltwater tank! I never thought to have a full siphon and to cut the AUX overflow at an angle to direct all the falling water to one side! That would have been clutch! I spent so much effort trying to quiet that area! Thanks for the tip next go around it will be used lol!


Glad it helped! And, thank you for the compliments!

Yeah, the shimmer on the frosted glass film distracted me. It's likely because I never got around to backlighting it, so there was no alternate light source to overpower the Halos. I'm sure it would have been fine once backlit, but I was already considering going in a different direction with the backdrop. Even if I decided to take away the shimmer by adjusting the locline below the surface, I found the film to be bright and reflective. Not a bad thing, but it did take away the mood I had in mind.

Yes, I did run the return line up the back right corner of the shadowbox. You could barely make out the PVC when the film was on it, but since removing the film, you can see the pvc pipe. I am planning on making a hardboard backdrop to place in front of the pipe, but far enough off of the back glass as to not get any shimmer on the backdrop. It's abit hard to explain without something to show, but I essentially want it to look like the plain wall behind the tank. It will be painted the same color as the surrounding wall, but I want to pull as much attention off of the backdrop as possible and place it on the aquascape and inhabitants. I will try and take a pic of what it looks like tonight without the film on it.


----------



## Fissure

That is some serious nice work there. Looks really well built!


----------



## vvDO

Great info about sumps, may have to consider Poret foams in my next tank.

Any update pics on the main tank?


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## fokestn

Fissure said:


> That is some serious nice work there. Looks really well built!




Thank you! Perhaps a bit overbuilt [emoji16]


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## fokestn

vvDO said:


> Great info about dumps, may have to consider Poret foams in my next tank.
> 
> Any update pics on the main tank?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Here's a few shots of the tank as it is today. I'm thinking my ability to piece together a stand is a bit stronger than keeping a planted tank. Not much change, but most are slow growing low lights. 





















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## Stevie Irawan

That black angel is sweet, but why is he alone?
Oh and that is one fat SAE there. Do you have any corydoras? A school of it would look fine in that white sand. I'm not the biggest fan of white sand because I can't keep them clean, but I got to admit it looks really good here.


----------



## fokestn

Stevie Irawan said:


> That black angel is sweet, but why is he alone?
> 
> Oh and that is one fat SAE there. Do you have any corydoras? A school of it would look fine in that white sand. I'm not the biggest fan of white sand because I can't keep them clean, but I got to admit it looks really good here.




Thanks! I love the black angels. I've sold off a few, and have two others about to come back from a hospital visit. So I'll have three back in the DT. I've had corys in there, but I lost most of them. Not sure why as I've been a stickler about the water parameters.

And yes, that SAE is a beast. He's a borderline bully though. I've gotten pissed at him several times for chasing around the angels. However, my wife loves him and won't let me re-home him to get a smaller one. Never known a SAE to be aggressive, but this dude is at times. 


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## chayos00

Your tank is looking good! I've finally got my 125g setup with my poret sump that I had asked you about in the past, granted I'm still cycling my media right now.

Edit: What plants do you have in your tank, I can see anubis and some java ferns, anything else?


----------



## Fishbeard

What's your current stocking? It's hard to pick out each species in a picture like that!


----------



## X45

Awsome build! Gave me some good ideas for my build. Also just realized you are right down the road from me. I'm over in the Willow Springs area. Basically the other side of Fuquay from you.


----------



## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Your tank is looking good! I've finally got my 125g setup with my poret sump that I had asked you about in the past, granted I'm still cycling my media right now.
> 
> Edit: What plants do you have in your tank, I can see anubis and some java ferns, anything else?




Good luck with your setup! I think you'll find that you love the foam!

The other plants I have in the tank are:

Wendtii green
Wendtii red
staurogyne repens
Amazon sword 


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## fokestn

Fishbeard said:


> What's your current stocking? It's hard to pick out each species in a picture like that!




I've got Pinoy Angels
A school of cherry barbs
Juliis
Kuhli loaches
SAE

Had a couple of Electric Blue Rams but lost them a few months ago, and my Juliis have been flaky. Thinking of adding a large group of rummies. The stocking is a bit light at the moment, just haven't had a chance to get back to the lfs to check out the offerings.


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## fokestn

X45 said:


> Awsome build! Gave me some good ideas for my build. Also just realized you are right down the road from me. I'm over in the Willow Springs area. Basically the other side of Fuquay from you.




Thanks! I have a former colleague in WS. Nice to see a neighbor on here!


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## Ben Belton

fokestn said:


> Nice to see a neighbor on here!


I'm a neighbor too.


----------



## Fishbeard

fokestn said:


> I've got Pinoy Angels
> A school of cherry barbs
> Juliis
> Kuhli loaches
> SAE
> 
> Had a couple of Electric Blue Rams but lost them a few months ago, and my Juliis have been flaky. Thinking of adding a large group of rummies. The stocking is a bit light at the moment, just haven't had a chance to get back to the lfs to check out the offerings.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Awesome! Rummynose tetras are great little schoolers, I've wanted a school for awhile. They would look great with your scape!

I've read that cories and kuhli loaches will be competing for the same food, do you think that could be why your juliis are having trouble?


----------



## fokestn

Fishbeard said:


> Awesome! Rummynose tetras are great little schoolers, I've wanted a school for awhile. They would look great with your scape!
> 
> 
> 
> I've read that cories and kuhli loaches will be competing for the same food, do you think that could be why your juliis are having trouble?




Perhaps. I never ruled it out, but the kuhlis were so recluse. I hardly ever saw them. The cories didn't seem too shy about getting theirs come feeding time. 


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## chayos00

Hey Jeff! So I recall you saying that you had that surface scum build up in your sump between your sheets of poret foam. I noticed that today as well in my return section. Since I have a few sponge filters seeding for my soon to be QT tank, I moved it over there and have noticed that the surface scum build up was gone after a bit. That may be a touch more economical running vs a power filter in there.


----------



## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> Hey Jeff! So I recall you saying that you had that surface scum build up in your sump between your sheets of poret foam. I noticed that today as well in my return section. Since I have a few sponge filters seeding for my soon to be QT tank, I moved it over there and have noticed that the surface scum build up was gone after a bit. That may be a touch more economical running vs a power filter in there.




That's a good idea! I have a sponge filter that's about to be freed back up from a hospital tank, so that would work out nice! 

Thanks for the tip!


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## theDCpump

At the aquarium shop, one of those moments happened.
I was thinking butter, or seeing how I could squeeze them in somewhere among the projects, possibly in the open chamber of a sump.

BUtter and garlic!
No! Sumps 
No! butter.


----------



## DigityDog70

Nice tank, thank you for sharing your journal. 

I have some questions that you might laugh at. I noticed you used screws. Did you drill pilot holes for all of your screws?

Lights, what type of lights did you end up using and what do you have to say about them now. Still like them or? I'm looking at flood lights?

What are some of the pitfalls about using a refugium in your opinion, for freshwater. They seem to allow for some much control over your tank, but it seems like you would need more CO2 for a high tech tank and I'm always paranoid about leaking when using a refugium?

Cheers,
DD


----------



## monkeyruler90

Very nice tank and stand!


----------



## fokestn

DigityDog70 said:


> Nice tank, thank you for sharing your journal.
> 
> I have some questions that you might laugh at. I noticed you used screws. Did you drill pilot holes for all of your screws?
> 
> Lights, what type of lights did you end up using and what do you have to say about them now. Still like them or? I'm looking at flood lights?
> 
> What are some of the pitfalls about using a refugium in your opinion, for freshwater. They seem to allow for some much control over your tank, but it seems like you would need more CO2 for a high tech tank and I'm always paranoid about leaking when using a refugium?
> 
> Cheers,
> DD




I'm not laughing at any of your questions! I think they're great questions. 

Most of the screws used in my stand and canopy were used in a Kreg system. Pocket holes whenever I could use them. Makes for a very clean and strong joint, especially combined with glue. 

I went with Aquatic Life Halos for the lights. I love them. I can adjust the color temp and intensity with a built in timer. I also love that I can create a gorgeous shimmer if I adjust the outtakes to ripple the water at the surface, or aim them down to give me a more calm look. They're fantastic lights, but expensive...

I wouldn't say I've hit a pitfall in using a sump. It's easier to clean, and can be configured in tons of ways. It boosts the water volume of the system, hides equipment, and provides a isolation area if needed. If I had to choose an annoyance, I'd say that it increases the evaporation in the system. But it's not that annoying. I never have low water in the DT like I had when using canisters.

I would imagine you would have to increase your co2 to accommodate the increased outgassing when using a sump, but I'm not sure by how much.


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## fokestn

monkeyruler90 said:


> Very nice tank and stand!




Thank you!


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## jeffkrol

88 posts and nobody mentions the gorgeous lighting.. sheesh..


----------



## BettaBettas

jeffkrol said:


> 88 posts and nobody mentions the gorgeous lighting.. sheesh..


 you know, I was just thinking that when I re-read this. I saw the lights and then I saw no one said diddly squat about em'


----------



## fokestn

jeffkrol said:


> 88 posts and nobody mentions the gorgeous lighting.. sheesh..




Thanks! I love the halos. The only gripe I have with them is that the moon phase leaves a bit to be desired. The moon cycle lights are too warm for my liking. I wish they were cooler.

Also, the moon phase is automatically set at 10% or so of whatever intensity you have the lights set at. A little rigid for my taste, but overall, they're fantastic lights.


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## jsarrow

Awesome build, aquascape and post! I really like the sump set up and am thinking of doing something similar on my 90P. Thanks for sharing the info.


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## fokestn

jsarrow said:


> Awesome build, aquascape and post! I really like the sump set up and am thinking of doing something similar on my 90P. Thanks for sharing the info.




Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you found it helpful!


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## thedudeabides

Wow awesome build and DIY you're giving me a few ideas. 

Most people who bad mouth HMF's and poret foam have never used it. It is awesome stuff and mine has never clogged.


----------



## fokestn

thedudeabides said:


> Wow awesome build and DIY you're giving me a few ideas.
> 
> 
> 
> Most people who bad mouth HMF's and poret foam have never used it. It is awesome stuff and mine has never clogged.




Thank you! Agreed! It's ridiculously easy to clean, great at mechanical, and phenomenal at biological filtration. I'd have a hard time going back to any other filtration media. 


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## Dman911

Love it!!! Nice work

Dan


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## chayos00

I third the poret foam! Working great so far and the water is crystal clear! I do wonder if my system could handle 45ppi foam in addition to my current 10, 20, & 30ppi foam with 900ish gph. 

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## Fishbeard

Any updates about this tank @fokestn? This is one of my favorite builds, would love to know how it's doing!


----------



## fokestn

Fishbeard said:


> Any updates about this tank @fokestn? This is one of my favorite builds, would love to know how it's doing!




Thank you Fishbeard!! However, I must confess. About 2 months ago, I took a different direction with the tank. I was struggling getting the balance right on the ferts/lighting, etc.. Some sort of disease that I treated for over a month wiped out most of my angels... at that point, I decided on a reboot. 

I've kept cichlids for over a decade, and realized that they may be the right fish for me at this time. Not giving up on a planted tank, but postponing my efforts for now.












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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> Thank you Fishbeard!! However, I must confess. About 2 months ago, I took a different direction with the tank. I was struggling getting the balance right on the ferts/lighting, etc.. Some sort of disease that I treated for over a month wiped out most of my angels... at that point, I decided on a reboot.
> 
> I've kept cichlids for over a decade, and realized that they may be the right fish for me at this time. Not giving up on a planted tank, but postponing my efforts for now.
> 
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I've never been much of a fan of cichlids, but yours is the first tank I actually like with them! Have you changed the sump at all them since you got rid of the plants? 

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## fokestn

chayos00 said:


> I've never been much of a fan of cichlids, but yours is the first tank I actually like with them! Have you changed the sump at all them since you got rid of the plants?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk




Thanks! I've made minor improvements to the filtration. The sump handles the massive bioload without missing a beat. Still think it's the best filtration system I've ever had.

I added an Eheim 2217 that I had laying around, and added a 1050 gph koralia to assist in taking out debris from the water column. The picture shows the canister's return line going into the sump. I took that pic before placing the tube in its final position, back into the display tank. I also added some eggcrate for compartment stability between foam dividers. Didn't really need it, but it added a bit of rigidity without reducing flow rate.











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## chayos00

fokestn said:


> Thanks! I've made minor improvements to the filtration. The sump handles the massive bioload without missing a beat. Still think it's the best filtration system I've ever had.
> 
> I added an Eheim 2217 that I had laying around, and added a 1050 gph koralia to assist in taking out debris from the water column. The picture shows the canister's return line going into the sump. I took that pic before placing the tube in its final position, back into the display tank. I also added some eggcrate for compartment stability between foam dividers. Didn't really need it, but it added a bit of rigidity without reducing flow rate.
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Yeah I have found my poret foam and the added biomedia keep this tank very clear without issues!! I'm really glad I went with the sump setup too. 

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## The Dude1

All male peacocks and haps?? Gorgeous fish in there!! My Sunshine colored down within weeks and has never colored back up. Started out with 21 beauties... now I'm down to 11 and my favorite... a Red Empress was attacked one night and almost killed. He is recovering but only has one eye now. Im growing out 6 more to add in to get the numbers back up. I still have a bad taste in my mouth after thendeath of my Swallowtail and Usisya... they were beyond stunning. I go back and forth between my "real" planted tanks and this cichlid tank... although the cichlid tank has a good amount of anubias and is getting pressurized CO2 next week. 
Your fish are stunning.


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## fokestn

Thank you! Yep, all male peacock/hap tank. I got lucky when switching over to Cichlids. My LFS had a large shipment with a huge variety. I've had several lose the color they had when purchased, but for the most part, almost all of them have retained their color. Over the course of 2 weeks, I stocked the tank with 28 of them, varying in size. Didn't lose a single fish, and WC stayed great. 

Since making the switch, I've lost a total of 3. Almost no aggression at all. Overall, a very peaceful tank for now.


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## Mxx

Can you by the way log into your Photobucket account and update your settings to allow 3rd Party Hosting? Your pictures at the beginning of the thread unfortunately aren't showing up.


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## The Dude1

How are they doing now? The killing has stopped for me, but I've got several fish that are frequently pushed into the upper corners. They come charging out for food. I'm growing out a Deepwater Hap (which is stunning) a super VC10, a Copadichromis Chrysonotos, and a couple Rusty's now along with a group of 6 Synodontis multipunctatus to add some real activity. I love the overstocked look and that seems to be the best way to limit aggression and injuries as well.
I'm hoping I've got enough floor space. I've got a synodontis Euruptus and a pair of ABN Plecos in there too. Hopefully this week I'll get the C02 going and get my anubias growing again. It grows really well in my other tanks with C02.


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## GeoJB

Mxx said:


> Can you by the way log into your Photobucket account and update your settings to allow 3rd Party Hosting? Your pictures at the beginning of the thread unfortunately aren't showing up.


Yes a bit frustrating. would love to see all those pictures.


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## fokestn

Apologies that it has taken so long.. I finally changed the image hosting site today and updated the links to the pics.

Bump: Updating image links are live. Apologies for the ridiculously long delay!


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## monkeyruler90

aww sad that you rescaped but it still looks awesome! maybe you'll try some plants again later on 

Bump: aww sad that you rescaped but it still looks awesome! maybe you'll try some plants again later on 

Bump: aww sad that you rescaped but it still looks awesome! maybe you'll try some plants again later on


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## Carlos Padin Gonzalez

Hi fokestn

I'm new in the hobby and I was searching for a stand until I see your design and fall in love with it. I'm asking if you have the design with the measure of each side to provide it to me will be great! Thanks in advance!!


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## SupremeD601

How tall is the stand that's holding the tank? I'm about to build one for a 40 gallong breeder.


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## Subroto

Carlos Padin Gonzalez said:


> Hi fokestn
> 
> I'm new in the hobby and I was searching for a stand until I see your design and fall in love with it. I'm asking if you have the design with the measure of each side to provide it to me will be great! Thanks in advance!!


I wonder whether you would get any feedback as this thread seems to have gone cold. There were only two posts in the entire year, excluding mine of course!


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## KayakJimW

This thread was one of my favorites when I first joined the site but yes, it's gone cold. If you click on the OPs name and View Public Profile, it shows his last activity was 2-10-2018

Such a cool build though!, and I'm sure it will continue to inspire others. Maybe he'll be back, but after 1.5 yrs who knows....


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## chayos00

This post helped me figure out using Poret foam for my FW sump too!


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## ericwn1

Very nice job! Been struggling with a setup myself, but tank is already set-up against a wall. Your project gives me some hope. thanks!


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## Boringkiddo

Can you give me the list of all the wood and how much of each o would need really love it and want to try to build myself


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## tcasey2003

wher did you get the rock and what kind is it?


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