Sump tank busted in the middle of the night.

[spikehs]

Well I woke up a 4am this morning to a horrible noise, flicked on the lights and found there was NO water in my sump wooohooo . The tank cracked in the back and emptied itself out. Everything in the main tank looks ok although its a little foggy. Now I am not sure what to do. The only way that sump went in was through the top. And I *really* dont want to have to empty the main tank and take it off. I think i'll break the sump and take it out piece by piece. As to how to get another one in, well thats a whole new story. For you Calgary reefers out there it was a 33gal from Golds. Thats 2 (mine and EmilyB's) that broke from there. I wouldn't get one if i were you...I won't be able to fit a 33gal in there again unless i remove the center brace then put it back in. Anyways a good way to start off the long weekend

EDIT: oh yah the tank was only half full and it still busted.

[kari]

I'm pretty sure its the same bunch of guys that build these tanks for Big Al's, and Pieces aswell. They are local.

Sorry to here about the troubles. Thats the kind of stuff I worry about all the time. Too many things can go wrong. I had a pvc elbow pop not to long ago but I happened to be standing there.

Have you thought about building the sump in the stand, or looking for a Rubbermaid or similar plastic sump to fit in there?

[Doug]

Mine did the same. Wonder why its always in the middle of the night. That was it for 1/4 in. glass for me. I should have know better.

I now have a 100g. Rubbermaid, built like a tank.

[Quinn]

Super-rotten man. Maybe you could get the glass cut and build the tank yourself. Wouldn't be too bad, since it doesn't need to look all that great. You can make it so that it fits the stand even better than the 33 did.

[DJ88]

Sorry to hear about the sump breaking.

As for replacement.

All you need is 8 pieces of acrylic and you can build your sump to the exact size you want and then assemble it inside your stand. That is how I did it.

[spikehs]

Thanks, never really thought of building my own - I guess i am a little tentitive as i dont wan't this happening again ... does anyone know of any articles online that go into detail about it? IE thickness, whit kinds of acrylic glue. techinques etc ? And to top it off I threw in a powerhead to keep the water circulating, put my hand in there a few mins later and got zapped!! luckily i have a few spares though. Just gotta make up a bit of sw now.

[Delphinus]

I had to bust my old sump to get it out. Sacrificed two panels, the rest became scrap for baffles one day or something like that.

Acrylic is probably your best bet for building a sump in-stand. (Man, I wish I had thought of that 15 months ago... Oh well.) It's actually a lot simpler than you expect it to be; so don't worry I'm sure any of us can help you get started if you wish to go that route.

What was the tank itself sitting on, the floor or was there something supporting it off the floor?

[spikehs]

it was sitting on a 1/4 inch piece of plywood...i nailed that to the bottom of the stand to help distribute some of the pressure...

kinda interested in making myself a sump now, I have a few q's.

1. what thickness of acrylic should i go for?
2. what kind of adhesive should i use?
3. what would be the easiest way to insure 90degree angles?

[Delphinus]

Well there are far more experienced acrylic workers here than me but here's my stab at it:

1. what thickness of acrylic should i go for?

I think if I was to build a sump I'd look at 6mm (which is, I think, the same as saying 1/4"). Maybe one size up from that, depending on cost and how big I intended the volume, but I think 6mm is a good starting point..

2. what kind of adhesive should i use?

weld-on .. there are several different numbers of it, and it all depends on how runny it is. The bigger the number the more viscous. If you take something like weldon #3 (which is like really thin water), you hold the edges together, apply the weldon with a syringe and capillary action pulls the weldon into the bond. Hold the acrylic in place for a few minutes, the weldon melts the acyrlic together, and as long as you have no air bubbles in your bond the end result will be solid. Maybe a quick squirt again so that the edges are sealed. Then let it cure for a day or so and then you're done.

3. what would be the easiest way to insure 90degree angles?

Basically with good cuts and edge preparation. Stuff sands like a breeze, don't worry it's really easy to prepare the edges.


...

It's perhaps a bit easier to see it in person than to try to imagine it. But it's really not all that hard espescially once you've done it a few times.

[DJ88]

1. 1/4"

2. Methylene Chloride and/or weld-on

3. put it together.

Seriously. If your cuts are square it will go together square as long as you are careful.

I built mine in the stand.

put bottom piece in. Attach one side with a small drop of methylene chloride on each end just to hold it. Put end in place. Hold the end to the side run meth down the joint where they meet. Make sure they are properly together. not overhanging. Attach other side in same manner a first. Bond joint of the singel end with the side just placed in. Once they are bonded place the remaining end. Once they are all fitted together nicely run methylene chloride aroudn the bottom to seal it all together. Than fit baffles in place and bond.

take a read of this thread. I give acrylic sizes etc. Easily modified for any size stand.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...p&pagenumber=2