Need A Lot Of Help Building This

[ANIM4L]

Ok so i have a dillemma. I really want a sump for my 60 gallon tank, and the only way i can think of doing it is have a sump above the water level on s dresser higher than the fish tank. I want it to look pretty much like a smaller tank, but i need to knwo how to make it! Personally i am very crafty so i am hoping this to be fun and easy but i need to figure out what i need to make a sump that will go from my tank to a stand a fot away and above the tank, since i would easily have the room on that sump i could use around a 20-29(if i want it tall) gallon tank for it, but i need to know what i need to do to make it, blue prints, diagrams, anything you can help me with, again im crafty, but know only the simple things about making a sump, so i may need someone to hold my hand through it please! thank you so much!

so ya, to clarify, i need to know:
how to connect the sump and the tank
how to set up the sump
how to make it all work together

thanks again!!!

 

[Matthew5664]

What about like this. on the right of the main tank is an overflow with the pump in the bottom. then the sump is drilled to allow the water to drain back to the tank. I made mine from a tank from the LFS £19 some Acrylic sheeting £4 and some Silicon £5. Job done.

 

[SkiFletch]

Actually, he doesnt need or want an overflow for a top-mount sump... Just stick a powerhead in the main tank near the surface to pump water up to the sump. Place a pinhole in the tube connected to that powerhead near the surface of the sump in case you loose flow to prevent siphon. then you can have as fancy a sump as you want. standard 3 chamber construction, or something different. Then at the other end of the sump have a simple overflow box hanging on the sump with a straight drain back to the tank. The overflow doesnt have to go in the tank, it goes on the sump (the two are reversed now remember ).

The most difficult part actually is designing a stand for it which allows you access to the display tank. You'll probably have to build your own tank hood because the only way I can see doing it is to have 2x2 posts coming off of the corners of the tank which have the centers of the bottoms of them drilled out so that they grab onto the sides of the tank. Or you could rip the wall apart and come straight off the studs, but that would look tacky.

 

[ANIM4L]

sounds kinda complicated lol, drawings??? ummmm so about the hole to stop the siphon how and were does that go, and how does that work?

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, the hole to stop the siphon is simple... you put a couple pinholes right through the tubing just below the water level of the sump. so if the power goes out and the pump stops pumping, the tube breaks its siphon at just a couple mm or a cm of water.

I just realized a probably simpler way you could create a mount for a top-mount sump. rabbit cut some timber with 45 degree mitre's at the corners and drop the unit on the top of the tank. that way you'd have a solid base that wouldn't slip off the sides of the aquarium. Here's a cross-sectioned area of what I had in mind.

That lip of the piece of rim timber holds the rim in place from slipping off to one side of your tank and provides a secure point for which to build your support posts to stand the sump off from the top. Does that make sense?

After you figure out your anchor, just build a table with enough re-inforcement to take the weight of the sump you create.

 

[Aquascaper]

I'd be concerned with all that weight directly on the top of the tank walls. I had a similar design for holding up a halide instead of using the pendant wires but decided against it after assessing the weight involved. You'd be better to get a heavy duty bracket (microwave brackets are excellent for holding up tanks ) and drill it to the wall.

 

[SkiFletch]

Good call, or a TV wall mount. Just remember to find your studs

 

[Aquascaper]

Studs! That's what posh houses have ...... I live in a council flat with asbestos and concrete

 

[SkiFletch]

lol, crazy brits and your flats