sumps next to tank
- Thread starter jft
- Start date
It is more difficult to put sumps next to tank. Can you get a smaller sump?
no i need a sump to handle 125
What I did was to place the sump behind my tank. the tank is about 22 inches from the wall, but this is not quite as bad as it sounds, since you want about 6 inches anyway, just so you can work behind the tank.
Placing the sump next to the tank should be no issue. If fact, it can sometimes be a better choice, since you no longer need to worry about things like skimmer height or getting components in and out of the sump for cleaning, repair or maintenance. You clao can use a much larger sump. Personally, other than for appearance or floor space, I can see no reason to "force the sump under the tank. Also, there have been more that a few people tha placed the sump under the tank, and had it leak, and found that they couldn't remov it because they dropped it into the stand from above or from the back, and once the tank was full, the sump was "trapped" in place.
Plumbing is not much more difficult, but you will need longer pipes. This is usually not a major issue.
When you place the sump outside the tank, you usually want to place it so the drain pipes from the over flow system have the shortest runs, so this usually means putting the skimmer area or filter sock area next to the tank. It's really not too difficult.
With a sump outside the tank, you may wish to put a cover of some sort over it to keep the splashing down, and keep ptes, kids and so on out. It would also be possible to build a large enclosure for the sump to keep the area looking nice. To keep the plumbing frm being an eyesore you can use gray or black PVC pipe and fitting, but these are usually more expensive.
Placing the sump next to the tank should be no issue. If fact, it can sometimes be a better choice, since you no longer need to worry about things like skimmer height or getting components in and out of the sump for cleaning, repair or maintenance. You clao can use a much larger sump. Personally, other than for appearance or floor space, I can see no reason to "force the sump under the tank. Also, there have been more that a few people tha placed the sump under the tank, and had it leak, and found that they couldn't remov it because they dropped it into the stand from above or from the back, and once the tank was full, the sump was "trapped" in place.
Plumbing is not much more difficult, but you will need longer pipes. This is usually not a major issue.
When you place the sump outside the tank, you usually want to place it so the drain pipes from the over flow system have the shortest runs, so this usually means putting the skimmer area or filter sock area next to the tank. It's really not too difficult.
With a sump outside the tank, you may wish to put a cover of some sort over it to keep the splashing down, and keep ptes, kids and so on out. It would also be possible to build a large enclosure for the sump to keep the area looking nice. To keep the plumbing frm being an eyesore you can use gray or black PVC pipe and fitting, but these are usually more expensive.
Thank u
Blue Space
Well-Known Member
Here's mine side by side. Two 40 breeders from Petco during the dollar per gallon sale. 
