DIY sump and overflow... but really really badly.

[rDr4g0n]

i have the tools and the brain for a DIY guy, but i just dont have the skill or patience.

heres my office


and heres my as of yet untested sump. looks decent right?


the image of quality and professionalism


im gonna use this as my overflow intake. its for holding soap and who knows what else. it was like $2.50 at walmart. i just put some teeth in there so it can skim stuff off the top of the water. suction cups = easy.


the part im currently failing miserably on is the actual overflow. i havent even gotten to put the freakin bulkhead in... im still trying to get a box that hands on the side of the tank first. my first attempt looked like something on the side of the road... after a month... a hot SUMMER month. here are the 2 follow ups. remember, get CLEAR silicon!!! NOT white! oh and i used a heat gun and a piece of wood to bend this acrylic. oh one more random nugget of wisdom... when drilling holes in acrylic, drill slowly... it explodes.


this one looks decent, but cant support the weight of the water, even with that center support thingie. it was at one time an ice cube tray.


so the journey continues. will it work!?! stay tuned to find out!

[lgerold]

I'm sure you'll succeed! Look at the ingenuity you have shown already!

Karma on the way

[fishheads]

wow........you go boy....looks like you've had quite the treck.....go to your lfs and ask them if you can purchase one of those hang on clear boxes they use to hold the fish in when they catch them.....there like a buck or two....the white will take to much away from your tank....you wont your tank to be the center piece not the box

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by rDr4g0n

im gonna use this as my overflow intake. its for holding soap and who knows what else. it was like $2.50 at walmart. i just put some teeth in there so it can skim stuff off the top of the water. suction cups = easy.

Does that box have slots in the botton of it?
If it does you will run into probelms maintaing a proper siphon in the overflow tube because it will keep draining water until the water level drops below the level of the box and then the siphon will be gone.

[sasquatch]

Dragon, I love your shop, only thing that brings me in the house is the can, Im a little lost, youve got your intake skimmer, and overflow box, do you have a hole in the tank to attach them too?? how are you getting the water to the sump? Steve

[PhilOlsen]

Looking forward to the finished product

[fishheads]

here are some links for building an overflow....hope they help
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/overflow.html

http://www.reefs.org/library/diy/diy_winner1.html

http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects...verflow/70.asp

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/overflow.htm

[rDr4g0n]

oh im gonna bend some pvc pipe into u tubes (hehe youtube...) and they will siphon from the skimmer box into the overflow. http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/overflow.htm that fish linked is the principle i plan to use.

oh heres the next victim to be butchered into an overflow.


thanks for teh links fishheads, those are all basically what im doing, but those are teh correct way. im doing it ghetto style.

[Frankie]

Good luck!

[rDr4g0n]

hey guys, guess what! i stabbed myself in teh stomach on accident. im not kidding. the first thing my wife said is "get a picture!" too bad i stabbed a hole in one of my favorite shirts. anyways, teh stab is like and inch and a half deep (really deep man, i could see like 2 or 3 distint layers of stuff in there). it doesnt bleed much but it is kinda hard to keep closed. i dont wanna get stiches or anything....

anyway here is a pic. its a link and its an open wound so DONT click if you may get sick or something. its not like an arm falling off or anything.... also there are 2 dots for eyes since it looks kinda like a smiley face... ya i had time to draw 2 dots to make it a smily face....

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...gon/stabby.jpg icky cut at this link! dont click if you cant take it!

[MoJo'sReef]

you know you can buy an overflow box set up for like $100 bucks or less
i have a drawing of an over flow box on my website diy
www.mojosreef.com

but id rather buy one to much troble making one that i feel safe using

[fishheads]

use super glue to close your wound....it was originally made for that purpose

[fishheads]

i'm sending some good karma your way,cause you need it

[rDr4g0n]

lol thx for all teh karma... so far that funnel seems to be doing what i want it to do. the glue is setting right now.

@mojo: im a tough case. i dont wanna pay for one, because i THINK i can do it myself, and i may in fact be able to do it. on the other hand, my brain doesnt match my actual DIY skill. its tragically funny. honestly, i think it will work correctly... it just wouldnt have been as easy as it could have been

@fishheads: that reminds me! i have a bottle called liquid bandages... its basically superglue. thanks for the tip! im gonna try it out

have faith! i will win this battle!

[Frankie]

Never give up! Karma for the efforts!