Drilling, Sumps, Pumps and all that good stuff

[SuperXdude]

Wife is prodding me to get a bigger tank, if y'all haven't seen my attempts to locate one or sell one of my 55s.

There is a 100gal at Alamo for $399 with stand and hood but it's not drilled for a sump.

What does it cost to drill?

And costs for plumbing and pumps?

I've seen sumps at the local stores and they are quite pricey.

Anyone do homemade jobs that work just fine?

X

[PeeJ]

399?...they are rippin you off then....you can get a 100 gal tank with the stand over at texas tropical for 299

[matt]

Peej; I don't see how you can say that, unless you know that they're identical tanks with identical stands.

It costs about $25 to drill a tank, if you can find someone to do it. Overflow probably another $50. Pumps and sumps vary alot in price; you've got some research to do. Despite what anyone else might tell you, I strongly suggest that if you buy an acrylic sump, make sure it's cast acrylic, and it probably will be expensive. 1 sheet of 1/4" cast like cyro or spartech is over $150. You can use big plastic tubs for sumps; they usually work fine.

[captexas]

I would definately shop around for tank prices. Check Aquatic Warehouse, CB Pets, Fintique, and Texas Tropical. Not sure if they are doing it this year, but last year Fintigue had a good X-mas special on a tank and stand. If you do buy the tank at Alamo, they can drill it for you for a small fee.

As far as cost on plumbing and pumps, it all depends on what you want to do and if you can find some of the things used. You can make a fairly simple sump using a rubbermaid tub or a smaller tank inexpensively. There are a lot of people with homemade sumps.

[PeeJ]

my bad...i didnt even see that it included a stand. Alamo drills tanks? Last time i checked they wouldnt do it

[captexas]

I've seen the drill there. If they don't do it, they can get it done. Also, some have had luck getting tanks drilled at on of the local glass places.

[PeeJ]

WEll i know for sure aquatic warehouse drills tanks.

[dan]

as far as sumps go, they do not have to be cast acry. i've been building sumps for 13 years and never had one split or crack, and i build them for allthe pet shops here in town. Secondly, i don't think you can buy 1/4" acry in cast. Most sumps are built with 1/4", but you can have one built in 3/8" cast and it will be pricey. Just remember, I've built thousands ... lol!

[PeeJ]

Dan of Dan's Aquaplex?

[dan]

Yup ... you know it ... lol!

[PeeJ]

HAHAH...nice to meet you. my freind yves was tellin me about you the other day..do you make that triple tube overflow that texas tropical sells?

[TexasState]

What brand tank are you talking about? I've been looking at tank down here in H-town. It's $299.99 for a 100G tank/stand/glasstops, light hood.
If you're buying a new tank, just order it predrilled with the box installed. Each RR box/2 holes usually cost about $100. The bulkheads/return might cost another $20.
Check out the AGA Megaflow tank.

[Tim Marvin]

To set-up a tank to hold any type livestock you want and keep them healthy you can estimate about $20-$30 per gallon. So a 100 gallon tank will run you about $2,000-$3,000 for a good set-up. My cube is going to cost me right around $30 per gallon at wholesale prices just for the basic set-up. I will be adding most of the livestock from tanks I already have.

[Instar]

Aquatic Warehouse will drill it for $10.00 per hole. You could probably talk Dan into making a dam for the thing and silicone it in there yourself for $5 worth of glue. That way the only real cost is the dam. When I looked at tank prices last week, AW was looking real good on some of them.

[Instar]

Tim's est. is a good ball park to start. I have a 125 and have over $800.00 in lights alone and am still not done with that. The tank is the cheapest part.

[dan]

HAHAH...nice to meet you. my freind yves was tellin me about you the other day..do you make that triple tube overflow that texas tropical sells?


yes i do 1tube,2tube,3tube and so on even a 8 tuber

[SuperXdude]

Given the acrylic, a blowtorch, silicon and a picture or two, how hard is it to make my own sump?

[captexas]

Hey, put the blowtorch down! lol. It's best to use something like Weldon to join acrylic. It actually causes a chemical reaction between the two pieces so they form a bond. If done correctly it is very strong. Not something you really just throw together. You need to plan it out and do some reading on working with acrylic. I built my own 75 gallon sump/refugium using acrylic after doing a lot of reading. Not too difficult and it turned out really well after fixing a few leaks in it! Acrylic is not cheap either so if you are looking for something simple you should just use another glass tank or a plastic container. Both are available in various sizes and can be modified to do what you want.

[GaryP]

Hey X,

If I was setting up a new tank I would at least consider putting a Calfo style overflow in it. Anybody out there have any negative experiences with Calfo overflow's? I know several of the regular posters here have at least one.

Gary

[GaryP]

I knew I could count on Joshua for a comment.

[TexasState]

Given the acrylic, a blowtorch, silicon and a picture or two, how hard is it to make my own sump?
It would fall apart after you pour the water in. Silicon cannot bond acrylic together to use as a sump.

[GaryP]

No, but I know you have a Calfo and therefore you have an opinion.

Gary

[Ed]

Gary,

I have a Calfo shelf in my Oceanic 135 and like it alot. Noise was an issue at first, but it is quiet now after a little tweaking. I have two 1 inch bulkheads and the shelf itself is done with two 4" x 71" pieces of 1/4" glass.

HTH.

-Ed