Recommended 20L DIY Sump Baffle Kit or DIY Sump design?

[Fish Fan]

Hey all!

I'm looking for suggestions on a good way to turn a 20L into a sump based on my needs, or at least what I think my needs are lol! In short, I have become a big believer of quarantining everything "wet" that comes into my display tanks, including fish, corals, and motile inverts like snails, crabs, shrimp, etc. To this end, I have been running three 10 gallon tanks, a medicated fish QT tank, a tank for motile inverts, and a coral observation tank where new arrivals are kept for a period of time in an effort to kill or starve out fish parasites. These tanks are all basically setup the same way with an AquaClear/Fluval 70 HOB, a heater, and not much else. This is working out just fine for the fish and motile invert tanks, but the coral tank is languishing, and I'm over it.

I now want a more robust system to house new coral arrivals, and I'm scheming a way to combine my coral holding tank with my motile invert holding tank. I'm now considering using a 40 breeder with a sump for my new corals, and a large refugium in the sump that I could house my other inverts until they are ready to go into the display tanks. New fish will obviously be kept in their own medicated tank, over 15 feet away from these tanks or any other tanks.

I purchased an Aqueon 20L that I've been hoping to use as a sump for this setup, but I'm open to ideas on what would be best to use (I can still return the 20 gallon). I like the idea of some of the DIY baffle kits like from FijiCube, but I don't like the design of the FijiCube specifically with the filter socks. I HATE filter socks, and I know I wont maintain them. I much prefer something that will hold filter floss that can be very easily tossed and replaced.

Could someone please suggest either a DIY baffle kit or a really great DIY sump design/build thread for an Aqueon 20L that would allow for the following:

• A large 'fuge that can hold inverts like snails, crabs, shrimp, for up to 90 days or more
• Skimmer section, but less important to me than the 'fuge area; adjustable water height appreciated
• Return section, obviously
• And either some small baffle area for media like mechanical floss or chemical media such as carbon, or enough room in my setup overall to plumb in a reactor, if needed.

My biggest goal here is to combine my coral and motile invert holding tanks into one fishless system with a smaller physical footprint that would really, really make my wife happy ;-)

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your help!

 

[Zelly]

Hey all!

I'm looking for suggestions on a good way to turn a 20L into a sump based on my needs, or at least what I think my needs are lol! In short, I have become a big believer of quarantining everything "wet" that comes into my display tanks, including fish, corals, and motile inverts like snails, crabs, shrimp, etc. To this end, I have been running three 10 gallon tanks, a medicated fish QT tank, a tank for motile inverts, and a coral observation tank where new arrivals are kept for a period of time in an effort to kill or starve out fish parasites. These tanks are all basically setup the same way with an AquaClear/Fluval 70 HOB, a heater, and not much else. This is working out just fine for the fish and motile invert tanks, but the coral tank is languishing, and I'm over it.

I now want a more robust system to house new coral arrivals, and I'm scheming a way to combine my coral holding tank with my motile invert holding tank. I'm now considering using a 40 breeder with a sump for my new corals, and a large refugium in the sump that I could house my other inverts until they are ready to go into the display tanks. New fish will obviously be kept in their own medicated tank, over 15 feet away from these tanks or any other tanks.

I purchased an Aqueon 20L that I've been hoping to use as a sump for this setup, but I'm open to ideas on what would be best to use (I can still return the 20 gallon). I like the idea of some of the DIY baffle kits like from FijiCube, but I don't like the design of the FijiCube specifically with the filter socks. I HATE filter socks, and I know I wont maintain them. I much prefer something that will hold filter floss that can be very easily tossed and replaced.

Could someone please suggest either a DIY baffle kit or a really great DIY sump design/build thread for an Aqueon 20L that would allow for the following:

• A large 'fuge that can hold inverts like snails, crabs, shrimp, for up to 90 days or more
• Skimmer section, but less important to me than the 'fuge area; adjustable water height appreciated
• Return section, obviously
• And either some small baffle area for media like mechanical floss or chemical media such as carbon, or enough room in my setup overall to plumb in a reactor, if needed.

My biggest goal here is to combine my coral and motile invert holding tanks into one fishless system with a smaller physical footprint that would really, really make my wife happy ;-)

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your help!

eBay has some great kits, I forget the guys name that makes them but that’s where I got mine. He makes multiple types for the 20L I believe

 

[19Mateo83]

I got mine from marine biosystems on eBay.

Security Measure

www.ebay.com

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks guys!

I've been looking on eBay and Amazon, but most seem to prioritize the filter socks. As mentioned, I'm not going to use filter socks. Can you suggest a kit that doesn't include filter socks, and includes room for a large 'fuge?

Thanks very much!

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Look up jaxracks on ebay, I'd buy the premade stuff, but I had a crap time with a custom order right before covid.

I have this one via amazon in my 25g diy sump for my 120g. My glass is 20L dimensions just a few inches higher than a 20g. Been in service for a few weeks under 2 years now.

 

[Spare time]

You could use the fijicube ones and get filter cups to hold floss

 

[Zelly]

Thanks guys!

I've been looking on eBay and Amazon, but most seem to prioritize the filter socks. As mentioned, I'm not going to use filter socks. Can you suggest a kit that doesn't include filter socks, and includes room for a large 'fuge?

Thanks very much!

You can get a kit with filter socks and just don’t install that part maybe? At least you could do that with the one I have if you wanted

 

[Fish Fan]

You could use the fijicube ones and get filter cups to hold floss

Intrigued! I'm old, what are my options other than filter socks? Right now I have two AIO tanks where I run a bit of filter floss, and it's so easy to pull, toss, and replace it. No way do I want to deal with socks again. Can I replace basically any of these DIY sump kits with something that holds floss instead of socks?

Thank you for your help!

 

[Fish Fan]

You can get a kit with filter socks and just don’t install that part maybe? At least you could do that with the one I have if you wanted

Epiphone!!!

I appreciate all other suggestions, but if I can simply replace the socks with something that holds some floss that I can pull it and replace quickly, I am all for it! And, if that's true, I'm pretty much all for the FijiCube sump kit because I like their other gear. Can anyone tell me if I can swap the filter socks on a FijiCube baffle kit for something that can hold floss?

Thanks very much!

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

If your into using floss, there are some setups that have a baffle to lay the floss on like a old school wet/dry setup.

 

[19Mateo83]

Thanks guys!

I've been looking on eBay and Amazon, but most seem to prioritize the filter socks. As mentioned, I'm not going to use filter socks. Can you suggest a kit that doesn't include filter socks, and includes room for a large 'fuge?

Thanks very much!

Contact marine biosystems and ask them. They can customize it to your needs. I had to have mine made slightly larger to fit my seapora 20L

 

[Spare time]

Intrigued! I'm old, what are my options other than filter socks? Right now I have two AIO tanks where I run a bit of filter floss, and it's so easy to pull, toss, and replace it. No way do I want to deal with socks again. Can I replace basically any of these DIY sump kits with something that holds floss instead of socks?

Thank you for your help!

These are what I was thinking of

filter sock cups - Google Search

www.google.com

There are also reef diapers which are disposable socks

 

[Fish Fan]

If your into using floss, there are some setups that have a baffle to lay the floss on like a old school wet/dry setup.

Yeah, I guess this is what I want. I just want to use cheap floss or maybe some pads or something for mechanical. I am just over laundering socks, it's just not for me.

I also know there's "Reef Diapers" and I have a roller filter for a FijiCube sump that I'm saving both for my final display tank.

For now, I want a cheap sump with the footprint of a 20L that I can have a large 'fuge and not deal with filter socks.

Contact marine biosystems and ask them. They can customize it to your needs. I had to have mine made slightly larger to fit my seapora 20L

Custom orders raises a red flag with the cheapskate in me, lol! I'd like something that fits a standard, Aqueon 20L, and is fairly inexpensive as this is not my display tank.

These are what I was thinking of

filter sock cups - Google Search

www.google.com

There are also reef diapers which are disposable socks

OK, this is what I was hoping for! So this is basically a replacement for filter socks, but you can use simple floss or whatever you want for mechanical?

 

[Spare time]

OK, this is what I was hoping for! So this is basically a replacement for filter socks, but you can use simple floss or whatever you want for mechanical?

Yup!

 

[Fish Fan]

Yup!

Thank you!!!

Who the hell decided filter socks were the answer anyhow?? Gross, lol!!

Thank you again for your help!

 

[PharmrJohn]

When I set up my 20G long sump, I used egg crate and acrylic and just did it myself. If memory serves (and this may be wrong) acrylic does not bind with glass using some of the more traditional methodologies. But whatever I did worked like a charm. It was so long ago I can't remember WHAT I used as an adhesive. But whatever it was I did on the fly and it worked. LOL, now that I think k about it I don't think pre-made baffling existed!

 

[Fish Fan]

When I set up my 20G long sump, I used egg crate and acrylic and just did it myself. If memory serves (and this may be wrong) acrylic does not bind with glass using some of the more traditional methodologies. But whatever I did worked like a charm. It was so long ago I can't remember WHAT I used as an adhesive. But whatever it was I did on the fly and it worked. LOL, now that I think k about it I don't think pre-made baffling existed!

Thank you for your reply! I have built a sump or two myself using an old tank and glass I had cut at a glass shop. So I could go that route, but I thought some of the premade, drop in kits they have now looked a little easier.

You're very right about the acrylic and glass not being a great match. Acrylic cements like Weld-on won't work with glass at all. What I think people do when they use their own DIY acrylic baffles, or even when they buy one of the kits, is use traditional aquarium silicon sealer (which is also just clear silicon I (not silicon II) from the hardware store). The silicon adheres very well to the glass, not so well to the acrylic itself, but if you run a bead of silicon on both sides of the acrylic baffle's edge where it meets the glass, it will hold well enough to use for a sump. Keep in mind, this isn't a pressure situation, we're not trying to hold back 100% of the water with the baffles. A little leakage is fine, as long as the majority of the water is directed over the baffle or where ever it's supposed to go.

If there's a better sealer or adhesive to attach acrylic baffles to glass tanks, please let me know. I will need it whether I get a kit or do my own DIY.

Thanks again!

 

[Fish Fan]

Hey guys! If anyone is still out there, I'm still kicking around this DIY sump idea, and still wondering if anyone has like "the ultimate" DIY sump design or drop in baffle kit they could suggest.

I've been looking and leaning towards at the premade baffle kits vs. DIY baffles, I kind of wanted to try one of these kits, but they don't seem to include the 'typical' 3 baffle microbubble trap that I see on most DIY designs. Anyone that has one of these kits, is this a problem?

I want to prioritize a very large 'fuge area in this sump, but I also want to allow for a skimmer if needed, so I want both sections. I have been thinking about a 20L sump under a 40 breeder frag tank, and now I'm thinking of returning the 20L in favor of a 40B to use as a sump. I think this will give me the the most real estate for a 'fuge.

I'm now leaning towards something like this, but concerned about the seemingly missing bubble trap. Maybe I'm wrong?

https://www.tenecoraquariums.com/pr...75413&pr_ref_pid=7622858375381&pr_seq=uniform

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated! Thank you!