[Rain_Frog]

Guys, I have glass that I will be drilling shortly. I might want to try an outside waterfall with a sump for my mantellas custom cage. However, I do not wish to have the sump underneath, as I will be sitting it on the bottom shelf of my tank stands in which it will rest on the floor. I know the pump would work best with the sump underneath the tank, but is there an alternative solution to have a sump to the SIDE of the tank outside? I don't know if its possible, unless I would have to elevate the cage on legs? Therefore, the hole could still be at the bottom, but I think the bucket would backflow if off to the side and flood the cage. :shock:

 

[Arklier]

The sump has to be below the level of the water in the tank. Otherwise the water won't flow out on its own.

 

[Moe]

You could try making the sump tank smaller than the main. Therefore the water would travel downward in the tubing; depending on where you mount it.

Edit: Damn i feel like an idiot. You obviously wont have the water level that high. My bad.

Im all out of ideas :roll:

 

[Arklier]

You could pump the water out, but you that would just add another pump and another vector for mechanical failure. Sumps usually work by siphoning the water out of the tank and using a pump to return the water. As I'm sure you know, siphons only work when the level of the water in the sump is lower than the level of water in the tank itself. So you would have to either elevate the tank, or have a shallow sump with a large surface area that is sitting on the floor.

 

[Moe]

Arklier; you think a fuge will work?

M.N

 

[Rain_Frog]

building tray underneath

Yeah, I may have to go with building a tray then. Ok, if the bottom is made of 1/8" glass, got any ideas how to elevate it on a platform? I thought about putting a plywood board underneath for better support, plus drilling into that to connect to the sump underneath.

Hmm, at this point, I haven't put too much thought into the tray, and how to construct it underneath. The question that puzzles me, how do I GET to the tray for maintence or changing water......pull out drawer? Don't know where I find parts for that, a little too complicated.

 

[mindcrash]

You can get rails for drawers at home depot.

 

[Arklier]

Arklier; you think a fuge will work?

M.N

I'm the first to admit that I'm no plumbing expert. I just know a lot about how siphons work, since I've been using them to drain aquariums for years. You might want to go down to the hardware store and ask them.

 

[Rain_Frog]

hell

Hell, I think I'll just stick with a traditional false bottom. I just realized I have to get somebody special to drill a large enough hole in the glass, not something I can do with the drill bits. Also, I calculated that with a sump at the bottom, the entire tank will be too tall for underneath.

I guess the only drilling if I actually decide if I wanted to make a small misting system, but I don't have enough money for that at the moment.Thanks anyway,

Rain

 

[nessus]

Sump

I chose not to use a sump at all. Or, rather my sump is the volume in my false bottom. I pump the water from my false bottom through a cannister filter and then back into the tank. The arrangement has worked very well for me.

 

[Rain_Frog]

about powerheads, how are you guys using them in your vivarium? I thought powerheads had to be submerged to run the water falls?