I need sump ideas (can't use a tank)

Another idea is to get two 15 gallons and link them together? Maybe drill a hole through the support beam and link them with bulkheads, that way you'll have a 30 gal sump in essence

 

Two ideas, both of which I used with my sump:
1- go to a local place that handles plastics (I went to a sign shop) and have them either cut pieces of acrylic for you and then you put them together, or see if they can cut it and put it together for you. They were able to put my sump together for me, and use WeldOn products to seal it - which, you know, they are much better at than those of us who don't use them daily! I gave them all my specs and was able to get exactly what I wanted, including a bubble trap.
2 - can you remove the center brace long enough to put the sump in and then replace the brace?
My original plan (which failed spectacularly) was to get some plastic (I cannot for the life of me recall the name of it at the moment :-/) from a friend of mine and assemble sump IN the stand (eliminating the need to remove the brace). I guess you could try that too but it was very hard to maneuver in that tight space with the silicone gun. I had leaks EVERYWHERE. And the material was kind of flimsy.

 

the side panels on your stand should not be supporting anything. they are screwed to the frame. pop off one panel and put whatever size tank you want in there as a sump and put the panel back on.

 

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I may give that (removing back brace) a try and see what the dimensions are. I have 2x4s in every corner and in the center front and back. I hope the tank would be fine with the back removed if I go that route.

That's my next option if I can't find a tank to work.

That's a thought, but I was wanting to use one side of the stand to house my 5-gallon bucket for top-offs.

Yeah, I can remove the center braces no problem. The issue is the space with them in. They significantly cut down my depth. How much did the acrylic cost? I am picturing a couple hundred dollars.

It's actually nailed, which makes it difficult to remove. I can easy remove the center braces to get a tank in, that's not the problem. My issue is the space available once the braces go back in.

Completely removing the back brace may do the trick. It would then give me a 46.5" x 11.5" footprint.

 

I could probably fit a 20 long or 29 long with the back brace out. Both are 30" long and 12" deep.

 

I wonder if I should extend the base out the back a little and leave it open and or let the tank hang out the back and inch or so?

 

That large 50G sump was under my stand of my 125; it's been in the basement for about a year now.- much easier to wrork in and on, siphon detritus out, etc.

When using a suitable plastic sump like I did, the beauty is you can bend ans squeeze it thru the doors of an up and running DT.
That way, you get the largewst volume possible.

Large Box home improvement/lumbar stores have all shapes and sizes of good, think containers- That's what I did, check it out.

 

I built my 60" long 100G stand 6" deeper than the tank so it gave me a shelf in back of the tank for lighting ballasts and a closed loop pump plus added a lot of room inside the stand for the sump and equipment. You usually leave the tank out away from the wall anyway so its just wasted space that goes unused.













Thats a 30 long sump in there and on the other end now is my calcium reactor and CO2 bottle and i still have room for more.

 

It was $100. Seemed more than fair to me after pricing sumps at my LFS ($280!) and trying to DIY and failing. I had the same problem with you, my dimensions just wouldn't fit any standard tank size. Unless I went with like 5 gallons and what's the point of that?!
Maybe try calling a couple different places to get some quotes.

Out of curiosity, how do you put baffles in a rubbermaid type sump? Or do you not? I thought about doing that but then thought I wouldn't be able to have baffles and having separate compartments is the only way (that I've found) to keep my skimmer in a constant level of water so it doesn't mess up.