Djplus1 July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 I just picked up a 20 long from Ross yesterday and was wondering if anyone on this forum has any experience getting one in from the front with the tank full? I'm doing a water change on Friday or Saturday, so I can pull my old sump and try it then, but if It will work,I would like to change it out at that time. If it won't, will a 20 high fit without an issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 What I have done is drained the water out of the old sump, with the same amount of water prepared...put the new sump in get everything situated and then add the new water .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmatte July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 What I have done is drained the water out of the old sump, with the same amount of water prepared...put the new sump in get everything situated and then add the new water .... I think he's asking if a 20 long will physically fit in the front of the stand. If that's the right question, I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djplus1 July 17, 2013 Author Share July 17, 2013 I think he's asking if a 20 long will physically fit in the front of the stand. If that's the right question, I have no idea. Yep, that's the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 There was a guy around my area a while back with a 72 bowfront. If my memory served me correctly, I believed he made a 20 sump but could not fit it into the cabinet. he ended up with a 10. Is there a center support in the middle between the 2 doors? I would measure the it first to make sure you can turn the sump before you attempt to swap it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djplus1 July 17, 2013 Author Share July 17, 2013 There was a guy around my area a while back with a 72 bowfront. If my memory served me correctly, I believed he made a 20 sump but could not fit it into the cabinet. he ended up with a 10. Is there a center support in the middle between the 2 doors? I would measure the it first to make sure you can turn the sump before you attempt to swap it out. There is a center support, but doing research, not all 72 bow stands are the same. Some people claim they can get them in if you turn the sump sideways, etc. I looked and I may be able to brace up the front, and kick out the center brace and slide it in. The problem with measurements, are that you never can account for turns etc. I think I technically could put a 55 gallon in the space, LOL, but I would literally have to take the stand apart and build it back around the 55! If I was starting from scratch I would just drop in from the top, but it is what it is, I guess. How important is it to physically clean your sump? I take mine out every couple months and wash with vinegar and rinse real good. Not happening if I have to take the brace out just to put in in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 There is a center support, but doing research, not all 72 bow stands are the same. Some people claim they can get them in if you turn the sump sideways, etc. I looked and I may be able to brace up the front, and kick out the center brace and slide it in. The problem with measurements, are that you never can account for turns etc. I think I technically could put a 55 gallon in the space, LOL, but I would literally have to take the stand apart and build it back around the 55! If I was starting from scratch I would just drop in from the top, but it is what it is, I guess. How important is it to physically clean your sump? I take mine out every couple months and wash with vinegar and rinse real good. Not happening if I have to take the brace out just to put in in! Yep! it got spaces in there but hard to it it in with out taking the cabinet apart. As for cleaning the sump! I personally has never clean my sump/refuge. You can suck out the debris with a hose during water changes. I don't see any reason to physically remove the sump to clean it. Beside, you sump contain various life/good grow of bacteria and algae. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 What about cutting a door or hole, in the side of. The stand. Use a jig.saw type of thing. That a 3o gallon could fit and slide under and through. Then. Just put back up that square type of piece siding and use Joint Compound or somethin to cover the cracks. .Btw.Don.t cut the main supports . GoodLuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry_school101 July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 I ended up using a 20H under mine. The 20 long was too hard to get in and out for cleaning. Also, depending on the speed of your return pump, the water level may drop so fast that the pump will run dry before the overflow fills up. The taller tank helps keep the depth of water sufficient to let it start refilling before it hits the bottom. May not apply, but it happened to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djplus1 July 17, 2013 Author Share July 17, 2013 What about cutting a door or hole, in the side of. The stand. Use a jig.saw type of thing. That a 3o gallon could fit and slide under and through. Then. Just put back up that square type of piece siding and use Joint Compound or somethin to cover the cracks. .Btw.Don.t cut the main supports . GoodLuck My stand is the kind with the boards that make up the body, basically a bunch of 1x4 slats, so cutting through those would basically take the support away altogether as there isn't any other supports to speak of. I ended up using a 20H under mine. The 20 long was too hard to get in and out for cleaning. Also, depending on the speed of your return pump, the water level may drop so fast that the pump will run dry before the overflow fills up. The taller tank helps keep the depth of water sufficient to let it start refilling before it hits the bottom. May not apply, but it happened to me. So you were actually able to get the 20L in without cutting or modifying the stand? Not sure if I'm understanding what you mean about the water level, why should it matter what the water level is? If the pump is too fast even if the sump were 30" tall it would eventually empty the return chamber wouldn't it? If my baffles are set up with enough height to keep the pump submerged, I should be able to control the amount of water in that chamber with my ATO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 17, 2013 Share July 17, 2013 Good luck with this. I sympathize having had a similar problem getting a 20H into my DIY stand after the system was operational. Getting it in and out became a matter of pulling off the doors, emptying it as much as possible, turning it up on it's side (and using towels to absorb the water that I hadn't managed to get) and slipping it out of the stand with a fraction of an inch of space to spare. It was like Twister with a tank. All this because I decided to put a center brace up front between the doors when building it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry_school101 July 18, 2013 Share July 18, 2013 So you were actually able to get the 20L in without cutting or modifying the stand? Yes, but only from the back. The opening in the back was larger than the front and there was no center brace. Tipped it up and it would go in. Not sure if I'm understanding what you mean about the water level, why should it matter what the water level is? If the pump is too fast even if the sump were 30" tall it would eventually empty the return chamber wouldn't it? If my baffles are set up with enough height to keep the pump submerged, I should be able to control the amount of water in that chamber with my ATO. Pour a gallon of water in a bowl and then pour another gallon of water in a kids swimming pool. Which is deeper? Same thing smaller scale. The pump needs a certain minimum depth to be able to suck water into itself. I didn't have baffles in my sump and it may very well not be an issue for you anyway. At that time I was running 1/3 - 1/2 of my turnover through the sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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