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I am installing a sump in my tank....yes my other pump has already malfunctioned. Problem is, the tank is already assembled and planted, so I can not install a fancy bulkhead. My plan is to just drill through the acrylic and epoxy some vinyl tubing in place. My question is....should i push the tube up to the water level I desire, or can I just epoxy it in place so that it is close to flush with the bottom of the tank? I would rather do that so that draining the tank would be a breeze and the water would almost completely drain out. I am worried that the 3 inches of water on top of it would push the level of water in the sump up and over the edge of the sump container. It is a question of hydraulics and water pressure really. What do you guys, or ladies, think?

Thanks in advance,
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Matt

Well I don't have a clue what you mean by a 'sump pump' but personally I like my drain vavles flush for easy cleaning. However the advantage of haveing one at the water level is that you can have a misting system run on an auto timer without and the extra water could drain off into a bucket. My next tank will have both for the above listed reasons.

joe
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3.0.1 Tinc Patricias
0.0.2836 Pea Aphids
0.0.4392 Springtails
0.0.1842 FruitFlies
0.1.30 Dampwood Termites

isn't a pump located outside of the tank, in a seperate container that pumps water back into the tank called a sump?
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Matt

you could put in a sump pump switch in the tank ...depending on how big the tank is.works kinda like a toilet. when the water level gets too high the floating switch turns the pump on and pumps the water out.

maybe I used the wrong term. I just want to house my pump in a seperate container, with a drain hose going from the tank to the pumnp container, and another hose going from the pump back into the frog tank....just dirculates the water....my questio is about the water pressure though from the water in the tank outweighing the water in the container below it and overflowing it...
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Matt

How big are you thinking for your sump (gal. cap.)? Do you already have something? Are you looking to keep it under the viv. or can you mount it up so the water levels are at the same height? Water seeks its own level. Will it be an open sump tank or can it be a closed system. i.e., a 5 gal. dry wall pail with lid that you can pipe into and out while keeping a seal on lines and grommet the power cord (in short a canister filter without the filter)? getting where I'm going? A check valve may also work if open system. A loop in the pumping that goes above your water line in the primary tank that can have a valve to let in air (vacumn break) could work. The water pressure is relative to height or water (head) thus weight of water. The scary thing about an open system below the primary is if the power goes out, the water will syphon thru the pump. (That why a check valve would be good).
Just some food for thought.

I would bet that however you attempt to silicone a peice of tubing into your tank that it will leak. I would bite the bullet and tear up a little bit of your tank to get the bulkhead installed. It will be well worth it in the long run.

Well, I have all of my little tubes siliconed into my tank and haven't had a leak yet, used a lot of silicone though.

Here is my suggestion for what I believe you are trying to do. Put your pump in a bucket below the tank and place the tube into the tank at the desired water hieght. The drain tube will have to be capable of draining faster than the pump is attempting to fill up the tank, but I wouldn't put too much water in the system just in case the drain gets clogged.

joe
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3.0.1 Tinc Patricias
0.0.2836 Pea Aphids
0.0.4392 Springtails
0.0.1842 FruitFlies
0.1.30 Dampwood Termites

It will more than likely be an open container located directly below the primary tank. To answer a question in another post, the tube will be epoxied in place and will not move or leak. Can you explain the check valve a little more? Is it something that will only let water through once it reaches a certain pressure/weight, and is this thing adjustable? Or is there something else that will achieve this? I am worried about the power outage, as I live in an old neighborhood and the power cuts out periodically. As for water level height.....if there is 3 gallons in the primary tank above with a height level of 3 inches....will that not push the water level up in the pump container below with 1 gallon of water, but also a 3 inch height?

Thanks for the help
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Matt

The check valve may not be a real good solution in this case, as it is not likely to be adjustable and to find one small enough ( I'm gessing 1/2", 5/8" ) for your line that would hold back your water until the pump being on increases pressue could be tricky to gauge which also may be more costly than it's worth. I personally would buy a small canister filter which has the pump, is a closed system, can feed your waterfall (if applicable) and most are available with shutoff valves. Needless to say, if your sump is larger in capacity than your water feature than this is a moot point.