Sump with 52 gal capacity

One of the members of my club (DFWMAS) wanted a big sump to hold his refugium, and also
have room to grow out some frags. The skimmer and the return pump run externally, so this thing
was really one big sump. I filled it to the top testing it for leaks, and it held 52 gals.

Contructed with 1/4" acrylic, it did swell when full. Normally, it will hold 28 gals, but there
is plenty of room for overflow.  Main area: 20 gals - Bubble Trap & Return: 8.7 gals

Once I was sure there were no leaks, I glued a one piece top with a 2" lip to reinforce the unit's walls.
It is very sturdy much to his delight when he saw it. Hopefully he'll email me some pictures to add
here after it has been set up under his 225g tank!

These are the plans I was provided with to give me an idea of how it was to be used.

I added some cross braces in the first bubble trap. He's going to put a small piece of eggcrate
on the braces, and when needed he can run carbon in micro-mesh bags. This is better than his
idea in the drawing above, because all the water will run through the carbon far more efficiently.

His refugium will actually sit on some pvc legs to allow circulation under and around it,
and he will be putting frags on an adjacent shelf that he'll add later.

"Marc built me a superb sump exactly according to my dimensions. Excellent craftsmanship, totally satisfied!   Highly recommended." - Chris