How to Make a Sump

A sump is an aquarium that is used to filtrate a fish tank. Sumps can be complex devices that heat, filter and change the chemistry of the aquarium water, or they can be simple devices designed only to create water flow and water filtration. Making your own sump allows you to customize your sump system however you see fit.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium (or larger)
  • 2 plastic fish tank dividers
  • Mechanical filtration media
  • Aquarium water heater
  • Water pump
  • PVC pipe
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Instructions

    • 1

      Divide a standard glass aquarium (10 gallons) into three parts using two plastic fish tank dividers.

    • 2

      Fill one of the end sections within the aquarium with a mechanical filtration media such as carbon, sand or porous rocks. Using more than one mechanical filtration media, such as a combination of rocks and sand, will work well.

    • 3

      Put a water heater into the center section of the aquarium.

    • 4

      Put a water pump with a PVC pipe large enough to reach your fish aquarium into the final partition of the aquarium. This will be your sump. Water will come down from the fish aquarium into the first partition of the sump system (the one with the filtration media) via a pump, flow into the heating section of the sump, and finally be pumped back into the fish aquarium.