3D printers are getting more affordable and more robust and NextReef is now leveraging this next wave in aquarium equipment design by building 3D printed sumps on spec. The company has been doing contract work outside of the
aquarium industry that helped justify the expense of a large commercial 3Dprinters.
By simply plugging in custom sump designs from SketchUp, NextReef is able to not only provide customers with exactly what they want, the units are lighter and stronger than acrylic since this printer can build honeycombing inside of the walls to provide a stronger finished product.
According to NextReef, the printer material is made from ABS plastic, and they are starting off offering four colors (white, blue, black and green). They should retail around $200 for a 40 gallon sump and ship within a few days. Additionally, these units are recyclable, and virtually zero waste is created when building these.
