custom sump build question

[ryancaudill]

I am trying to build a custom sump out of a 30 gallon glass aquarium. Is there any reason silicone wouldnt hold an acrylic baffle or bubble traps in a glass aquarium.

 

[MrRyanT]

Most will reccomend that you use glass baffles. I've been using acrylic baffles in my glass sump for 3 years with no problems. Mine is a very simple setup though - just 2 baffles seperating sump into 3 compartments, no bubble traps.

 

[ryancaudill]

I figure glass is the preferred way to go but i want to cut some teeth in the acrylic for my refugium baffle. I dont have the tools to cut these in glass. I will probably forgo the bubble traps being acrylic. Are there any tricks to silicone acrylic vs. glass? 3 years without problems is pretty good. Do you foresee any coming up?

 

[wab]

I used plastic tubbing cut into 1/2 inch pieces and split them to put on top of the glass like baffles with a 1/4 inch spaces between them. It also covers the sharp edges of the glass.

 

[ryancaudill]

Interesting wab. Do you have to clean that much?

 

[kgross]

The only thing about siliconing acrylic baffles is you need to use more silicone. Put a bead on the low pressure side of the baffle so the acrylic is forced against the bead and you will be fine. Also make sure you cut the baffles a little short since acrylic will expand in water.

Kim

 

[drewp808]

i wanted to d othe same thing, but acrylic is so expensive in hawaii. since your tank is only 30g the baffles shouldnt be that long. i used the baffles from aquacave and cut it to size on my 40L sump. i used glass but then on the top siliconed the baffles on http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=90
there called overflow combs

 

[Neogenocide]

I just built my 55G sump with acrylic baffles. Just use nice heavy beads of a silicone and you'll be fine. My only problem was finding the correct dimensions for bubble traps. I ended up making them 1" apart with a 1" gap at the bottom of the middle baffle. Hope it works, I'll be putting it into operation this weekend.

Scott

 

[ryancaudill]

I just got the 30 gallon tank. Maybe I will just end up using glass and cut it to size with those baffles from aquacave. Thanks for the info that should simplify things in the fuge section. I am going to use those same dimensions for the bubble trap probably out of glass. Planning on cutting some pieces of wood as spacers till the silicone dries. If the glass store is open tomorrow I will price out acrylic vs. glass and try to make the decision from there.

I've never done this before but seems fairly straightforward. I am a dentist so know I have got something to cut acrylic because I use it everyday but am a little more intimidated by glass. I actually probably have bits that will cut glass under a highspeed waterspray dental handpiece but it would just take a long time to cut those baffles in and a number of expensive diamond burs.

 

[kgross]

Depending on how you setup your sump you might not need any bubble trap. If you do your sump, as skimmer section solid baffle to keep water level consistent. Then do your fuge, and put an egg crate baffle to your return section. This way you can make your return section just large enough for the return pump and you have a large fuge. The algae in the fuge will trap all the bubbles so you can have more space for the fuge, plus you have more water volume for evap and drain back.

Kim

 

[Neogenocide]

Cutting notches in the top of the fuge section was another reason I chose acrylic. I put it on the table saw, and in just a few minutes, had a awesome looking piece.

Scott

 

[ryancaudill]

That was my thoughts with originally thinking of using the acrylic as well scott.

I am planning on having my skimmer on end of the 30 gallon tank, the fuge on the other, with the return section in the middle. Then I was planning on splitting the water coming from the tank with ball valves with slower flow to the fuge and the rest to the skimmer section going through a filter sock also mounted in this section. I was going to place the baffle with teeth obviously for the fuge then a bubble trap after the skimmer section. I am afraid if I dont place the bubble trap after the skimmer section I will regret it later. My skimmer is going to be a super reef octopus with the bubble blaster pump.

I see how the fuge could be a great bubble trap with chaeto in it kim. If I understand you correctly with only egg crate sectioning off the fuge section you couldnt have sand. I would also worry about pieces of chaeto breaking off and clogging the return pump when it needs to be harvested out of the fuge.

 

[Neogenocide]

Here is a quick pic of what I finished building last night. It's a standard 48" 55 gallon tank.

Skimmer section 16" long
Pump section 8" long
Fuge Section 20"

The remaining space was used by the bubble trap as well as accounting for thickness of the acrylic.

Scott

 

[ryancaudill]

Thanks for sharing the photo scott and nice work. What type of silicone did you use. I bought DAP household adhesive sealant 100% silicone that is labeled aquarium safe. I've heard you can use GE silicone I but figured I would spend a couple extra bucks on something labeled aquarium safe.

Thats exactly what I am shooting for. Big fuge! Now it looks like you need to buy a bigger skimmer to fill the space . How big is your display tank?

 

[kgross]

Are you going to have an auto top off in that sump?

8x9x12/231=3/7 gallons total in your return section, but you will only bee able to drain it down about 4.5 inches, so you only have 1.75 gallons of max evap water. Depending on the tank you are looking at no more than 1 day of evap, and possible less than a day.

On the sand in the fuge with eggcrate if you want sand, put a solid baffle part way up to hold the sand then eggcrate the rest of the way. On the chaeto going through the eggcrate it will hold it just about the same as your notches cut into the top of the baffle....

Kim

 

[ryancaudill]

Thanks kim. That will allow for the largest volume to water to battle evaporation issues. I am planning on putting in an auto top off. There are definitely some advantages to your design to make construction easier. The glass shop is closed this weekend so I will give everything some more thought.

 

[Neogenocide]

Kgross....where were you when I needed you? lol I was not finding the information I needed, so I shot from the hip on the design by looking at other pictures. I am planning on a ATO, but have not gone down that road yet. I need to keep the expenditures in check as my wife isn't really supporting the project...........yet. She's starting to come around.

Don't laugh at this, but this sump is only supporting a 46G bowfront, so it won't be terrible taxed. In time I'm hoping to convert my 125G freshwater tank upstairs, but again I need to convince my wife first.

I guess if I need more in the return section, I could always rebuild the bubble trap. I only made it 8" as that is what I got for a recommendation to run my particular skimmer at. I'll try it out, worst case I need to rebuild part of it.

Scott

 

[kgross]

I stop by here quite a bit, but there is at least one member that gets upset if I post anything different than he says and just tries to start fights........

I always try to keep things as simple as possible, and most of the time it works very very well. Plus most people do not put enough flow through there fuges, for some reason people below that extremly slow flow is best, where as if you want good algea growth you want a decent flow through the algae....

it depends wholly on what it is you are keeping/culturing in refugia.

Much like lighting and how important it is to define what species you will be keeping at what depth and their subsequent needs before (!) we buy lights/lamps

In the case of 'fuge water flow... it has been grossly underestimated to date. I'd say 10X turnover bare minimum in general... but more like 20X is better/best. You will find that Chaetomorpha and Graciliaria, etc grow much faster and with better vigor in such flow.

Any doubts?... look for nuisance algae that typically flourish in low flow environments like Cyanobacteria.

And like reef displays... be sure to distribute that flow well (no single nozzle injection). Produce random turbulent flow for most refugia to keep solids in suspension for increased opportunities for filter feeders to use/export the matter.

kindly,

Anthony

Any questions you can allways pm me the threads...

Kim

 

[bmiller1234]

Heres a shot of my sump its from a 40 gallon but used glass baffles and this shows my plumbing. My supply from DT comes in behind skimmer, then I used a T and ball valve off return to supply water to fuge area.

I used 1/4 inch glass and made my return area bigger since an ATO is far off project for me.

 

[ryancaudill]

Kim did you silicone the egg crate directly to the glass?