Glass or Acrylic Baffles

[Fishboy9227]

Which one does everyone recommend?


-Fishboy

 

[sassafrass]

What is the sump made of ?

 

[Fishboy9227]

glass aquarium

 

[Phyxius]

Glass bonds to glass better but acrylic will work

 

[Fishboy9227]

will acrylic expand?

 

[Phyxius]

more likely bow if its thin

 

[HaleMoana]

go with acrylic. much easier to work with. Get it at least 3/4" thick. Glass is too touch to notch out teeth if they are in your design.

Water does flow smoother over glass, but acrylic works just fine and is easier.

 

[SoLiD]

Acrylic is a delight to work with. Glass..., not so much.

 

[Phyxius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13349135#post13349135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HaleMoana
go with acrylic. much easier to work with. Get it at least 3/4" thick. Glass is too touch to notch out teeth if they are in your design.

Water does flow smoother over glass, but acrylic works just fine and is easier.

3/4" Acrylic....you cant be serious for a baffle in a sump. The cost would be rediculous as well as a little overkill. If for a plain baffle depending on the tank size for the sump 1/4" or .220 would most likely be plenty. Unless its a 200 gal sump.......

Remember Glass bonds with glass smoothly. You need to filet the joint or build it up some with acrylic so thet stay in place as the tend to bow some and acrylic to glass is a little weaker in joint.

I have built sumps out of both and trying to remove a glass to glass baffle is no fun after its set up.

 

[808lazyd]

i would say glass it takes alot of silicone to get acrylic to bond to glass

 

[jfos77]

glass on glass

acrylic on acrylic

what i have learned.

if you want to do the job right do it right.

 

[patsfan1130]

I've been using .220 acrylic on all of my glass sumps and it bonds just fine. doesnt bow either. I nor any of my customers have ever had a problem

 

[HaleMoana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13349424#post13349424 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Phyxius
3/4" Acrylic....you cant be serious for a baffle in a sump. The cost would be rediculous as well as a little overkill.

ooppsss... yes, you are right. I just measured mine and they are 1/4". Not sure why I thought 3/4".

 

[UrbanSage]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13349959#post13349959 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by patsfan1130
I've been using .220 acrylic on all of my glass sumps and it bonds just fine. doesnt bow either. I nor any of my customers have ever had a problem

Not claiming you are wrong.
But can you tell us if the silicone actually bonds worth a damn to the acrylic, or if the silicone actually wedges the acrylic in place?

I have used acrylic in glass sumps in the past, but on removing the baffle at a later date the silicone is about hopeless to get off the glass while it peels effortlessly off the silicone. Since I had plenty of silicone on both sides of the baffle it never was an issue.

I would and will go with glass for glass and acrylic for acrylic.

You can have glass cutters cut you anything you need and usually for a very reasonable price.

 

[HaleMoana]

The silicone doesn't actually bond to the acrylic. It will actually fillet the baffle. You use the word "wedge" which is exactly what it does. Technically, it does not bond to the acrylic.

Acryilic baffles in a glass sump will work just fine. Is glass better? Sure, but don't get too excited about it. Acryilic is easier to work with and will be just fine. Just my opinion. Tons of reefers use acrylic baffles in a glass sump without any issues. I'm one of them

 

[jabber49]

i used acrylic...lexan...and glass...they all work the same...glass just looks better