Making my own sump

[ddouglass1577]

So I am making a sump. I am using my 40 gallon breeder. I need to make baffles, what thickness do I need to make them. Also could I use acrylic or do I need to stay with glass since it's a glass aquarium?

 

[cbm369]

stay with glass, acrylic & silicone don't bond/seal very well.

thickness, 1/8" should do fine. Or even "standard" size window pane replacement thickness, which I think is about 1/16" or so. That's what I use in my 55g sump.

 

[jimmyj7090]

I'd suggest going with thicker glass so it's not overly fragile. You don't have to bump into 1/8" very hard to break it. 3/16" or 1/4" won't cost that much more, but will be a good bit more sturdy.

 

[intyme]

Go with 1/4" much sturdier

 

[ddouglass1577]

I had a feeling I needed to stay with glass, but I wanted to be sure. For some reason I'm having a hard time finding 1/4 glass at lowes or Home Depot. The next question is do I need 2 filter socks or can I get away with 1?

 

[Clowny88]

Home depot and lowes don't carry 1/4" in store. Look up a local glass company... Should be able to cut them for you for cheap.

 

[Hitch08]

I had a feeling I needed to stay with glass, but I wanted to be sure. For some reason I'm having a hard time finding 1/4 glass at lowes or Home Depot. The next question is do I need 2 filter socks or can I get away with 1?

Do a Google search for a glass company in your area. That's what I did and the first place that I called suggested 1/4" glass and asked if I wanted it - I forgot the word - but it's shaved on the edges so that it's not sharp. I'm paying about $60 for 5 pieces of glass. I have a sense that's not the best price, but I don't have to mess with cutting it myself and I've read a lot of suggestions on here to get the edges shaved so as to reduce the chances that I cut my hand while cleaning the sump.

EDIT: What clowny said - this darn job of mine distracted me...

 

[EvenFurther]

Yep same here, Lowes/HD doesn't carry this size. I just finished cutting baffles for my 40B. I called about 4 glass companies to find the best deal. The prices varied a bit for the same thing.

I bought 2 large pieces 1/4" thick, and cut the individual baffles at home.

 

[ddouglass1577]

Thank you all for the support in answering my questions. I think I might just buy a sheet of glass and cut it on my own. Hopefully this will "cut" down the price.

 

[tidus10]

Thank you all for the support in answering my questions. I think I might just buy a sheet of glass and cut it on my own. Hopefully this will "cut" down the price.

don't do it... ive done this and its possible, but you end up with slivers and sometimes the glass doesn't cut the exact way you want it and then you have to spend a lot of time finishing the edges and making it so it wont cut your hand off..

Its honestly not worth the time, plus getting it from a local glass cutting store means youll get the perfect size, edges finished and it will be easy to just go pick it up and be done

 

[ddouglass1577]

don't do it... ive done this and its possible, but you end up with slivers and sometimes the glass doesn't cut the exact way you want it and then you have to spend a lot of time finishing the edges and making it so it wont cut your hand off..

Its honestly not worth the time, plus getting it from a local glass cutting store means youll get the perfect size, edges finished and it will be easy to just go pick it up and be done

Good to know. You give me something to think about. Thank you

 

[Clowny88]

Do a Google search for a glass company in your area. That's what I did and the first place that I called suggested 1/4" glass and asked if I wanted it - I forgot the word - but it's shaved on the edges so that it's not sharp. I'm paying about $60 for 5 pieces of glass. I have a sense that's not the best price, but I don't have to mess with cutting it myself and I've read a lot of suggestions on here to get the edges shaved so as to reduce the chances that I cut my hand while cleaning the sump.

EDIT: What clowny said - this darn job of mine distracted me...

LoL.... What u said actually. I did the exact same thing for the exact same price.

 

[intyme]

Sand cloth polishes the edges, or a power sander. Very easy and will save you money

 

[bobbychullo]

yea from what i've seen cutting glass is not hard. if you use a hand cutter, unless you're handy with those sort of things, there's a chance your cuts will not be straight/wavy.

When you're googling a glass shop look for one that does small/special projects. Those were the ones more apt to help me when i was looking. I was able to find a cool place that will cut it on the spot and just "seam" the edges, a quick sanding. It was more than enough to keep me from getting cut. I got six pieces of 1/4" glass cut for under $30.

i was told not only that acrylic does not bond with silicone adhesive (which you use to bond glass to glass) but that it will absorb water and swell. If you do not leave enough clearance between the acrylic sheet and glass of the aquarium, it can swell and crack the sides of your tank. This is just what I have been told, by several people, ive never witnessed it.