Sump baffle cracked.. please help

[foundnemo11]

a baffle in my sump cracked in the middle and is messing up my water level for my skimmer. I can't really remove the sump to work on it. I was thinking of drying out that chamber and getting a piece of cut glass(10"×12") as a patch for the hole.

I wanted to silicone the edges and just stick it on covering the hole. Would this work? If so how long should I wait to run water through the sump ?

 

[RocketEngineer]

How thick was the glass?

 

[FraggledRock]

I think you would be alright.

make sure it is dry or the silicone wont adhere well.

I would make a gasket kind of think with the silicone make a layer completely sealing both sides of the patch glass and the cracked piece

 

[JMorris271]

Depending on the crack size ,algae could seal it in short order

 

[foundnemo11]

The problem I'm having with it is that when the water goes lower in the return chamber it also lowers the skimmer chamber. So I can't get good skimming. If it's too risky to patch I was thinking of getting a auto top.l off so it's always the same height

It's a inch wide hole maybe 3 inches long. The glass is maybe 1/8 I don't know. I was planning on drying it out and all. But was worried about curing time and what not. I have a lot of good sized coral and would hate to lose any if it can be avoided

 

[Gorgok]

The tank can probably live without a skimmer until you dry, fix (remove old baffles, install new ones) and cure the silicone. It can't live without a heater, but plop that in the display... Alternately get a new sump, install thicker baffles is in while the broken one does a poor job of housing the skimmer (but still heating/circulating just fine). Once the new tank has the silicone cured stop the return for a bit and swap them out.

 

[uncleof6]

Depending on the crack size ,algae could seal it in short order

It could, but just a little tap, and the thing will let go again, and maybe get blood in the system to mess with the chemistry for a while.

 

[uncleof6]

Silicone cure time before use is a minimum 7 days. We don't use tiny little 1/8" beads, gobs are used. Much longer cure time.

Patching it may "hold" but another tap, and it is done. It will not be as strong as the original glass, before it was cracked.

Solution is to replace all baffles with 6mm (1/4") which is what should have been used in the first place. There is a reason we say don't get your glass from HD, they don't sell 6mm) and make sure it is 6mm minimum. This is the reason. Unfortunately, some never run across that, because there are too many that will tell you 3.5mm (1/8") is fine.

 

[Sn8kbyt]

I believe that will work. Cure time at minimum would be 24 hours I would give it 48 to be safe and to be sure I didn't have to do it again. Make sure your DT has heat, ramp up your power heads if you can and go for it.

 

[uncleof6]

I believe that will work. Cure time at minimum would be 24 hours I would give it 48 to be safe and to be sure I didn't have to do it again. Make sure your DT has heat, ramp up your power heads if you can and go for it.

7 days cure time minimum. See above for why. So far the only thing that will make a satisfactory repair, is to replace all the baffles with 6mm glass.

 

[foundnemo11]

The tank can probably live without a skimmer until you dry, fix (remove old baffles, install new ones) and cure the silicone. It can't live without a heater, but plop that in the display... Alternately get a new sump, install thicker baffles is in while the broken one does a poor job of housing the skimmer (but still heating/circulating just fine). Once the new tank has the silicone cured stop the return for a bit and swap them out.

I cant swap them out due to the face it's a 30 gallon and the stand is not big enough to remove it without taking the display off

 

[foundnemo11]

I'm thinking of just killing two birds with 1 stone and getting an auto topoff. That way the sump level will be even and I won't have salinity swings

 

[foundnemo11]

Or maybe it's time to upgrade? [emoji3]

 

[ucdcrew]

I just had this problem - I've been wanting a bigger sump for awhile now so I bought a 29 g tank, cut the baffles, and glued it all up last night. Much easier to work on it NOT in the stand. My skimmer is off for now until the new sump cures, but i still have water running through the sump for heat and movement. Plus I have the new sump outside so it won't offgas in my house (but its 60 degrees and sunny here today).