sump baffles

[amylynnfloyd]

I am going to order some acrylic to use as baffles in my 20 gallon sump. I was just wondering what size will work. Should I get 1/8", 3/16", or 1/4" acrylic? Thanks

 

[Fish_wiz2]

3/16 is enough/over board for your 20 so you'll be good with it.

 

[Playa-1]

I would go 1/4" myself. If your 20 gallon sump is glass then you would be better off using glass baffles.

 

[tent-tacal]

whats a baffle?sorry,im kinda new here.

 

[qfrisco]

A baffle is basically a divider in the sump. Bubble traps can also be made with 3 or more baffles configured so the water is forced to go over and under the dividers/baffles.

I second the recommendation for 1/4". Anything thinner will bow and might pull itself off the glass sides of your sump. In fact, I have a 1/4" acrylic baffle separating my refugium, and it bows out when I empty my return section (adjacent to it) during water changes.

 

[amylynnfloyd]

I went with 1/4" acrylic just to make sure. I would rather be on the safe side. Thanks for the help

 

[lilalove]

If your sump is glass, I'd just bite the bullet and have glass cut and the edges sanded. I tried several methods to keep the acrylic baffles from bowing out....nothing worked, and eventually they all gave way. The glass ones have been going strong for months now.

 

[amylynnfloyd]

Thank you, I will keep that in mind. Others have also said they had problems with the acrylic. How do I go about getting glass for my baffles? The acrylic seemed much easier, as I could cut them to fit myself.

 

[qfrisco]

You can go to any glass shop and they will cut the glass for you. I used glass baffles when I first built my sump, but when I decided to expand my refugium, I went with acrylic as it was readily available at my local Lowe's.

People recommend glass for baffles because silicone (what you will use to attach the baffles to your sump) does not adhere to acrylic, but it does to glass. From my experience though, the acrylic baffle to my refugium has been holding up very well for about 8 months now. If you go with acrylic, don't skimp on the silicone.

 

[weluvfish54]

i dont do baffles period.