10 gallon Aqueon glass suitable for sump?

[Trever]

Does anyone have good or bad experiences to report with a 10 gallon Aqueon tank being used for a sump? I'm wondering if the glass is too thin for sump duties.

I assume it holds water fine. I'm just wondering if pulling things in and out and doing various sump'y things in that thing could crack the glass because I think it's pretty thin. (I haven't been able to find a specification on exact thickness.)

I'm planning to put in baffles for a sock(s), skimmer section, bubble trap, and return (no refugium and I may never actually put in a skimmer- but leaving that option open). I bought some 3/32" glass to make baffles, which some sources say is too thin/brittle for use in a sump... but if that's true, the whole thing here is suspect. So here I am, feeling pinned into a silly corner in my thinking (gone off the DIY deep end) and just looking for some reassurances. Baffles breaking wouldn't end the world, but I'd rather not be servicing my pump only to have the whole sump crack because I was a bull in a china shop...

 

[ylreefer]

I think you've already answered your own question here actually. Bull in a China shop is entirely likely. Not sure of the dimensions of this 10g but I had a 12g sump before, although it worked, it was a super tight and very soon got upgraded to a 36". The biggest concern is making sure the return plumbing is set up to allow all back syphoned water to safely be contained in the sump when the power goes out.

Getting the amount of baffles you want in there as well as having the section for the skimmer and a large enough return section to house all that water that's back syphoned is definitely going to be a challenge.

 

[W1ngz]

With a few unions it wouldn't be that hard to just disconnect the plumbing and slide the whole sump out to easily work on things, but I agree the space would be very cramped.

Is there a particular limitation that is pushing you to a 10 and not say, a 20 long?

 

[Trever]

Re limitation, yes. Space in the stand below is tight.

The tank is a rimless 33 gallon "true" cube (19.7" all sides). By my calculations, 2 gallons is the absolute most that will run back when the pump is off. Seems ok as far as that goes- unless this newbie missed something.

If I can be persuaded the glass isn't china entirely, tempted to stay the course... long story on alternatives (different stand, cube sump, etc.). I appreciate the overall feedback and I'm definitely listening, but I come back to my "real" question here: "am I likely to bust that glass monkeying with equipment"? Heck- there might even be a question of whether a pump in those 10 gallons is safe re vibration and stuff?

If anyone has used the Aqueon 10 gallon and has a story, that would be a data point for sure.

If I can be persuaded a 20 gallon will be not just better but a lot stronger, I can make that work, but less elegantly (which good grief I'm increasingly feeling is not a word that applies here anyways- not sure how I got into this pretzel position, lol).

This is my first tank. I want it to look good and provide "real" features tankwise (eg. versus AIO, potential for water related automation, etc.), but get it up and running cheaply- we move in a year and by then I'll know if the day-to-day is for me, etc. After we move and I've tried this, different story.

But the one thing I can not abide is if it is too physically fragile. That just won't work. I'm sensing while definitely not ideal, my kids head here is just up to the line to go on this ride...?

Sigh. Should have gone with two 40 gallon breeders in an Edsal rack.

 

[glb]

Re limitation, yes. Space in the stand below is tight.

The tank is a rimless 33 gallon "true" cube (19.7" all sides). By my calculations, 2 gallons is the absolute most that will run back when the pump is off. Seems ok as far as that goes- unless this newbie missed something.

If I can be persuaded the glass isn't china entirely, tempted to stay the course... long story on alternatives (different stand, cube sump, etc.). I appreciate the overall feedback and I'm definitely listening, but I come back to my "real" question here: "am I likely to bust that glass monkeying with equipment"? Heck- there might even be a question of whether a pump in those 10 gallons is safe re vibration and stuff?

If anyone has used the Aqueon 10 gallon and has a story, that would be a data point for sure.

If I can be persuaded a 20 gallon will be not just better but a lot stronger, I can make that work, but less elegantly (which good grief I'm increasing feeling is not a word that applies here anyways- not sure how I got into this pretzel position, lol).

This is my first tank. I want it to look good and provide "real" features tankwise (eg. versus AIO, potential for water related automation, etc.), but get it up and running cheaply- we move in a year and by then I'll know if the day-to-day is for me, etc. After we move and I've tried this, different story.

But the one thing I can not abide is if it is too physically fragile. That just won't work. I'm sensing while definitely not ideal, my kids head here is just up the line to go on this ride...?

Sigh. Should have gone with two 40 gallon breeders in an Edsal rack.

I’d go with a 20g if you can fit it. I believe a 20g tall has the same footprint as a 10g. I have a 20g tall for my sump (40g display tank) and it’s worked out well. I never have to worry about it overflowing because the height gives me a lot of room for error. For baffles, I wouldn’t go less than 1/4” glass. Any glass shop can cut them to size. Make sure they slightly round the bottom corners to account for the silicone seams that run along the bottom of the tank. My build thread in my signature has very detailed instructions for how I did the sump. Good luck!

 

[W1ngz]

Lots of people use a quick simple 10 gallon as a sump. The glass is 1/8" thick. If you're the least bit careful in handling the equipment I don't see a problem. If you plan to treat it the way a 4 year old treats the toys at daycare, buy an acrylic sump.

 

[Trever]

I’d go with a 20g if you can fit it. I believe a 20g tall has the same footprint as a 10g. I have a 20g tall for my sump (40g display tank) and it’s worked out well. I never have to worry about it overflowing because the height gives me a lot of room for error. For baffles, I wouldn’t go less than 1/4” glass. Any glass shop can cut them to size. Make sure they slightly round the bottom corners to account for the silicone seams that run along the bottom of the tank. My build thread in my signature has very detailed instructions for how I did the sump. Good luck!

I think the 20 gallon talls are longer than the 10s such that I decided against, will double check. A 20 gallon tall was the first thing I thought about after the 10.

Not to change the focus of the thread but where are all these glass shops people talk about? I just find places that want to do my windows. Local neighborhood hardware store just does 2.x and 3mm. I bought some 2.4 MM $2 pieces of glass and a cutting kit at Menards, and I'm looking at all very suspiciously and coveting my receipt... was gonna put it all in place today, but exercising this "patience" that is advised.

 

[lapin]

I have cracked a 20 but never a 10. I think it prob had a glass flaw unseen up under the top trim.

 

[Trever]

Yeah I see that my 10 gallon is 1/8" thick glass. I dunno if it's somehow special glass or tempered (haven't done that laptop/glasses test), but I found a local hardware store that has 1/8" glass and they will cut it for me for cheap (~$6/baffle or less). If the tank is 1/8" glass, I see no reason to obsess about thicker glass for the baffles, and since these tanks have worked for many others... Gonna give it a go.

Thanks all.

Hmmm... now I have to design this thing. ;Bookworm

 

[fish farmer]

I think the 20 gallon talls are longer than the 10s such that I decided against, will double check. A 20 gallon tall was the first thing I thought about after the 10.

Not to change the focus of the thread but where are all these glass shops people talk about? I just find places that want to do my windows. Local neighborhood hardware store just does 2.x and 3mm. I bought some 2.4 MM $2 pieces of glass and a cutting kit at Menards, and I'm looking at all very suspiciously and coveting my receipt... was gonna put it all in place today, but exercising this "patience" that is advised.

20 gallon high are a bigger footprint.

I built a trickle filter out of a 5 gallon....that's some thin glass.

Juts be careful, cut your baffles shorter so there is wiggle room between the baffle and the glass.

 

[Trever]

Juts be careful, cut your baffles shorter so there is wiggle room between the baffle and the glass.

I think you mean 9 7/8" for a 10" wide tank?

Now I just have to figure out:
1. The first parts
2. The bubble chamber (hard to silicone three close pieces and would like to see if there's something that takes up less room)

For #1, I think I want to mount something like:

4" Filter Media Cup

Run Carbon GFO or any other media in the Red Sea Filter Media Cup. Pack the Red Sea Filter Media Cup with filter floss, ceramic media, carbon, gfo, or any other media you want. The slots at the bottom half of the cup force water to flow down through your media before it can freely exit. With the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Seems like this way I can use socks or media, depending on what I end up preferring (have no experience so no idea, but I dislike the sound of sock maintenance even if I like what I hear about their effect on WQ).

And I want my drains to go into water in their own chamber area, no bulkhead, then overflow into something holding one or two of those cups.

I guess. ;Bookworm

 

[fish farmer]

I used something from this vendor on ebay, it might give you ideas.

SUMP KIT for 20" x 10" x 12" 10 GAL. protein skimmer sump aquarium filter | eBay

Sump kit is for a1 0 gallon aquarium (20" x 10"X 12"). We can build you a kit for any size aquarium such as, 10 gal, 20 gal L, 20 gal H, 29 gal, 40 gal breeder. We can also make custom kits dividers to any specifications.

www.ebay.com

 

[eggplantparrot]

no need to get so complicated with all the chamvers and stuff, you are just limiting yourself more in terms of room.

you don't need a bubble trap if your skimmer doesn't suck.

here is my 10G sump with a single baffle.

curve 5 skimmer sitting on 2 large stax rocks for water level and I don't get micro bubbles at all.

I made my own sock holder with glass and a piece of acrylic that I cut a 4 inch hole in. bunch of silicone later and it works perfectly.

 

[Trever]

no need to get so complicated with all the chamvers and stuff, you are just limiting yourself more in terms of room.

you don't need a bubble trap if your skimmer doesn't suck.

here is my 10G sump with a single baffle.

curve 5 skimmer sitting on 2 large stax rocks for water level and I don't get micro bubbles at all.

I made my own sock holder with glass and a piece of acrylic that I cut a 4 inch hole in. bunch of silicone later and it works perfectly.

How are you making sure you filter b4 water gets sucked into skimmer (doesn't that matter?) and how does water get into the sock?

 

[eggplantparrot]

How are you making sure you filter b4 water gets sucked into skimmer (doesn't that matter?) and how does water get into the sock?

I made my own sock holder/water tower (it's kinda hard to see).

i cut glass into rectangles so that I can make an upside L shaped chamber. the water comes down the pipes and enters the chamber and overflows into the sock.

the water can only go into the rest of the sump by going through the sock first.

I made this thing with the intention of switching over to the Klir filter, but stuck with the socks because of the mixed reviews on the Klir.

 

[Trever]

I made my own sock holder/water tower (it's kinda hard to see).

i cut glass into rectangles so that I can make an upside L shaped chamber. the water comes down the pipes and enters the chamber and overflows into the sock.

the water can only go into the rest of the sump by going through the sock first.

I made this thing with the intention of switching over to the Klir filter, but stuck with the socks because of the mixed reviews on the Klir.

Ah! Sorta like two baffles total

 

[eggplantparrot]

Ah! So you have two baffles not just one...

I guess, if you want to call that tower a baffle...

it's more of an extended sock holder though

 

[Trever]

I guess, if you want to call that tower a baffle...

it's more of an extended sock holder though

Got ya. It seems like the harder part of sump to make. BTW I will have 3 drains (bean animal).

 

[eggplantparrot]

you could totally buy one of those acrylic sock holders and have your pipes running straight into the sock.

 

[eggplantparrot]

Got yeah. It seems like the harder part of sump to make.

it was definitely a project, however I found that cutting glass is kinda fun if you get the hang of it. frustrating when you don't know what you're doing tho.

if I were to do it again though, id use 1/8 glass instead of the 1/4 I had. cutting smaller pieces was a pain and the L shape requires 2 layers, making it bulky at 1/2 inch