40B Baffles

nerdymunky · Mar 31, 2017

As I am starting to get ready for a new tank, I am planning on building a sump out of a 40B.

As I'd imagine, getting glass cut at Home Depot or Lowes would be the cheapest route to go to make baffles. Anyone have good recommendations on any baffle kits that R2R Members make or other people\companies sell for 40B tanks?

cromag27 · Mar 31, 2017

Glass to glass is best as silicone doesn't adhere well to plastic. but if you want to go the acrylic route I could cut them for you. price would depend on sizes and quantity.

nerdymunky · Mar 31, 2017

cromag08 said:
Glass to glass is best as silicone doesn't adhere well to plastic. but if you want to go the acrylic route I could cut them for you. price would depend on sizes and quantity.

Good point. I assumed with seeing a lot of DIY baffle kits out there, things may have changed.

Probably couldn't hurt to try glass since it's cheap.

mdlc805 · Mar 31, 2017

do you have an acrylic shop near you. i needed a lid made for an all in one and has a local place make it for me it looked clean. im sure you can have them cut any color and size you want.

Ruckus16 · Mar 31, 2017

I would use 1/4" glass. The big box stores around me don't carry that thickness. Most don't cut glass anymore

nerdymunky · Apr 1, 2017

mdlc805 said:
do you have an acrylic shop near you. i needed a lid made for an all in one and has a local place make it for me it looked clean. im sure you can have them cut any color and size you want.

Not sure. We just moved here, so I haven't found all the places. Granted they could make it cleaner, any tricks to cutting acrylic? I've got a sliding miter saw and some hand saws that I could use.

Ruckus16 said:
I would use 1/4" glass. The big box stores around me don't carry that thickness. Most don't cut glass anymore

I had to take a second look online. Anything above 1/8" is acrylic. I misread the glass sheet I was looking at.

cromag27 · Apr 1, 2017

I use a table saw for rough cutting and a router table to finish the edges. my plastic saw blade was $200

ReeferMaddness843 · Apr 1, 2017

Glass to glass and won't have any issues. Just built one out of a 20 long. I put one baffle out of place first install, what a beast that was to get out and straighten out. Lol. I used 1/4" plate with smoothed edges.

mdlc805 · Apr 1, 2017

Personally when I have made acrylic baffles I just bought a aceylic cutter from home depot at like 3 dollars measures and cut. Don't over think it's super easy if your doing it once the cutter will work. When I silicone the baffles in place I used a bunch of silicone and it's been like that for 6 months without a problem but that's not to say it will be the same in 5 years but if one of the baffles goes out its not that big of a deal to clean out the sump and re silicon it. will be good sump maintenance anyways lol

hybridazn · Apr 1, 2017

I usually use glass to glass as well but with my recent sump build I went acrylic. With the low volume of water being held in the sump the weaker bond shouldn't be an issue. My sump has been up and running for about 9-10 months now with no issues