40g Breeder Baffle Height

HardCory · Jun 1, 2017

What height did you guys cut your baffles?
I'm probably going to do 4 total: 1 between the skimmer and refugium sections, and then 3 for a bubble trap between the refugium and return sections.
Thoughts, comments, concerns? Anything welcome to designing this sump! Thanks!

Shaddow_wolf169 · Jun 2, 2017

Depends on you skimmer height

Idoc · Jun 5, 2017

My 40g breeder sump is still in the planning stages and not put together yet, but I already have my glass pieces cut and ready to install...hopefully this week. My skimmer works optimally between 5.5" and 9.5" (Tunze 9410), so I set my first baffle at 10".... I can always raise my skimmer if I need to...but, I can't lower it! Also consider the height of your skimmer and make sure you can fit it inside your cabinet... with the ability to raise it a couple inches of you need to (and room to take it apart later if you need to "lift" parts in order to take it apart! Attached is a picture of my plan for my 40g breeder sump. 1st section is skimmer and anything else I might need, 2nd chamber is a refugium, and third is the return pump and ATO stuff and space for anything else I might add later. Hopefully it will work, lol. It's designed to cover back siphoning if my return line is even over 1" under the top water line! If someone sees an error, let me know, lol.

HardCory · Jun 5, 2017

Idoc said:
My 40g breeder sump is still in the planning stages and not put together yet, but I already have my glass pieces cut and ready to install...hopefully this week. My skimmer works optimally between 5.5" and 9.5" (Tunze 9410), so I set my first baffle at 10".... I can always raise my skimmer if I need to...but, I can't lower it! Also consider the height of your skimmer and make sure you can fit it inside your cabinet... with the ability to raise it a couple inches of you need to (and room to take it apart later if you need to "lift" parts in order to take it apart! Attached is a picture of my plan for my 40g breeder sump. 1st section is skimmer and anything else I might need, 2nd chamber is a refugium, and third is the return pump and ATO stuff and space for anything else I might add later. Hopefully it will work, lol. It's designed to cover back siphoning if my return line is even over 1" under the top water line! If someone sees an error, let me know, lol.

I like your design. I might use it to design mine. Simple and clean cut

wes_slavens · Jun 7, 2017

Right to left I did 10" then 9" then the middle baffle is 10" raised up 1 1/2" then 9 inches again. If I was to do it over I would make the last one an inch shorter or the rest an inch taller.

litenyaup · Jun 7, 2017

Here is the sump I plan on building.

HardCory · Jun 7, 2017

litenyaup said:
Here is the sump I plan on building.

Nice looking plan!

Idoc · Jun 7, 2017

litenyaup said:
Here is the sump I plan on building.

Nice...i initially planned out a similar plan, but my local glass store just laughed and did they would have to charge me about $250 For all those special cuts... and I would still have to find someone to cut the sock holder holes! You might be able to do it with acrylic pieces, but the sock holder holes seemed to be a pain to have cut... you need a hole about 4" to 4.25" and that isn't an cheap hole drilling bit to buy! So, I redesigned my sump with the above posted plan! Have you gotten a cost for those glass/acrylic cuts yet in your area? You might have better sources or capabilities than in my town, lol.

litenyaup · Jun 8, 2017

Idoc said:
Nice...i initially planned out a similar plan, but my local glass store just laughed and did they would have to charge me about $250 For all those special cuts... and I would still have to find someone to cut the sock holder holes! You might be able to do it with acrylic pieces, but the sock holder holes seemed to be a pain to have cut... you need a hole about 4" to 4.25" and that isn't an cheap hole drilling bit to buy! So, I redesigned my sump with the above posted plan! Have you gotten a cost for those glass/acrylic cuts yet in your area? You might have better sources or capabilities than in my town, lol.

I do have the acrylic to do it myself and I have access to a laser cnc for the hard cuts. I will be building it myself as well as all my reactors, 2 part containers, and ATO. Also it will all be colors matched.

My stash of acrylic and mock up of media/ algae reactors.

ReeferBob · Jun 8, 2017

If you use acrylic baffles on a glass sump installed with silicone, it WILL eventually leak between compartments. Just keep that in mind.

litenyaup · Jun 8, 2017

Oh ya my sump will be all acrylic.

Idoc · Jun 8, 2017

litenyaup said:
I do have the acrylic to do it myself and I have access to a laser cnc for the hard cuts. I will be building it myself as well as all my reactors, 2 part containers, and ATO. Also it will all be colors matched.

My stash of acrylic and mock up of media/ algae reactors.