Making a 40 g sump question

[hrdneglcry]

I have a 30g sump that was made and I can see a good way to make one. But I do not have the funds for the glass for the correctly sized baffles. I bought a 40 gallon breeder and the guy gave me some glass pieces to use as baffles. I would have to cut them but they are not very tall. There is not enough there to make the center baffle of the three part baffle set tall. All the glass pieces are the same height. Can I just use them for dividers? I just want the 40 because my skimmer won't fit in my 30. I want Chaeto in the middle. I would love to make it how my 30 is made with two three baffle sets for three comparments but its pricey. Even for acrylic pieces. Any tips?

 

[shakacuz]

ebay sells some acrylic baffles for a sump. try looking for your sized sump and see if you find a kit.

 

[stovenut]

I bought a DIY sump setup on eBay for a 40g breeder. I was able to make my chaeto chamber larger and make my skimmer and return pump chambers the exact size needed for my skimmer and pump. It's a good investment to make so you never have to take your sump offline to fix or modify the sump.

 

[hrdneglcry]

My issue is this. I purchased a skimmer from someone nearby and I did not know how massive it was until he delivered it. It was very cheap and I replaced the pumps. It is a SWC 250 extreme for tanks up to 600 gallons. I was going to use it since I have it but I'd need a bigger sump. I do have the skimmer listed but no bites. I don't even know what to ask for it. I listed it for $250 but its $650 new and the pumps are brand new. Any tips on what I should ask?

 

[WisReef]

I literally just bought [thick] acrylic panels from Lowes and cut them myself. I was able to silicone those into place. I've done this for almost 15 years.

 

[hrdneglcry]

I literally just bought [thick] acrylic panels from Lowes and cut them myself. I was able to silicone those into place. I've done this for almost 15 years.

Ok. Do you remember about what you spent? I have been spending too much. Have to save somewhere.

 

[October Sky]

I would get a second opinion on the cost of glass, something doesn't seem right.

I had 5 panes cut, whatever the size would be for a 20 long tank, and it was under $20, I think it was $12. They even polished the edges so I wouldn't cut myself.

 

[WisReef]

Ok. Do you remember about what you spent? I have been spending too much. Have to save somewhere.

I want to say I spent like $50 total. It was for a 55 gallon sump.

 

[stovenut]

Sometimes you need to get it just right and have it customized for your needs. I paid $120 for my DIY sump kit and everything was cut perfectly, to make the exact sump/fuge that I wanted. Save money in other areas, like making your own frozen food or buying some equipment used.

 

[hrdneglcry]

The local hardwre store will do the two large pieces for $24. I assume the four smaller pieces will probably be around $30. picture frame glass but that is what was used in the sump I have now

 

[October Sky]

I went to a local windshield place that also does plate glass. I did 1/8", as it's not for structural support, but that's thick enough to not break from hitting it by accident.

I would again say see if you can find other vendors. All I remember is going in, showing the counter person my specs and she said "We can do that in 20 minutes." I said "Wait, I have zero idea how much this will cost, can I get a quote?" and the quote was about $12. I said sold and the rest is history. I had zero perspective, she could have said $78 and I wouldn't know better.

 

[jda]

My hardware store charges like $3 a square foot for cut glass... $3.50 for the thicker stuff. They are pretty accurate.

 

[hrdneglcry]

I went to a local windshield place that also does plate glass. I did 1/8", as it's not for structural support, but that's thick enough to not break from hitting it by accident.

I would again say see if you can find other vendors. All I remember is going in, showing the counter person my specs and she said "We can do that in 20 minutes." I said "Wait, I have zero idea how much this will cost, can I get a quote?" and the quote was about $12. I said sold and the rest is history. I had zero perspective, she could have said $78 and I wouldn't know better.

Boy i wish i could find that. I will look around. if i can get it for that... that would be great.

 

[hrdneglcry]

I found a place that will do the two big pieces for $8 each. So maybe $30 for all. Thanks

 

[October Sky]

That's great, if your quote is still for picture glass, see what 1/8th is. All you have to do is ask, and maybe it's the same or maybe a bit more, but you'll like it when you hit your skimmer by accident and it doesn't instantly break.

Also, double and triple check your measurements. Make sure to leave room for silicone and you should be all set.

Finally, maybe throw out the reason for this glass. They might be reaching to new stock when they can do overstock (cut off parts from other jobs). I have zero idea on your sizes needed, but there's a chance they just have some larger cut left-overs that would perfectly fit your build. And get those corners smoothed for your skin! Don't need to be polished, just sanded down a bit.

 

[hrdneglcry]

That's great, if your quote is still for picture glass, see what 1/8th is. All you have to do is ask, and maybe it's the same or maybe a bit more, but you'll like it when you hit your skimmer by accident and it doesn't instantly break.

Also, double and triple check your measurements. Make sure to leave room for silicone and you should be all set.

Finally, maybe throw out the reason for this glass. They might be reaching to new stock when they can do overstock (cut off parts from other jobs). I have zero idea on your sizes needed, but there's a chance they just have some larger cut left-overs that would perfectly fit your build. And get those corners smoothed for your skin! Don't need to be polished, just sanded down a bit.

It was for plate glass. If I do it I might get 1/4" just for durability.

 

[October Sky]

It was for plate glass. If I do it I might get 1/4" just for durability.

1/4 would be really thick for non-structural sump walls, but that's beyond my knowledge so maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[hrdneglcry]

Can I ask something about making the sump? I am going to include a pic of another member's sump. Can I just put one baffle for each section like this person did? I want to run a skimmer and have chaeto so three compartments. My current sump has three baffle dividers. The pic of the empty sump is the member's sump. The full sump is mine. I wanted to make the new one like mine. It looks like a lot of trouble though. Can I just make it like the other member did? Does the theee baffle divider create a bubble trap or something? Does it improve flow?

 

[October Sky]

It's for a bubble trap, I have 2 such traps, and zero micro bubbles in my display.

Depending on your drain setup, it may be pretty really important, or almost not important. I would recommend at least one so you don't end up frustrated by the constant microbubbles in the display.

 

[Doctorgori]

acrylic sticks “ok” to glass, but it’s not super strong…
Glass to silicone to glass is way stronger.
To save money and get a super strong baffle, you can also combine glass and acrylic, I’m about to use short pieces of glass (1/4” thick) at the bottom(or midway up, et.) then silicone cheap acrylic baffles to those. Sort of a “hybrid” baffle