Making glass baffles for sump

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

So I've got an Aqueon standard 55 that I'm going to make into a sump using glass as baffles. I'm having a hard time getting the width (front to back) dimension just right. I measured as best I could and made a cut. My freshly cut piece was just barely too big. As you all know it's impossible to cut a 16th off a piece of glass so it's scrap. I tried making cardboard templates but it's taking forever and I'm still not getting it right. Anybody have any tips or tricks on how to get this right? Any input is much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mcarroll]

You can sand or grind glass though....seems 1/16 would be doable that way.

Might even be preferable that way...you can do 1/32 off both ends.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

You can sand or grind glass though....seems 1/16 would be doable that way.

Might even be preferable that way...you can do 1/32 off both ends.

What grit sandpaper would you recommend? I had a block of 320 that I tried and I wasn't getting anywhere. I ended up trying to force the piece in and broke it so I have to cut another one anyway but I should get the right sandpaper for the future

 

[fragit]

Your glass should be a good 1/4 of an inch smaller than the width of the tank. A good way to figure that out is make a line (can be random) in the bottom of the tank with a marker. Then measure from each side to the line, add those two measurements and that is the width. Subtract 1/4 inch from that and that is how wide your baffles should be. Here is a very useful link to learn how to make a sump. http://gmacreef.com/

 

[MOPAR]

Measure the side of the tank. Just make the baffles a little smaller than the panels at the end of the tank if that makes sense. That is what I did it is alot easier than trying to measure the inside of a tank. Don't make the panel to tight as you want silicone to penetrate the edges.

 

[Squid]

Use the piece you broke as a template and just subtract enough to make the baffle fit.

 

[MOPAR]

Here is a pic for reference red x marks the panel to be measured.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

Thanks everybody that helps clear up all the things that are running through my head. I'll let you know how it turns out. Wish me luck!

 

[Saybng]

Good luck and be careful not to cut yourself.

 

[ReeferBob]

You can still use that piece. there is no reason to put the partitions exactly perpendicular to the tank walls accept aesthetics. Just offset it a bit and it will work fine. Too narrow it is scrap, but too long, it is fine.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

You can still use that piece. there is no reason to put the partitions exactly perpendicular to the tank walls accept aesthetics. Just offset it a bit and it will work fine. Too narrow it is scrap, but too long, it is fine.

Thought about doing that until I broke it. But I probably wouldn't have done it anyway. I'm too OCD about stuff like that.

 

[SpikesReef]

120 grit sandpaper will do it, I've used 80 also but that can clam up the edges. Any higher than 180 and your just making more work for yourself. Cut some cardboard to get the exact front to back dimension and take off a quarter from that number. Don't measure from to back of aquarium because depending on how the tanks built the thickness of the panes could account for an extra 1/2" or more that you would have to subtract.

 

[reef_junkie]

I cut glass baffles with a $50 wet saw. You're not going to get display quality edges but it's pretty fool proof and you can cut as thin as the blade allows.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

I cut glass baffles with a $50 wet saw. You're not going to get display quality edges but it's pretty fool proof and you can cut as thin as the blade allows.

Did you have to get a glass blade for it?

 

[reef_junkie]

Did you have to get a glass blade for it?

No, just the standard tile blade works. That's the smooth blade.

 

[saltyphish]

What grit sandpaper would you recommend? I had a block of 320 that I tried and I wasn't getting anywhere. I ended up trying to force the piece in and broke it so I have to cut another one anyway but I should get the right sandpaper for the future

I would go 120 grit. 320 is not going to remove much

 

[saltyphish]

I would go 120 grit. 320 is not going to remove much

make sure you wear cut resistant gloves and a dust mask. You don't want to breath that dust

 

[Bloody.Knuckles]

Doing glass work, you should have a glass grinder. That will really help your OCD.

BG: I did stained glass for years so I happen to have one and it saves a lot of money for those instances when a 16th off could ruin everything.

 

[keithp]

Those tanks are not perfectly square. Making the glass the perfect size may be a lot of work and is not required. Orchard supply hardware has nice glass cutters that work like a table paper cutter so they are accurate. Their staff will cut for you and replace parts that were cut wrong. I am not sure the stores exist where you are. Any tile saw will allow cuts on edges.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

Well guys I got the sump done. I wasted quite a bit of glass in the process and it's beyond ugly but I think it will perform well.

Menards only had black silicone. =\ Can't see it well but water will flow in on the left side (drains submerged) then spill over filter floss suspended by lighting diffuser. Water will then flow under the next baffle into the skimmer section. (I will need to build a skimmer stand out of lighting diffuser as this chamber is about 14" deep) finally water will flow through a bubble trap into the return/heating section. I made this section large enough to accommodate the length of a 300w eheim jäger. I will also be drilling a 10 gallon tank to use as a refugium which will pick up water from a specific chamber and drain into another (not sure exactly which ones that will be)