sump baffle question...

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C

cichness

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 6, 2008
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michigan
after i finish the project im waist deep in, i want to try my hand at making a nice looking wet/dry out of an unused tank and siliconing in the baffles.

i was wondering though, how thick does the plasic or glass have to be, and what do those who have done it use? everything ive seen in home depot and related places is kinda pricey...
 
You can use some pretty thin stuff (assuming you using a relatively small tank). Like .090 I think it is that lowes has that I use. I dont think the price is too bad for that you can buy a sheet and when it is that thin I can easily score/break it myself.

There is not much pressure on the baffles and the pressure there is will often be nearly equal from both sides depending on how you do it.

Main thing is just get something thick enough it does not bow too bad. Across a short distance with not much pressure (or equalized pressure) that does not have to be too thick.
 
see i didnt even think about the equalized pressure thing. only part that wont be possible is where the inlet is the "overflow chamber" as well as the drip plate..... those two would have to be thick or braced alot

any tips?
 
If you were using a 20g for this for example I think you would get by just fine on the drip plate by taking a couple a couple one or two inch wide strips of plexi and support across the middle of the plate (standing up not laying flat). There will be very little force on this plate I think that would be pleanty (i have never used an acrylic sheet as my drip plate). This might take away from the "clean" look of it though.

On the inlet side personally I would still go with some pretty thin plexi. Your media chamber is going to help support it from bowing. At the bottom there will be quite a bit more pressure I realize, but really I have never had an issue. Acrylic is so strong if you can stop it from bowing I think that there is not a problem. Of course if it is an outside wall you want more of a safety factor and anything more than very minimal bowing starts to look bad, but I am talking on the interior I dont think you need that extra safety factor. Maye on this use .25 or something. Other than the really thin stuff I dont use lowes, but I think at lowes they have some .22 or something like that. Would probably cost descent amount just for that one piece though.
 
alright, ill try to find some good stuff. thanks for the help all.
 
I agree with everyone else. Since you will have spots for the water to flow, the pressure will be minimized. Worst case is add in a couple supports as mentioned before.
 
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