LF Acrylic for sump baffles

Laura and Jim will be hosting the May meeting this Saturday the 12th and it will be the usual of food, drinks, raffle and fun.
 
Doors will be open at 6:00 pm for social talk and the meeting will start at 7:00.  Parking gets a little tight and the city says you can't park on 4th but there is a parking lot a block away.   Meeting is usually held in the backyard so feel free to bring your favorite lawn chair, weather permitting of course.

If you need address/directions, contact a club member.

Best if you park at Mini Mall (where the spaghetti establishment use to be)
 
You will get to see his new frag tank set up in the making.
 
Hope to see you there!

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[Kyleb100]

I am thinking about redesigning my sump since I really don't like how "compartmented" it is.  Planning on gutting it with a dremel tool and putting new baffles in.  Anyone have some acrylic I could purchase?

[Mr Alvarez]

i have a friend that works with acrylic but i would have to ask him what he has on hand. ill see him  tomorrow and ill ask him.

[Kyleb100]

Sounds good, just let me know.. thanks for looking into it

[Nate C.]

RFP Manufacturing has a ton of acrylic - you can probably get what you need from their scrap bins for reasonable price.  They are not far from you - east end of Canal.  Contact # is 582-3833

[Kyleb100]

You're the man, thank you

[Mr Alvarez]

thats where my friend worked at he can get acrylic from there he said just needed to know what size.

[Kyleb100]

Thanks for the help Alvarez, I will head down there when I get some time.. I still need to come up with a good design for a high flow sump, with a refugium, and a spot for my skimmer.  The sump is only 36" long so it limits me a little bit.

[Mr Alvarez]

wow im trying to bulid one out of a 10g one but dont know how to start. i would like to make one i have enough room for a 22inc long one in stand that i made. maybe we can get together and you can show me the different between high flow or a regular flow? im having a problem keeping the nitrates down i have to do a lot of water changes.

[Ed]

Here is one for anyone that has a acrylic sump from DonW on Reef Frontiers!

Taps Video
How to glue Acrylic

[Mr Alvarez]

good video lots of help full ideas  thx Ed!!

[jimbo]

Acrylic expanding in water is much worse when there's light/heat added.  Using it in a sump isn't as much of a concern (doesn't happen as fast).  And, if you build the entire sump out of acrylic, you have no problem using acrylic for the baffles.  It's if you use the 10g glass tank and acrylic baffles that you could run into issues.  Also, if you choose acrylic that is thin gauge, and will be less strong than the glass - the acrylic will bow instead of the glass...no harm no foul.

[Ed]

just a note one of our members had a tank crack due too the fact that acrylic will swell in water be careful.

                                                     jimbo

Yes, very true if you are using combo of Glass and acylic.  Acylic expands with water quite a bit.   So its best to use glass with glass and acrylic with acrylic.    You are right on the ball Jimbo!!  Thanks for saving some ones hiney!

[Mr Alvarez]

wow! thats scary i wonder what else i could use other that acrylic. i think im going to make one out of a  10g but now i dont want to i  was going to use acrylic to make the water chambers but cant afford it to bust in the house.

[Ed]

Go to a Glass shop.   Give them the demensions you want.   Then silicon it to  inside of aquarium.

[Mr Alvarez]

yeah im going to wait till the meeting to get info from more people on how to build one that best fit my 20g tank. i kinda have an understanding about it but not too sure how to go about it. i think im more scared than anything else. iv looked online on how to and  on youtube but really just would like to have some help.