Advice...Redoing my sump

btieu

btieu

Premium Member
Ok...I got a 55 gallon sump with no baffles below my 150G tank. The plumbing run along the bottom inside the sump so I wasn't able to add the baffles in when I set this tank up. Now I'm thinking about shutting down my sump/skimmer and redo the plumbing and add baffles. Looking at the sump in front of you, to the left is water entering the sump with 2 sock filter, the skimmer is on the right of the sock filters, then at the other end is the return pumping water back into the display tank.

I was thinking Skimmer --> Refugium --> Return
So...do I need to get rid of the sock filters and add liverocks in the skimmer chamber with the skimmer in it? Or would it be ok to continue using the sock filters with the LR? Either way, do I need to make that section the biggest? The sump is 21in high and 48 in long. How tall should the baffle be? And does the baffles have to be the same height? And with the sump/skimmer being shut down...will it be ok for my display tank with the fishes and corals? Any ideas are appreciated!! Thank you!! [smilie=smile.gif]
 
As long as you clean the sock filters on a regular basis your fine using them. Live rock on a bubble tower is what I would do. If you can do a bubble tower you could just do the live rock in the skimmer chamber. But it won't trap as much of the bubble like a tower would.
 
Thanks for the advice...the thing is, how long can I leave my sump/skimmer off for? Cause I will have to take all the water out to add baffles and replumb it.
BTW...will glass be ok for the baffle? My sump is 12 in wide and there had some 12X10 glasses at Home Depot so I end up getting it. [smilie=surprised.gif]
 
Yeah glass is fine use a DVD box to space the baffles that's how I did my acrylic ones. You can run with out skimmer for few days just feed lightly the days your not skimming
 
Ok...my sump was an epic failure. I need someone to add (4) baffles to my sump. I'm willing to pay.
 
@btieu wrote:
Ok...my sump was an epic failure. I need someone to add (4) baffles to my sump. I'm willing to pay. said:
What was the epic failure part? What did you do? What did you use?

You need to use 1/4" thick (or thicker) glass or acrylic, and you must leave an 1/8" gap on each end of the baffles. If they are snug/wedged in place, the tank will break more often than not.
Click to expand...
 
Well, I end up using acrylic. I put tons of silicon around it and waited for it to dry. The next day, I turn on my pump and skimmer. My baffle end up falling apart. Is it better to go with glass or acrylic? And what should I use beside silicon?

I'm also thinking about buying a sump that have baffles on it. But I will run into another problem. For me to get the old sump out, I got to tilt the stand sideway to get it from the bottom. That mean redoing everything. And this thing is heavy. Or does anyone have any other method taking the sump out? Here a pic of my stand and sump during that cheesy baffle I made.
 
You siliconed in a single baffle? Just one? Was it 1/8" material, or 1/4"? Thicker is better because the piece won't bow in the center. Bowing makes it less wide; it pulls away from the silicone and walls of the sump, which is why I recommend thicker material to prevent this.

Silicone and glass is ideal, because the two bond together. Silicone and acrylic do not.
 
No, I made 4 baffles all together. The right side DID have 3 of them. It just happen that the one that still standing was the first one I silicone. The other 2 on the outside..I wasn't able to silicone the inside of it. But yeah, I think I used 1/8...and that make sense why it was bowing. [smilie=smile.gif]

So where would you recommend getting custom glass at? And what thickness should I get?
 
Any glass shop (not Home Depot or Lowes) can cut you specific glass sizes. Cut & polished, it shouldn't cost you more than $36 in glass. 1/4" or thicker.
 
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