I QUIT!!!!!!!! (on the sump)

G

guitareefs

Premium Member
I won't get into the whole story but it had to do with two trips to Home Depot, smearing aquarium silicone across a good size area, breathing in fumes (even working on the sump outside) from the silicone and getting silicone on me. Yes, I'm frustrated. I guess Euro Reef has reeled me in on buying one of their sumps for the RS100 skimmer. I do not want to make this sump myself anymore

MAN, I WISH I EITHER LIVED CLOSER TO YALL OR ONE OF YALL COULD PASS THROUGH ABILENE AND HELP ME! :D

I don't know what to do. This hobby has it's ups and downs. It's been fine up until the sump. So I have a perfectly fine 55 gallon tank with one baffle in place and I don't know what to do with it. I don't want to finish it as I think I've ruined it as a sump. I just want to get one already made.

:x
 
I still want to keep going with the hobby. it's just when i start working on a project like the sump and i feel like i messed it up then it's frustrating. that plus getting like 3 to 4 hours of sleep a night :D

i like the euro reef sump idea but there's no fuge built in. you have to buy a separate refugium to plumb to it.

i want marc to build me one so bad but it would be like 4 weeks to get it, i believe.
 
@guitareefs wrote:
I still want to keep going with the hobby. it's just when i start working on a project like the sump and i feel like i messed it up then it's frustrating. that plus getting like 3 to 4 hours of sleep a night :D i like the euro reef sump idea but there's no fuge built in. you have to buy a separate refugium to plumb to it. i want marc to build me one so bad but it would be like 4 weeks to get it said:
marc is the man and if i had the$$$$$ it wood be worth the wate. if you want to build it i am glad to help . i messd it up 2or3 times when i was biulding my sump . what did you do that was so bad?
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Let the silicone dry and then scrape / clean it off the glass.

Then maybe look to this article for an alternative:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/baffles.htm

Frank
 
If you are simply siliconing in baffles (glass or acrylic) into your 55g aquarium, it shouldn't be that big a deal.

What exactly was the problem? Be specific, and we'll guide you through it.

The good news is you have one already installed. Only 3 more to go. :)
 
Well, I just jumped into buying the baffles and didn't realize how I would get the baffle lifted off about an inch from the bottom and stick to the sides so that's one problem. Another is smearing the silicone all over the inside of the tank and trying to wipe it off and it smearing everywhere. It started with the silicone tube busting and getting everywhere and on me. I wasn't using gloves or masks as I was just trying to get it done. And getting it everywhere and smearing it in the tank and making it look horrible, I was just frustrated.

One other problem is wondering if I even got the baffles the right size for height. I called EuroReef and asked them and, duh, the answer was in my booklet that the skimmer needs to sit in 6-8 inches of water and no more than 8" so I made the baffles 11.75"X8.

Marc, what would be the wait for a melev sump?
I'll try another attempt on the tank tomorrow but for a last resort I'll look into buying a made sump.
 
To get the middle baffle lifted up, put something under the baffle that is 1" (or 1.5" ) tall. Once the middle baffle is secure, remove the supporting item(s) and glue in the third baffle.

Your baffles should not be snug. They should be 1/4" less wide than the width of the inside of the tank. That way there is an 1/8" gap on each side for the silicone to fill in.

The baffles should be 1/4" or thicker. 1/8" glass will not last - it is too brittle and can crack. The baffles should be polished so there are no sharp edges, both now during construcftion and every single time you stick your hand in the sump to work on something, clean something out, or make adjustments. You don't want to be cut on razor sharp glass.

The skimmer can be put on a small stand to elevate it to the proper depth, as long as there is enough clearance in the stand to get the collection cup off for regular cleaning. If you can't get it out easily, odds are you'll ignore it.

PM sent.
 
I used a 40g breeder for my sump and 3/16 hardened glass seamed and polished the edges. I think for 4 baffles it cost be 20 dollars at the local glass shop.

Take you time. Do one at a time because your really have no choice but to let the silicone setup before starting the next one.

Here is what I did.

Measured (twice if not three times) where the baffles were going to be.

Used a dry erase marker with a speed sqaure to mark guide lines on the out side of the sump.

Taped off the inside of the sump about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of both sides of the lines. Shoot a bead on the inside of the sump over the guide lines.
Place in your baffle.

Smooth the silicone with a wet finger OR an acrylic rod, popsicle stick etc.
pull off tape before the silicone skins over and you will have nice sharp lines.

Let it set up. Move on ot the middle baffle. (here's where the acrylic rod I had saved me.) Use a one inch stick of wood to raise the baffle up.
It's hard to smooth the silicone w/o something like a dowel rod or the like.
Then use same process as described above.

Good luck.

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When I insalled my baffles the first one was the hardest. When you goto install the second one, just lay the tank on its side. Then just take 4 pieces of 1" plywood and use them as a spacer. That makes it very easy to leave room under the second baffle... For the third one I did the same. Pull out your spacers and place the third one on top. Silicone in place and you're done.
 
So for a 19" tall tank for sump, how is an 8" high baffle? My skimmer needs to sit in so more than 8" of water and yeah, I know I can make the water level higher with a stand for the skimmer but I already put one 8" high baffle in place. Is this ok?
 
That definitely does not look like a lost cause to me!

Personally, I like to get as much water in the sump as I can to add to the total system volume. I think you will be fine with an 8" baffle height, but if it were my sump I'd make em taller and stick the skimmer on a stand. I'm pretty sure you could make one really easily out of egg crate.

Ben
 
@guitareefs wrote:
That's why I asked what people use to bond eggcrate together or to glass to fit in a sump. i'm lost there said:
For eggcrate to eggcrate I think I would try super glue. If that doesn't work, go with silicone. When I attached my eggcrate to glass to separate my fuge and return section I just used clear silicone and gobbed it on there.

It would be really cool if you could get a couple of stips of glass and attach those to the tank and then rest the eggcrate on top!

Ben
Click to expand...
 
@fperkins wrote:
Let the silicone dry and then scrape / clean it off the glass. Then maybe look to this article for an alternative: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/baffles.htm Frank said:
One nice thing about the EPDM weather stripping is that you can remove the baffles and rearrage them if you wish :)

May be worth a try for you!!

And - you haven't ruined the tank for sump use!!

Good Luck!!

Kathy
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one thing i think is worth a heads up is the silicon. aqarium silicon or GEsilicon no.1 with out mold inhibiters is 2 that i know is good. dont use silicon with mold inhibiters it will kill live stock
 
Sincere thanks to all of you guys. Yall really know how to pick someone back up. Yall care so much for the hobby, yall try yall's best to help someone in the hobby along their way. Thanks so much

I just put the upper baffles in place and things are working out great this time. I got some silicone on the sides but this time didn't smear it trying to wipe it with a cloth. I'll just let it dry and scrap it off.
 
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