Refugium DIY Help Please

[Melissa]

I plan on getting a 20 gallon.

I need to know the easiest and cheapest way to make the baffels (sp).

Can you use PlexiGlass?

If I use glass, do they cut it for you at home depot??

Any suggestions would be greatly appriecated.


Thanks,

Melissa

 

[Maxx]

Melissa, You can use plexiglass, thats how I made my 10 gallon sump. Glass would be better, because its stronger and wont bow like plexi will. Also, silicone adheres better to glass than to plexiglass. I just bought some plexi pieces that I measured to fit inside the tank, braced 'em w/ a wooden block and used some angle clamps...(find em at home depot) siliconed em inplace w/ aquarium sealant, and left alone for 48 hours like the directions said. Been working fine for me.
Nick

 

[RanRoc]

Hi,
Welcome to RS. I've used plexiglass on a ten gallon glass tank before I built my own sump. I measured the acrylic to make a tight fit with the glass, and I used 100% silicone (you can use the aquarium silicone) to keep them in place. The Home Depots around my area don't cut glass, check with yours. HTH.
-RY

 

[Gina]

We used glass walls on ours. Just took a measurement of the inside and Home Depot cut the glass pieces for us.

And :welcomera

 

[Spooda420]

i used .250 inch think acrylic easy to cut at home or at HD fast and cheap.

 

[Melissa]

I got a 20 gallon long aquarium.

Home Depot was all out of thick glass so I had them cut me some acrylic baffles.

I purchased the aquarium silicone. Would Weld-On be better, does it stick acrylic to glass?

 

[Pro_builder]

weldon won't stick to glass and acrylic

 

[danny254]

I found the best glue for Acrylic-to-glass to be "Household Goop" It sticks to just about everything, and is safe for aquariums. Silicone doesn't always stick to acrylic too well, so I would use household goop, great stuff!

Danny

 

[Melissa]

Household Goop, I saw that last night, but I didnt know if it was fish safe.

Ok, here are my plans

 

[Melissa]

and the top view.

 

[Spooda420]

how will the water get out of the fuge? or will the water line be above the baffle?

 

[Melissa]

it will have notches cut on the side opposite of where the pump is

 

[Pro_builder]

Melissa, I would put a baffle at the fuge outlet, to stop you from getting micro bubbles in the return pump and main tank.

 

[Midway]

Whats is a baffle and what's good for?

 

[Pro_builder]

A baffle is a piece of acrylic or glass that you put in the sump so that water has to go over the top edge of one and then down under the bottom edge of the next.
This will keep air bubbles from reaching your retrun pump and out of the main tank.

 

[birdman204]

just a side note. some have touched on it... acrylic and glass + silicon = falling apart down the road. The bond acrylic and silicone make are not as permamnent as glass and silicone. If you can, use glass baffles like gina suggested. Or , like someone also said , you can use the household goop, the marine and outdoor varieties have UV shielding material in them that is not good. someone wanna correct me here if I am wrong?....

 

[angnak]

I am starting to make my Refuge. And not to steal away from Melissa's question, I have my own. Mine looks like hers but I do not have the extra two pieces to the right of the skimmer and my refuge exits out the right bottom side with a inline pump. Is this okay?

 

[Reef Geek]

Melissa,
I think that putting the fuge on the end is bloody brilliant. When I made mine, glass baffles cut by the local glass shop by the way, I did the normal sequence: intake, fuge, outflow. I like how you can limit the flow throught the fuge based upon your powerhead choice.

 

[Melissa]

My fuge is finished and up and running. I took a couple pics. So, I'll try to get them up ASAP.

 

[Melissa]

Just starting...