DIY 100G sump - acrylic 'preciseness' question?

whodah · 01-25-2004, 09:12 PM

hiya all!

i've aquired a truvu 100G sump for my new 240G tank.

the previous owner used it as a 'plenum' (spelling?) and on one side it is drilled for an external skimmer, see pic:

bigger if you want it at:
http://www.whodah.com/modules.php?fu...e w_photo.php

i'm not planning on using it as a plenum. my question is this: when i order some acrylic cut to fit the inside of the sump to create baffles, how precise does the cut need to be? i've measured the sump to be 18" wide, and my best measurement (shy of busting out a caliper which i do not own) is that the acrylic is 11/32" thick.

thus, doing the math, i'd need baffles in the width of:
18" - 2*11/32" = 17 5/16"
(was gonna use 1/2" thick acrylic)

is that being too precise? should i get it cut at 17 1/4"? i'm planning on useing weld-on #4 and #16. is there much 'wiggle' room w/ this stuff?

thanks!

if you want more details on my plans if it matters:
i'm not going to use it as a plenum. instead, i'm going to add baffles for the typical skimmer setup. from right to left: sock area for intakes (dual), chamber for a internal skimmer (not sure if i'll use the external, an internal AND external, or a bigger internal yet.. more research to do on this 'red sea berlin 25-250G triple pass' skimmer that came w/ the tank is in order, i've also got a euroreef in the garage, a 6-1), bubble walls, refugium, bubble walls, internal pump return area.

-Who Dah?

pista01 · 01-25-2004, 09:37 PM

Looks good. You sump is 5 times bigger than my tank

Nice web site too. Postnuke rocks!

whodah · 01-26-2004, 12:43 AM

heh, thx and thx!

postnuke makes things real easy sometimes...

-Who Dah?

RanRoc · 01-26-2004, 12:44 AM

I my experience, even with big gaps, the weldon would fill those in nicely and hold with great strength. HTH.
-RY

whodah · 01-26-2004, 12:54 AM

cool, cool!

could you define 'big gaps' for me? are we talking like chips the size of a pea, or like a 1/8" gap on an entire wall type of thing?

thx!

wooddood · 01-26-2004, 07:12 AM

i would have them cut as close as possible,the weldon will fill the gap fine.

pista01 · 01-26-2004, 10:15 AM

There is a long thread on RC about acrylic fabrication.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...=diy+acr ylic

RanRoc · 01-26-2004, 10:42 AM

Well, again, in my experience, I have filled gaps pea sized and probably at most an 1/8 of an inch. Just turn the tank on its side when you join the baffle to the wall of the tank. But, as Woodood posted, I would have them cut as close as possible.
-RY

Pro_builder · 03-20-2005, 10:28 AM

This is all great advice. You can fill some descent size gaps with weldon 16.

corvettephreek · 04-04-2005, 04:04 AM

now I know this sounds silly, but I have used glass aquarium sealant on a couple of FW acrylic tanks with almost 1/4" gaps. (baffles). my suggestion is use the weld-on, and if any seams are weird looking or not quite filled, the sealant will work fine

nice sump, btw!!!

shwncbb · 04-20-2005, 08:07 PM

I would try to get them cut as close as possible. You can take a measurement and have them leave it a little long if you have a table saw or router access you can always trim it down to get a good fit, and WeldOn 16 is what you would want to use to fill those minor flaws. WeldOn 3 and 4 set to quick with WeldOn 3 setting the quickest, but WeldOn 16 is designed exactly for filling minor imperfections you might run into

BoomerD · 04-20-2005, 09:25 PM

Hey guys...this thread is over a year old, and the sump in question is functioning quite nicely.

01-25-2004, 09:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
whodah Tubeworm Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 37 View Gallery Karma Komment	DIY 100G sump - acrylic 'preciseness' question? hiya all! i've aquired a truvu 100G sump for my new 240G tank. the previous owner used it as a 'plenum' (spelling?) and on one side it is drilled for an external skimmer, see pic: bigger if you want it at: http://www.whodah.com/modules.php?fu...e w_photo.php i'm not planning on using it as a plenum. my question is this: when i order some acrylic cut to fit the inside of the sump to create baffles, how precise does the cut need to be? i've measured the sump to be 18" wide, and my best measurement (shy of busting out a caliper which i do not own) is that the acrylic is 11/32" thick. thus, doing the math, i'd need baffles in the width of: 18" - 2*11/32" = 17 5/16" (was gonna use 1/2" thick acrylic) is that being too precise? should i get it cut at 17 1/4"? i'm planning on useing weld-on #4 and #16. is there much 'wiggle' room w/ this stuff? thanks! if you want more details on my plans if it matters: i'm not going to use it as a plenum. instead, i'm going to add baffles for the typical skimmer setup. from right to left: sock area for intakes (dual), chamber for a internal skimmer (not sure if i'll use the external, an internal AND external, or a bigger internal yet.. more research to do on this 'red sea berlin 25-250G triple pass' skimmer that came w/ the tank is in order, i've also got a euroreef in the garage, a 6-1), bubble walls, refugium, bubble walls, internal pump return area. -Who Dah?

01-26-2004, 12:44 AM	#4 (permalink)
RanRoc Scopas Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central Florida: GO KNIGHTS!!! Posts: 443 View Gallery Karma Komment	I my experience, even with big gaps, the weldon would fill those in nicely and hold with great strength. HTH. -RY __________________ My Disclaimer for any Advice I Give: I Could Be Wrong... Randy's Rockin' Reef MANGROVE ROOT GANG

01-26-2004, 07:12 AM	#6 (permalink)
wooddood the wood dude Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: marion. INDIANA Posts: 3,457 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	i would have them cut as close as possible,the weldon will fill the gap fine. __________________ 120 gal/in wall tank/starboard substraight/2 250 watt 10k xm metal halides/ 4 55watt 03 actinics/150lbs lr/scwd on return/scwd on a closed loop/aquaclear aquatics 200 pro wetdry w/skimmer. ask all the questions you have if we cant answer it we'll make up some thing. remember patience is the key to a kick ass reef. dave.

01-26-2004, 10:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
RanRoc Scopas Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central Florida: GO KNIGHTS!!! Posts: 443 View Gallery Karma Komment	Well, again, in my experience, I have filled gaps pea sized and probably at most an 1/8 of an inch. Just turn the tank on its side when you join the baffle to the wall of the tank. But, as Woodood posted, I would have them cut as close as possible. -RY __________________ My Disclaimer for any Advice I Give: I Could Be Wrong... Randy's Rockin' Reef MANGROVE ROOT GANG

03-20-2005, 10:28 AM	#9 (permalink)
Pro_builder DIY Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oxford, Iowa Posts: 1,746 View Gallery Karma Komment	This is all great advice. You can fill some descent size gaps with weldon 16. __________________ -Troy 180 gallon Reef, 3- 250 XM 15K MH Electronic ballast, 380 watts VHO Actinics, 2- 5 watt LED Moon lights, 100 gal rubbermaid sump, 75 gallon Fuge, ETSS 600 Skimmer, 4700-5400 gph pump for return, Octopus 3000 controller, Iwaki 40 RL skimmer pump, 2- 65w PC 10K fuge lights, 2 55 gallon barrels, Custom light oak stand and hood, misc pumps, extra 600 gallon rated tank size protein skimmer. Purple tang, yellow tang, pacific blue tang, 2 green chromis, 1 Sand sifting star, snails, hermit crabs, 2 mated perculas, pulsing Xenia, Anenome, mushrooms, ricordia, zoanthids, kenya tree 1 1/2" tall, misc other hitchhiker stuff. DIY is my dream... ...well OK the only way I can afford this Addiction!! Just as the light goes on in my head... ... I break the bulb!!

01-25-2004, 09:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
pista01 Fire Coral Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Taylor, Mi Posts: 83 View Gallery Karma Komment	Looks good. You sump is 5 times bigger than my tank Nice web site too. Postnuke rocks!

01-26-2004, 12:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
whodah Tubeworm Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 37 View Gallery Karma Komment	heh, thx and thx! postnuke makes things real easy sometimes... -Who Dah?

01-26-2004, 12:54 AM	#5 (permalink)
whodah Tubeworm Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 37 View Gallery Karma Komment	cool, cool! could you define 'big gaps' for me? are we talking like chips the size of a pea, or like a 1/8" gap on an entire wall type of thing? thx!

01-26-2004, 10:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
pista01 Fire Coral Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Taylor, Mi Posts: 83 View Gallery Karma Komment	There is a long thread on RC about acrylic fabrication. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...=diy+acr ylic

04-04-2005, 04:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
corvettephreek Torch coral Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: northern california Posts: 562 View Gallery Karma Komment	now I know this sounds silly, but I have used glass aquarium sealant on a couple of FW acrylic tanks with almost 1/4" gaps. (baffles). my suggestion is use the weld-on, and if any seams are weird looking or not quite filled, the sealant will work fine nice sump, btw!!! __________________ Will (aka Willy Stylez) Will Foley Rolling Audio Sacramento, CA Mobile audio and security solutions Advanced level MECP installer

04-20-2005, 08:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
shwncbb Tunicate Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	I would try to get them cut as close as possible. You can take a measurement and have them leave it a little long if you have a table saw or router access you can always trim it down to get a good fit, and WeldOn 16 is what you would want to use to fill those minor flaws. WeldOn 3 and 4 set to quick with WeldOn 3 setting the quickest, but WeldOn 16 is designed exactly for filling minor imperfections you might run into

04-20-2005, 09:25 PM	#12 (permalink)
BoomerD Reef Shark Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 5,638 View Gallery Karma Komment	Hey guys...this thread is over a year old, and the sump in question is functioning quite nicely. __________________ Intelligence is not knowing all the answers, but knowing where and how to find them! www.google.com

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