Glass panels or Acrylic

[JoeRonda]

I need the voice of experience. The glass at Lowe's is single strength and I'm worried about it in the long run. My sump I'm building is a 40 br. and my question is: Is the acrylic lexan @ Lowe's going to bond to the glass sump walls as good as glass, using Locktite Aqua safe silicone? Or is the bond not going to last forever? I've used glass in a DIY 10 gal. but the 40 br. is much wider and therefore the glass panels are more likely to break if I hit one taking out the skimmer or pump sometime down the road. Thanks Joe

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I wouldn't use either product from Lowes.

The glass is too thin (as you've noted).

The acrylic is likely too thin to be stable.

Instead, get something from a real glass shop, or a plastics shop. Choose material based on your own approach to sump design/maintenance - acrylic is a little more bump-proof but won't bond as solidly into a glass sump. Glass will bond better to a glass tank when using silicone. Either is fine; bond strength is not critical in this application and if the joint is formed correctly using high grade silicone it'll be strong enough for use as typical sump baffles.

[uncleof6]

Lexan is NOT acrylic, it is polycarbonate. Silicone does not adhere to Acrylic very well, and Lowes/Home Depot acrylic is junk. Glass is the suitable material for baffles in a glass sump. The bond is strong and has good longevity, if you use the right silicone. No silicone seam will last forever, especially in an aquarium, because the water degrades the silicone over time. Home depot glass is too thin to use for baffles both in terms of bowing, (applies to the acrylic as well) and the thin glass is fragile, and too easily broken. Minimum thickness for baffle for either material is 6mm ( ~1/4")

Jim

[Nathan.Titulaer]

No the lexan will not stick to the glass properly because lexan does not adhere well to silicone and glass does not adhere to weld on.

Also you are right to stay away from the Lowes glass it is pure crap and will burst if you look at it funny. It is only ment for picture frames.

[chimmike]

yeah, the glass at lowes is way too thin. Call around and get quotes from a few local glass shops for proper sized glass, is my suggestion.

[jeff@zina.com]

Glass shop. 1/4" glass, polished edges. Cheap in the long run. I usually ask for 1/8" shorter than the exact dimension between sides, gives me a 1/16" gap on each side (often a little more, the glass shop isn't used to dealing in small measurements...) for easy positioning and the silicone holds fine.

On a side note, I switched to RTV108 as recommended by UncleOf6, definitely holds better than the GE I I had been using. Never had a problem with the GE I, just saying...

Jeff

[JoeRonda]

Hey, thank you everyone for that great advice. I am going to have glass panels cut at a glass shop just as you guys suggested. I apprectiate it.

[dmopar74]

flooring tiles work great for these aplications as well. cheap, strong, easily cut.

[jeff@zina.com]

flooring tiles work great for these aplications as well. cheap, strong, easily cut.

Never even thought of that. I might try that on my next sump. Even if it doesn't work out, I'd be out about $5 in materials. :)

Jeff

[8mpg]

I used lexan with some All Glass Silicone from Petsmart (would have bought rtv108 but Grainger is closed on the weekends).

I did 9"x17.5" acrylic baffles made of some old lexan with that silicone and its holding great. I filled it for 2 days with just the outer sections filled to have maximum pressure on the inside baffles. Worked fine. Now the sump stays kinda full, there really isnt much pressure on the baffles.

If I didnt already have the lexan laying around, I would have used glass. 1/4" glass is $5.45/sq ft (polished edges) in my neck of the woods, so each baffle would have been $11 (sq ft rounds up per panel, so each would have been 2sq ft)

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I did 9"x17.5" acrylic baffles made of some old lexan

I'll repeat uncle's comment from above - let's be clear that Lexan and Acrylic are not the same product!

[8mpg]

I'll repeat uncle's comment from above - let's be clear that Lexan and Acrylic are not the same product!

sorry...wasnt paying that much attention. Im in class. I understand Lexan is a polycarbonate and not an acrylic.

[julie180]

flooring tiles work great for these aplications as well. cheap, strong, easily cut.

Are you talking about ceramic tile or something else? Sounds interesting.

[Jason.Wright]

I disassembled a 10 gallon tank and cut the glass to the size I needed. It works, but I won't do it again. Working with silicone is a MESS!

I don't have any leaks, but thank God it's just a sump.

[beex215]

i dont see why the baffle have to be so thick. you guys are suggesting 1/4 in. i believe a 55g long tanks are made with that glass or similar in thickness. it baffles me to see why baffles have to be so thick.

[uncleof6]

i dont see why the baffle have to be so thick. you guys are suggesting 1/4 in. i believe a 55g long tanks are made with that glass or similar in thickness. it baffles me to see why baffles have to be so thick.

First, thinner glass bows under less pressure, and there is sufficient differential water pressure in a sump to bow glass that ain't thick enough.

Second it is a common sense safety issue. The thin junk you get from home depot will break if you breath on it, let alone knock it with a hand, or a rock (which really shouldn't be in a sump anyway.)

Also, keep in mind that most 55 gallon tanks are TEMPERED glass.

6mm (1/4" nominal) should be considered the minimum (glass or acrylic) thickness for any use with anything aquarium. Anything less is being penny wise and pound stupid. IRREGARDLESS of what is used in manufactured tanks.

Are you talking about ceramic tile or something else? Sounds interesting.

6mm glass is not expensive enough to consider using alternative materials for baffles. What baffles me, is that this even comes up.

I disassembled a 10 gallon tank and cut the glass to the size I needed. It works, but I won't do it again. Working with silicone is a MESS!

I don't have any leaks, but thank God it's just a sump.

Takes practice to become competent with silicone and a caulking gun. Can't expect to pick it up one day, and know how to do it the same day.


Jim

[8mpg]

I dont know why you wouldnt use 1/4". By the time you stop by a glass shop, its the same price as dealing with Lowes/HomeDepot AND they polish the edges so its not going to cut you.

My local glass shop charges $5/sq ft and rounds up on each piece. For a 40b, it would have been $40 for the baffles for 1/4", cut and polished edges