20 Gallon DIY Sump
My goals was to have a sump with little water noise, splash free and easy to maintain. This design had four chambers; a drain, filter sock, skimmer and return pump. Although I would have like to go bigger, I used the smallest size I thought I adequate, to allow room for other equipment in the stand.
The Sump Build
I thought baffles could easily be done. I read about those buying glass baffles from Home Depot. They would even cut it to size. I found stores only carry picture glass (1/10” thickness). Glass from glass shops were well over $100 polished. I even went to a thrift store and found glass that looked old, which turned out to be tempered. It exploded into hundreds of pieces when I tried to cut it. I finally found 3/16” plate glass on craigslist.
Cutting the glass was not that difficult. Once the glass was cut and edges eased with a sander, I wasn’t sure how to how best to hold the baffles in place and keep them square while caulking. I saw all kinds of bracing methods online, but I found the easiest way was to turn the tank on end and use spacers. Gravity kept the glass panels square and made easy access for caulking. I used GE Silicone 1 for caulking.
Placing the first glass baffle in place using wood spacers, ready to caulk.
Caulking the next baffle into place with wood spacers.