29 gal tank good for diy sump?

[eddiedellz]

i have a glass 29 gal that i was thinking about useing to make a sump for my 63 gal tank .. would that be suitable what could i use to make dividers in it ect.. anyone have any plans :X thanks -Ed

 

[Biggen]

That would be a great sump! I use a $5 rubbermaid container I bought from Wal-Mart as my sump. Just about anything will work as long as it holds water and doesn't break.

would that be suitable what could i use to make dividers in it

You can use acrylic and silicone it to the sides of the 29 gallon. You can pick up acrylic sheets at just about any hardware store. I like the 1/4" thickness size although that may be a bit too big for dividers in a sump. You will need a table saw to cut the sheets to the sizes you need. Don't try to use a jig or hand circular saw as you will break and melt it. Trust me, this is coming from experience.

 

[BillyZ]

Just about anything will work as long as it holds water and doesn't break.
and hasn't been used for any sort of chemicals, cleaning agents, etc.


doesn't acrylic "cut" best with a scoring knife and breaking it? that's how I've always done it. the knife is a $3-4 part at the hardware store. Use a straight edge and score the acrlyic with the knife 2 or 3 times, place the acrlyic on the edge of the table and snap off the piece your cutting.

 

[sharkbait]

I thought I read somewhere on this site that silicaon didn't adhere well to acrylic. When joining acrylic to acrylic, you use a solvent. Would joining acrylic to glass work with silicon?

 

[Biggen]

doesn't acrylic "cut" best with a scoring knife and breaking it? that's how I've always done it. the knife is a $3-4 part at the hardware store. Use a straight edge and score the acrlyic with the knife 2 or 3 times, place the acrlyic on the edge of the table and snap off the piece your cutting

You can do it that way, but it is soooooo much easier to cut it with a table saw, assuming you have a table saw of course. Especially when you are using 1/4" or thicker acrylic. When using a scoring knife, if you don't score it deep enough and go to hit it, you can easily crack it. You might as well throw the sheet out if that happens.

Would joining acrylic to glass work with silicon?

Sure. I have done it many times. So long as the acrylic is thick enough so that it doesn't "bow" out. Of course if equal amounts of water is on both sides of the acrylic this won't happen. If you are joining acrylic to acrylic you need to use Weld-On #3.

 

[Scottcenfla]

I've been using a jigsaw with a fine tooth blade in it. I had a 10 tooth per inch one and it shattered 1/8th inch acrylic. I think I have a 14 or smaller tooth blade in it now and it's been cutting the 1/4 inch stuff pretty well. If you cut it fast or at low speed it won't melt back together as much. Not sure how to get a "finish edge" on acrylic other than with a file after cutting.

 

[Biggen]

Were you able to cut the 1/8" acrylic with 14 tooth per inch, Scott? I would think it would be too brittle.

When I tried using the jig, the biggest problem I had was it melting back together behind the blade.

 

[eddiedellz]

ok got some questions what divisions should i make should i put bio balls in? i want to make a lil refagrim and a place for a proteen skimmer . and what hardwhere should i get ? overflow, pump ect.?