Any ideas for adding baffles to a sump after its running?

[Anonymous]

I have this 45 gallon tall I am going to be using for a sump, but I have no idea where the water level will be in it, I have no idea what kind of bubbles I will be dealing with due to the length of the drain (going down a floor to the basement) and I have no idea exactly how I want the whole thing set up.


So, I don't want to put any dividers in it yet.

Not until its running.


So, how can I put baffles and dividers in there? Do you think making a set of baffles out of acrylic and then just sitting them in the tank will work? Do baffles have to be watertight to keep air bubbles from going around?

I don't want to put them in the wrong place. In my first sump the baffles weren't right and I had to take two of them out in order to have everything running right.



Grrr.


Will somebody make up my mind for me?

:lol:

 

[Omni2226]

Ok heres an idea. While placing/installing DONT use permenent glue/thread tape for the plumbing. Add one or two baffles, run it if too noisy add some more.
After your happy then perma glue everything on the plumbing.

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/ ... affles.htm

 

[pwj1286]

Well worth the click. That is the coolest thing ever. I am going to use that for my new tank's sump.
_________________
sour diesel sour bubble plants

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, that is cool

Too expensive for me.


Does the baffle have to be absolutely watertight around the edges? I guess it does doesn't it? Else the water will not rise up and over it.


Good grief

how bout using silly putty? I am fairly sure I have some of that laying around......

 

[Anonymous]

If you have some smaller tanks - 10 g and 5 g put them in the sump. Tank water into the 10 and it overflows into the 45 then it fills up to the 5 which houses your return water. Buckets can work as temp or perm baffles too. Raise them or the tanks on plastic grate to adjust the flow.

 

[Anonymous]

How bout this one....



I get like 20 Magnet cleaner thingies and use them to hole the baffles in place.....


That way I can move them around just by moving the magnets.



Yeah.

Now that sounds like a plan



Or how bout I cd Jewel cases to divide my baffles. As long as the water pressure is pressing the baffle toward the cd cases it should stay in place.

I just have to remember to take the lables out....

 

[Anonymous]

I think you are baffled sometimes. Bryan

 

[Anonymous]

I just realized something....


I am getting rid of a 20 high because I am changing over to this 45. The 20 High has to come out of my stand, and its too big to come out without breaking it up.


If I carefully cut it apart I can re-use the glass panels for baffles.


Woot



Reduce -- Re-use-- Recycle!

Now, if I had a knuckleproof method of keeping them in place....

I am leaning towards the method on wwm, that is a pretty cool idea.

 

[Anonymous]

After spending the whole night thinking about this, I have decided to go with Righty's link.


Several reasons for that decision.


No matter how many drawings I do of what I want to accomplish with this sump, I have no idea if any of them will work actually.

I have tried to calculate how high the normal running point of the new sump will be, but there are too many variables. The biggest being that I have a corner bowfront tank. Try calculating the volume on one of those.

So, I think the best thing for all involved is to turn my system off, complete all the plumbing. Fill it part way and then let it all drain to the sump. Then fill the sump to the top with saltwater.

Then I will actually know how high it will run.



Then I can add baffles.



Plus this way I can finish getting it running sometime this weekend.



Crap


I don't have 45 gallons of saltwater mixed up.





change that to next weekend.




I think no matter how I do this the tank is going to have to run for a few days with the water level low and the heater, skimmer and all in the main tank.

There will be greatly reduced circulation also, I hope all my creatures don't get mad....

 

[Anonymous]

Why in god's name would buying dozens of magnets be cheaper than some acrylic and EPDM? :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

You're baffles do not need to be watertight, but they should be snug as possible.

Why not cut an overlapping baffle where you put a slot in both and a couple of nylon screws with wingnuts. They you expand the baffles and get them as snug as possible the tighten the wing nuts.

I could send you some wing nuts and screws if you don't have them available locally.

Louey

 

[Omni2226]

Hey since this is a sump and out of sight is there something cheaper than acrylic you can use as material and go with the ideas from wetweb?

Just a thought to save dollors.

 

[Anonymous]

Why in god's name would buying dozens of magnets be cheaper than some acrylic and EPDM? :lol:

There is an explanation for this. Really there is.


You see, I looked forward to Friday night all week so I could have a couple cold beers and get a bit tipsy.

The Friday comes and my daughter asks if I can pick her up at 11 pm

So, I didn't have any beers, but I wanted to

So in the spirit of wanting to have some beers I tried to think of some wacky things.


Really

That's it.


I think I do better when I actually have some beer...

 

[Anonymous]

Hey since this is a sump and out of sight is there something cheaper than acrylic you can use as material and go with the ideas from wetweb?

Just a thought to save dollors.

Since its a sump, any plastic or plexi or anything will work.


I am going to use glass I have laying around, plexiglass I have in my current sump, lexan from work, markrolon scraps from work, and some black acrylic.

Mix or match a dozen and get a free donut baby!

 

[Omni2226]

Ah cool im a big fan of save a buck if it doesnt compromise function.
let us know how it works out.

 

[Anonymous]

Knuck how about you cut some PVC pipe and put it between the baffles at the spacing you need? Water still flows and the pvc prevents the baffles from moving, Once you get your design down just use the PVC "spacers" on the acrylic/glass/whatever dry, then insert the whole thing into the sump (assuming a completely open top, otherwise it might be a tad tricky).

And no you don't need a complete water tight seal for them to work, although it should be small enough that the water can't completely drain through whatever cracks and instead goes up and over the baffle (as needed), rather than completely through the gap.