40 Breeder Sump & Refugium Design

[DirtDiggler2823]

My DC pump came in this morning! Stoked!

 

[OMGitsManBearPig]

I’ve seen a few post from people who cut acrylic for baffles and broke their glass sump. I would not make the baffles a tight fit is all I’m saying.

heh - I came back to this post to add to my previous comments regarding lack of expansion. I was thinking about this last night and I realized I hadn't considered expansion due to absorption. Looks like you cleared that up already. Nice work.

I did a quick search on the properties and I found a general rule of thumb: 0.3% expansion of your common acrylic for full submersion in water. That, in combination with heating it under a grow light, I am willing to concede that could stress/crack the thin walls of a small tank that would be retrofitted into a sump. It could rupture around the middle where the glass is most vulnerable.

The punchline is the same from all of us. Undercut slightly.

Regarding the silicone for acrylic. Yes - my experience is that it creates a very weak bond - even the stuff they sell next to the acrylic. Another reason to undercut. You basically seal around it. you create a gasket for the baffle to sit in with the caulk. It'll work.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Pump seems to fit nicely. After i get the skimmer and fit that, i can start cutting baffles.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

heh - I came back to this post to add to my previous comments regarding lack of expansion. I was thinking about this last night and I realized I hadn't considered expansion due to absorption. Looks like you cleared that up already. Nice work.

I did a quick search on the properties and I found a general rule of thumb: 0.3% expansion of your common acrylic for full submersion in water. That, in combination with heating it under a grow light, I am willing to concede that could stress/crack the thin walls of a small tank that would be retrofitted into a sump. It could rupture around the middle where the glass is most vulnerable.

The punchline is the same from all of us. Undercut slightly.

Regarding the silicone for acrylic. Yes - my experience is that it creates a very weak bond - even the stuff they sell next to the acrylic. Another reason to undercut. You basically seal around it. you create a gasket for the baffle to sit in with the caulk. It'll work.

Great information from you two. Thank you.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I’ve read several post like these. There is supposed to be some type of silicone that will bond the two but I don’t what it is. Just be aware if a baffle pops out and you want to put it back you will be draining and drying the sump out. I’m not say it won’t work good enough to get away with for a while anyway. Personally I would rather not be messing around with my sump 5 years down the road because I bumped a baffle and it came out but that’s just me. Also drilling glass isn’t any harder then drilling acrylic. The only difference is you use water to cool the drill bit. I drilled my DT with no previous experience and had no problem at all.

Since I'm running this DC pump, do I need to have some hose between the pump, and the hard plumbing? This pump came with a slip option, and there is a rubber o-ring that seems to separate the hose attachments from the pump. I see this as an option to go full hard plumbing since I can just unscrew the hose attachment and free the pump up that way if I have maintenance to do.

 

[Reef-junky]

Since I'm running this DC pump, do I need to have some hose between the pump, and the hard plumbing? This pump came with a slip option, and there is a rubber o-ring that seems to separate the hose attachments from the pump. I see this as an option to go full hard plumbing since I can just unscrew the hose attachment and free the pump up that way if I have maintenance to do.

Yes you can hard pipe on the pump but I would add a small hose to dampen the vibration from the pump. Unless your pump has something to do that already.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Yes you can hard pipe on the pump but I would add a small hose to dampen the vibration from the pump. Unless your pump has something to do that already.

There are rubber boots on the pump, and an o-ring between the hose coupling, and the pump. I'm not even sure that DC pumps vibrate how AC pumps do.

 

[User]

There are rubber boots on the pump, and an o-ring between the hose coupling, and the pump. I'm not even sure that DC pumps vibrate how AC pumps do.

I don’t think they do either.

I just hard plumbed my Jebao dcp 18000 and you can’t even feel it running at 100% if you hold the pvc 2 feet above the pump

This was testing my return plumbing last night. Just glued the 1.5” slip collar to some 1.5” pvc and fired it up. It’s great, because it has its own little union, which makes it super easy to remove. I added another union up top because I still need to add my manifold etc.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I don’t think they do either.

I just hard plumbed my Jebao dcp 18000 and you can’t even feel it running at 100% if you hold the pvc 2 feet above the pump

This was testing my return plumbing last night.

Did you use the slip adapter that came with it?

 

[User]

Did you use the slip adapter that came with it?

Yep. 1.5” pvc fits it perfectly

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Yep. 1.5” pvc fits it perfectly

Just bare pipe fits on there, or did you need the joint as well?

 

[User]

Just bare pipe fits on there, or did you need the joint as well?

Pipe just slips straight in

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Pipe just slips straight in

What's holding it in place?

 

[User]

What's holding it in place?

Regular clear pvc glue.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Regular clear pvc glue.

Very nice. This is going to be great! Thanks!

 

[User]

No problem- glad to help.

Just be aware that those pumps seem to be putting out half the flow they should of compared to the curve, but only as you increase the head. I have mine going up 6’, 14 feet horizontal then up 6 more feet to my DT and I’m getting 1200gph at 100%.

Since I only want to put 3x DT volume (180) through my sump per hour, this is still way more than I need. But ymmv since you are going Triton and need 10x or thereabouts, right?

 

[Reef-junky]

With the way a DC pump runs vibration may vary well not be an issue. The boots are so the pump doesn’t sit on the glass and transfer vibration to it. The o ring is just to make the seal water tight.

 

[User]

With the way a DC pump runs vibration may vary well not be an issue.

Like I said- If I hold my return pipe 2 feet above the pump running at 100%, I cant feel a thing

Now I have a 4 pack of silicone trivets taking up space in my spares box...

 

[Reef-junky]

Have you tested to see if there is a noise difference between the two? Would interesting to know.

 

[George Lopez]

Ehh I put a piece of silicone hose on mine before my hard plumbing just in case, also makes it a bit easier to work on later.