Sump design files

[that guy E]

I'm looking to make the jump from fresh to salt water. I was curious if anyone has CAD files for the various baffles for a DIY baffles to convert a 20 long to a sump. Having access to cnc equipment and some big sheets of lexan from other projects, fabrication should be pretty easy.

Usually I would model something like this up, but coming from the canister filter world I'm pretty wet behind the ears.

 

[mmorrison55]

Look at something like this for ideas

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/20-g...duOc-02DcTJjN5jAT6xvLGXly8Vjls1UaAr-LEALw_wcB

 

[UncommonSense]

I'm looking to make the jump from fresh to salt water. I was curious if anyone has CAD files for the various baffles for a DIY baffles to convert a 20 long to a sump. Having access to cnc equipment and some big sheets of lexan from other projects, fabrication should be pretty easy.

Usually I would model something like this up, but coming from the canister filter world I'm pretty wet behind the ears.

No DXFs, but I do have scale drawings!

Here’s a thread I did on the topic recently!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lfs-sump-design-help-me-brainstorm.1118208/

 

[that guy E]

Look at something like this for ideas

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/20-g...duOc-02DcTJjN5jAT6xvLGXly8Vjls1UaAr-LEALw_wcB

Thanks, that kit is what got me thinking. If I didn't already have to stock material, it would probably be the way to go.

 

[UncommonSense]

Thanks, that kit is what got me thinking. If I didn't already have to stock material, it would probably be the way to go.

Here’s a very effective weir tooth design I had cut a while back, if you want to get fancy!

 

[that guy E]

No DXFs, but I do have scale drawings!

Here’s a thread I did on the topic recently!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lfs-sump-design-help-me-brainstorm.1118208/

Thank you so much, that looks like a fun project. I had assumed the overflow lines went right into the socks. Your layout looks pretty slick and probably makes sock removal easier.

How much undersized did you cut ur baffles. Or did you not have to worry about that going all acrylic?

I'll have to give the full thread a detailed read with fresh eyes.

 

[that guy E]

Here’s a very effective weir tooth design I had cut a while back, if you want to get fancy!

Little details like this is why I thought I would ask. What is the advantage of this shape over a simple slot?

 

[UncommonSense]

Thank you so much, that looks like a fun project.

It was a lot of fun, a great learning experience too!

I had assumed the overflow lines went right into the socks. Your layout looks pretty slick and probably makes sock removal easier.

I’m having issues with water channeling around the socks currently; despite a beveled friction fit pair of sock holes… I already have 1/2” thick acrylic rings cut to weld around the top of the filter sock holes so water has to pack up another 1/2”, then spill downwards into the socks, vs channeling around them…

If I did it again; I would just make a rectangular area which is recessed, with a perforated bottom in place of the filter sock holes; this would allow the use of filter floss instead, and make water forcibly flow down through it!

How much undersized did you cut ur baffles. Or did you not have to worry about that going all acrylic?

You do want to cut them loose! Cell cast acrylic swells up to 3% (more for extruded!) when submerged in water continuously… so compensate for this in your cuts; it should total around 1/4”, but check that math! — I’ve seen threads here showing tight cut DIY acrylic baffles actually tearing glass tanks apart at the seams, or completely breaking them!

the glass 20g long sump under my hexagon tank only has a return pump weir with a bubble trap baffle; leaving a 20” open space to work in! — I used glass baffles for this, though! — cutting 3/16”-1/4” thick glass baffles 3/16” loose from the ID width of the tank left the ideal amount of space to inject silicone into the 3/32” gap on each vertical side of each baffle!

I'll have to give the full thread a detailed read with fresh eyes.

It turned into a full six week long project, including reinforcing a collapsing stand under a running 180g tank… it's a lot to read, despite me trying to keep it somewhat brief!

Hopefully this helps you in your materials choice, and final dimension planning!

 

[UncommonSense]

Little details like this is why I thought I would ask. What is the advantage of this shape over a simple slot?

I designed the modified “saw tooth” shape here to force water to “pack up” against the dam in question, and drain equally from all teeth! — it is also an excellent choice when the dam isn’t perfectly level!

The thinner, parallel walled segment of each tooth is JUST wide enough that the salt water meniscus can push through it, without allowing enough water velocity increase to launch the water out into space like a waterfall (noisy!) — it keeps water “stuck” to the wall of the dam (quiet), even at high flow rates!

The V shape in the majority of the tooth is the part that does the majority of the water moving; designed to flow progressively more through each tooth as they slowly clog, subsequently raising the operating water line!

— as the water line gets higher due to debris/detritus/microfauna accumulation on the teeth, or from increase water flow rates; the saw tooth dam will accept more flow!



The only thing I would change is probably making the remaining material gap between teeth .125” - .150” wide, vs. .100”… it’s a tad spindly there for my liking…

I’d also open up the entire saw tooth cut width by .050”, and/or add .250” to total tooth height if this saw toothed dam/weir is seeing more than ~1,400gph of flow, or is under 12” in span!

 

[that guy E]

It was a lot of fun, a great learning experience too!


I’m having issues with water channeling around the socks currently; despite a belveled friction fit pair of sock holes… I already have 1/2” thick acrylic rings cut to weld around the top of the filter sock holes so water has to pack up another 1/2”, then spill downwards into the socks, vs channeling around them…

If I did it again; I would just make a rectangular area which is recessed, with a perforated bottom in place of the filter sock holes; this would allow the use of filter floss instead, and make water forcibly flow down through it!


You do want to cut them loose! Cell cast acrylic swells up to 3% (more for extruded!) when submerged in water continuously… so compensate for this in your cuts; it should total around 1/4”, but check that math! — I’ve seen threads here showing tight cut DIY acrylic baffles actually tearing glass ranks apart at the seams, or completely breaking them!

the 20L sump under my hexagon tank only has a return pump weir with a bubble trap baffle; leaving a 20” open space to work in! — I used glass baffles for this, though! — cutting 3/16”-1/4” thick glass baffles 3/16” loose from the ID width of the tank left the ideal amount of space to inject silicone into the 3/32” gap on each vertical side of each baffle!


It turned into a full six week long project, including reinforcing a collapsing stand under a running 180g tank… it's a lot to read, despite me trying to keep it somewhat brief!

Hopefully this helps you in your materials choice, and final dimension planning!

I already have a few sheets of 1/4" lexan, which led down this worm hole of a diy solution. Expansion cracking the glass tank was something I was concerned about. Bonding two different material types together is usually not a good idea, especially when it has the possibility of flooding a portion of my house. But I've seen a lot of diy sumps with glass and acrylic or lexan so I figured it worth a shot. Adding in features like sock, heater, and top off holders would also be a nice touch.

Not many people comment on what they would do differently, so I really appreciate you feed back on the sock holder. I'll have to look at you hex again tank. I'll also have to do some reading on filter floss vs socks. I have a great any bag of floss from my freshwater canister filter, I just didn't think anyone used it on the marine side.

 

[that guy E]

I designed the modified “saw tooth” shape here to force water to “pack up” against the dam in question, and drain equally from all teeth! — it is also an excellent choice when the dam isn’t perfectly level!

The thinner, parallel walled segment of each tooth is JUST wide enough that the salt water meniscus can push through it, without allowing enough water velocity increase to launch the water out into space like a waterfall (noisy!) — it keeps water “stuck” to the wall of the dam (quiet), even at high flow rates!

The V shape in the majority of the tooth is the part that does the majority of the water moving; designed to flow progressively more through each tooth as they slowly clog, subsequently raising the operating water line!

— as the water line gets higher due to debris/detritus/microfauna accumulation on the teeth, or from increase water flow rates; the saw tooth dam will accept more flow!



The only thing I would change is probably making the remaining material gap between teeth .125” - .150” wide, vs. .100”… it’s a tad spindly there for my liking…

I’d also open up the entire saw tooth cut width by .050”, and/or add .250” to total tooth height if this saw toothed dam/weir is seeing more than ~1,400gph of flow, or is under 12” in span!

Thank you so much for the detailed response. My display is only 22g long so I shouldn't be pushing anywhere near 1400gph. But planning for build up overtime and my unlevel craftsmanship is something I really need to account for!

 

[UncommonSense]

I already have a few sheets of 1/4" lexan, which led down this worm hole of a diy solution. Expansion cracking the glass tank was something I was concerned about.

It looks like the equilibrium absorption expansion for polycarbonate is only .35%! — that’s effectively a non-issue if siliconed in!

The bigger concern is thermal expansion; polycarbonate does expand quite a bit when heated! — theoretically, you can just do your cutting with the room/material temp around 78F to make that a non-issue too!

This would allow you to treat it quite like a glass baffle and just cut 3/16” loose of the tank ID width, then inject silicone into the subsequent pair of 3/32” vertical seams!