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Need help sourcing glass for sump build


beef1020

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I need to purchase some glass for baffles in a sump.  My research has indicated that most people use 1/4 inch plate glass, however I am finding it hard to source this at a reasonable cost.  One place quoted my $80 for three pieces of glass cut to 11/5x8 inches.  Another quoted me $40 for a single piece at 12x 36 inches.  Does anyone have a source for 1/4 plate glass, either cut or as a sheet?

 

Are there other options besides 1/4 plate for sump baffles?

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I've used acrylic before. The important thing to remember when using acrylic for sump panels in a glass tank is that silicone sealant doesn't stick really well to acrylic. So don't look to "glue" the panel in. Instead, run a bead of silicone sealant on the glass and press the panel into it from the side to form a fillet, then follow up with a bead on the other side. When cured, this pins the acrylic panel between two fillets of silicone sealant. Another option that I've seen for acrylic panels is to run closed-cell weather stripping down the sides and bottom of the panel, and then to twist-fit the panel in place between the glass walls of the sump. This approach leads to a reconfigurable sump.

 

Personally, before moving to much larger sumps, I only used acrylic,  never glass, for sump baffles simply because it was readily available and it worked for me, and the baffles were never much wider than 12-15 inches.

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Alright, finally found a place that would do it for ~$10 per piece.  I'm going with glass.  FYI, I'm using Laurel Glass and Mirror.
I used them once. Very nice people and everything was cut to spec.
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4 hours ago, beef1020 said:

Do you remember how thick the acrylic was?

Standard stuff - 3/16" or 1/4". Nothing terribly fancy.

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I just bought glass at a lowe's and cut it myself. the glass cutting tool is super easy to use and costs like $2. I think I spent like $10 on 4 baffles in a 75g tank I was using as a sump (3 for return pump chamber, 1 for refugium side. 

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I also had a great experience with Laurel Glass and Mirror. Great price and everything was cut exactly to my specs. I used 1/4” for my baffles. 

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I know you already have the glass pieces needed, but I had a pretty good experience with Action Glass in Beltsville.  Their prices were pretty good, and Brian (I think that was his name) was very helpful and seemed genuinely interested when I told him it was to build an aquarium.

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