acrylic/lexan dividers in glass tank???

Tabasco1

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I am going to make my own sump/fuge out of a 20g standard glass tank. I think it would be easier to work with lexan or acrylic for the dividers so I can cut teeth into them and figure it will be easier to work with.

Can I do that? Is there anything that I need to be aware of if I do?

That being said... what is the best type of sealant or silicone to work with for this project?

Thanks!!
 

Wy Renegade

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I am going to make my own sump/fuge out of a 20g standard glass tank. I think it would be easier to work with lexan or acrylic for the dividers so I can cut teeth into them and figure it will be easier to work with.

Can I do that? Is there anything that I need to be aware of if I do?

That being said... what is the best type of sealant or silicone to work with for this project?

Thanks!!

Use a thicker acrylic - the thinner stuff will bow under the pressure of the water and eventually break away. Use a silicon that is 100% silicon no antifungal or antibacterial agents (I use GE type I from Home Depot). Use plenty of silicon - if the bead is too thin and acrylic flexes, it will fail. Personally I prefer glass dividers in a glass tank, its easy enough to get a glass shop to cut old used glass to size, and I've found that using used glass generally makes it cheaper than buying the acrylic.
 

nixer

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you dont need teeth in the divider.
if your worried about it a piece of egg crate works wonders.
you would also have to rough up the acyrlic i would also make it a tad long so you could bow it towards the side that has the most water on it.
 
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Tabasco1

Tabasco1

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Thank you, and I just noticed the thread that Troylee started. Really good. My sump/fuge is not SUPER complicated, but it does have some features that kindof make me nervous to try in glass and I would like to have teeth at the overflows and don't know how I could do that in glass. Any suggestions there?

I am not totally scared to work with glass. I actually took a stained glass course in college so I have worked with glass on some level and have the tools to score with, much different I am sure as the glass would be much thicker.
 

Troylee

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you can home depot cut the glass for the baffles or use acrylic 1/4" minumum stay away from lexan it is very flimsy and nothing bonds to it at all.... i like the rtv series of silicones my self they have the highest tensile strength and is what tank builders use... but almost any natural cure silicone will get the job done... check the label for fda approved if it's fda approved it's reef safe..;)
 

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