DIY 40 gallon breeder aio

[cromag27]

Acrylic is a type of plastic.

And can't I just use plastic vs acrylic

 

[cromag27]

Yes you can use glass but you'd have to think about the overflow.

Or glass? Thought about using sheets of glass painted black so the silicone would hold the glass wall to the glass tank

 

[cromag27]

Any luck?

 

[ajmckay]

Definitely don't use glass - I tried that also and it lasted a year before the spraypaint (premium brand) peeled off.

I bought 1/4" acrylic at a local plastics supplier and it wasn't all that expensive really. I cut it myself and made the divider baffle system for my sump.

Cro - why the 1/8" gap? Any reason in particular?

 

[cromag27]

Acrylic expands as it absorbs water. no gap and you could bust the glass panels. if glass, you need gaps so the glass baffles don't rub against the glass tank. if you look at how glass tanks are built, you'll see a thin layer of silicone between the panels. I usually use 1/8" because the spacers I use are about 1/8". actually, just under 1/8". maybe 3/16".

 

[ajmckay]

I have a couple large plastics suppliers in my area. I generally use 1/4", sometimes 3/8". put the zip ties in place, you want them to be snug. use painter's tape or a wood jig to keep everything in place, then silicone.

Hey so now I'm curious - why the zip ties? I assume this is something you only do with attaching acrylic to glass? The only reason I can think of is ease of removal.

 

[cromag27]

Hey so now I'm curious - why the zip ties? I assume this is something you only do with attaching acrylic to glass? The only reason I can think of is ease of removal.

easy to remove and the small ones are just the right size.

 

[ajmckay]

Whoops I didn't realize I double posted my question on the gaps... I was still on page 1 and thought that maybe I didn't hit "post" on the initial reply but it was just on page 2 LOL

 

[SOCOM]

this looks like a great idea!