Adding A Sump To My System

So I currently have a roughly 50 gallon tank Ive had for nearly two years and has been for the most part a FOWLR tank with nothing special, a handful of damsels protien skimmer, couple powerheads, etc. And Ive had success with that and learned a lot. Ive recently decided to add a sump with a fuge, maybe a phosban reactor, pretty much go all out. (Id like to drill my tank, but dont want to completely disassemble it and take it outside to put on its side so not sure how Im gonna do that but thats a different story) So obviously i still have a lot of questions and im still doing a lot of research and have read a lot on here. One question I havent really been able to find the answer to has to do with a custom overflow box. I think its rediculous to buy a 50 something dollar box, and reading about coast to coast boxes on here has made me interested in that but either way, I want to make my own. So the main question boils down to; Ive read a lot about having a glass shop cut glass for you but, is acrylic easier to use? Isnt it the same as plexiglass, so couldnt i just cut it myself with a table saw? Are there any tips on working with it? Is there a problem bonding it to glass?

Im sure Ill have more questions like is there any reason i cant put my HOB skimmer into the sump?

 

It's harder to get acrylic to stick to glass. I don't think regular silicone will work.

 

You can use your HOB skimmer from the sump if the sump is tall enough for it to work.

You would be better off with glass if your are looking to have a C to C over flow. Acrylic is possible but tends to fail more easily than glass. Acrylic is plexiglass.

 

The rule of thumb when considering acrylic to glass is don't plan on anything that requires structural strength. So, for baffles it's fine, but I wouldn't replace a pane on a glass tank with acrylic.

Plexiglas is a specially formulated acrylic that really isn't suited for use in SW, as it tends to craze and bow more easily, and actually absorbs water over time, altho it is "bulletproof" (it's also more expensive). You're better off using "plain" acrylic (and FWIW, cast acrylic is better than extruded acrylic for our purposes).

As for the C2C overflows, I'm not a fan, but many peeps like them.