Quick question about baffles...

Well, after my first 20g long sump build cracked, I am starting another tomorow. My question is, is how tight should your baffles be to the glass? My last sump cracked because I had them to tight and that put pressure on the sides of the glass.

Thanks.

 

I would say they should be touching but not putting pressure. You can let there be a bit more of a gap, though, since silicone will fill the gap, and there'll be roughly equal pressure on each side, so it won't break like a tank that has significant gaps.

 

I left about 1/16th of an inch. Not much of a gap, but enough.

 

Raven is right on. When I designed mine, I made the baffles long enough to touch, but no pressure.

Also, when I applied the silicone, I went back with a guitar pick, and ran it along the bead of silicone, and it made for a nice clean look. I'm sure a credit card or something along those lines would also work.

 

Thanks for the replies. Another quick question. If the baffles don't really touch the sides, can super glue be used to hold them in place before caulking?

 

I've always cut my baffles with a small gap, maybe 1/8" or so, and dabbed the edges in a couple spots with silicone and let it dry. That way the silicone dabs would hold the baffles in place but still allow me to move the baffles around the way I want before applying the rest of the silicone (if that makes sense).

 

Thats what I did. You can also use painters tape on the top of the baffle to tape it to the tank, and then use the silicone.