2 Baffles just broke!!!

[benj2112]

All right. It isn’t the end of the world as the sump is still not putting any bubbles in my tank, but I have to fix them before I can start putting anything in the fuge part of the sump.
I was wondering about reinforcing them. Currently I have 1/8th inch acrylic baffles in an old aquarium that WERE being held to the sides by DAP aquarium silicone. I was thinking of taking out all the baffles and then adding some spacers (made of some scrap 1/4th inch acrylic I have) against the aquarium walls in-between each baffle as I reinstall them. After the last baffle there would be a long “spacer” that would extend to the end of the tank.
I am thinking this would make the baffles stronger and direct any pressure out to the end of the tank. Not sure if that is correct, though.
Is this too crazy of an idea? Any ideas of something a lot easier to fix baffles coming loose if this is just all wrong?

 

[crystain]

I just did a similar project for my wife's sump/refugium with similar results, i.e., that the 0.1" acrylic divider for the refugium separated from the wall.
I think it was a combination of too much bending in the acrylic and too much pressure in the silicone. I retrofit using 0.25" acrylic and used superglue to attach 6 pieces of scrap 0.25" acrylic to the side of the tank as braces (4 in front, 2 behind). So the silicone now just seals the divider and the "braces" carry the differential pressure. So far it has worked extremely well.

 

[benj2112]

thanks...I actually made the switch to .25 acrylic for those baffles as well yesterday and included the .25 acrylic braces. I think this will work much better now.