High Tide Aquatics

East bay acrylic supplies

Jeremy

Jeremy

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So I am fairly new to the area and am in the process of gathering equipment to start up a small 35ish gallon aquarium and am planning to build my own acrylic sump.

That being said, I have no idea where around I could get the stock and supplies that I would need for such a project. I am living in San Leandro so somewhere close to there would be ideal but I could travel if necessary.

Please post here or pm any info.

Thanks
Jeremy

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there is a tap plastics in san mateo, off 3rd st exit i believe on B street.

there is also tap plastics in san francisco, right off the freeway on van ness. You could always try there.
 
Tap plastic in Fremont of 880 and mowry. Do you have a spec that you would share? We may able to help if your list of what you need.
 
+1 on Tap Plastics.

Lowes sells Lexan at fairly reasonable cost. (Similar, and arguably better for a sump)
Orchard sells acrylic.

Tap has a nice leftover bin, with small pieces, cheap, good for little projects.
 
Coral reefer said:
Tap in San leandro too. I suggest buying a 10-20 gal glass for cheap to use as a sump unless you really new something custom?
Click to expand...

Sounds like this is probably the winner.

nly04 said:
Tap plastic in Fremont of 880 and mowry. Do you have a spec that you would share? We may able to help if your list of what you need.
Click to expand...

I haven't built the stand yet but want to be able to make the best use of available space as well as include a ato reservoir and a refugium.

siokoy said:
If your interested i have a 20 gal sump for free


Siokoy
Click to expand...

Pm sent
rygh said:
+1 on Tap Plastics.

Lowes sells Lexan at fairly reasonable cost. (Similar, and arguably better for a sump)
Orchard sells acrylic.

Tap has a nice leftover bin, with small pieces, cheap, good for little projects.
Click to expand...

So I've never really thought about using lexan. What (arguably) makes this better for a sump than just using acrylic?

Jeremy
 
Jeremy said:
So I've never really thought about using lexan. What (arguably) makes this better for a sump than just using acrylic?
Jeremy
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Polycarbonate (Lexan) is quite a bit stronger, and less prone to cracking.
In a DIY sump, with various holes, bulkheads, and random partitions, that could really help.
That also makes it a bit easier for beginners to work on it with simple power tools.

The downside is that is bends a bit, scratches easily, and is not as clear or shiny.
Those downsides matter to display tanks, but not sumps.

Lexan is more expensive in general. But if you factor in Tap plastics big markup versus Lowes big box store,
the prices even out.
 
Is Lowe's lexan cheaper than TAP? I only used TAP because they are convenient...I have no real basis to compare their prices, but they have the tools you would need to work with acrylic. In fact it's probably worth it to design the sump and bring in the dimensions of the plastic you need and have them cut it for good clean cuts.

What's a good thickness for an average sized sump, say 30 gallons? 3/16" thick?

I'm using a temp glass aquarium with siliconed in thin acrylic baffle (actually ... it's too thin, I can see it bending so I'll have to glue/melt on a reinforcement piece to it).

But plan to eventually make a better sump with an enclosed drain area for noise control.

V
 
aqua-nut said:
RE: Lexan
You might want to check out http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1056956

search for lexan

The pros don't use it because it doesn't bond well.
Click to expand...

You had me a bit worried, so I did some research.

I know Bud (aka Floyd R Turbo) that posted that.
Smart nice guy, but not really a pro Lexan expert.
Neither am I of course.

So I looked a little wider on the net. There are issues GLUING Lexan.
But we use solvent welding, which is totally different.
No bonding issues I could find.

I personally have not had any issues with it bonding.
In fact, I have had a bit better luck, because the cut edge does not chip as much in my saw.
With acrylic, I sometimes get chips, and those cause small visible voids.
 
Vincerama2 said:
Is Lowe's lexan cheaper than TAP? I only used TAP because they are convenient...I have no real basis to compare their prices, but they have the tools you would need to work with acrylic. In fact it's probably worth it to design the sump and bring in the dimensions of the plastic you need and have them cut it for good clean cuts.

What's a good thickness for an average sized sump, say 30 gallons? 3/16" thick?

I'm using a temp glass aquarium with siliconed in thin acrylic baffle (actually ... it's too thin, I can see it bending so I'll have to glue/melt on a reinforcement piece to it).

But plan to eventually make a better sump with an enclosed drain area for noise control.

V
Click to expand...
If tap is more convenient, suggest that. Cost is about the same.
Suggest 1/4 inch acrylic. Plenty strong enough for a small sump.
Going 3/16 might work, but bonding less than 1/4 can be a pain.

Tip: I usually put small 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 bits of acrylic in each corner.
When I goof, that is often the point where it leaks. That extra block seals it up.
 
rygh said:
You had me a bit worried, so I did some research.

I know Bud (aka Floyd R Turbo) that posted that.
Smart nice guy, but not really a pro Lexan expert.
Neither am I of course.

So I looked a little wider on the net. There are issues GLUING Lexan.
But we use solvent welding, which is totally different.
No bonding issues I could find.

I personally have not had any issues with it bonding.
In fact, I have had a bit better luck, because the cut edge does not chip as much in my saw.
With acrylic, I sometimes get chips, and those cause small visible voids.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reality check! I've never tried to use Lexan. Is there a different solvent?
 
aqua-nut said:
Thanks for the reality check! I've never tried to use Lexan. Is there a different solvent?
Click to expand...

I did some more reading last night. Still curious myself.

Same solvent for both. Weld-on #3 or #4.
Methylene Chloride type solvent.

I did find out some issues with the bonding though!
The issue is that Lexan / Polycarbonate can absorb quite a bit of water.
If it does, that water + hygroscopic nature of the solvent can interfere with the bonding.

Freshly purchased Lexan is not an issue.
However, something used as a sump/cover, in contact with water for a while,
might then have an issue if you modify it and try to bond to it.

I am tempted to try it with a few scraps I have around.
 
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