40 gallon DIY Sump (1 Viewer)

[aquashelle]

Alright, I'm looking to either buy a sump, or create a one out of a standard 40 gallon breeder. I need some major help, as I'm a complete newbie at this...a couple of questions...

1. Does it matter how tall the baffles are? I know they need to be 1in apart, and the center one 1 inch from the bottom, as seen off melevs design. I'm wanting to follow this model:

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/e/sump_model_e.html

2. Does the first baffle have to have "teeth" Or can it get away without them?

3. How far apart do the baffles need to be in order for the flow to be correct?

I'm doing some research, and if anyone has a layout with measurements of their 40 gallon sump, I'd GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[snookfish]

the baffle height has more to do with how deep you need the water to be, based on the pump for your skimmer, or if you want a deep sand bed, etc. I've build 3 sumps now and find that the teeth help keep things like macro algae from moving onto the next area and keep the water from spilling over too quickly and creating more bubbles, but you don't need them. Basically, design the sump around your equipment and anything you want to put into it.
If you follow that design from Melves, you should do alright, just depends on equipment needs.