Hey Kaiser;

If you end up keeping this sump kit and want some help putting it together, let me know. I'm real busy for the next couple of weeks, but I could probably spend a little time at least getting you started. Or, at least I could have a look at it and give you some very clear instructions, and inspect the parts to make sure they'll fit properly. If you had a leaky sump before and tried unsuccessfully to fix it with weldon #16, don't feel bad. That stuff is almost useless for that type of repair. For that you need weldon #40. I wouldn't give up on it if you like the final product; I'm sure I can get you straightened out on it. The only thing is, it's extruded acrylic, I can see the blue F on one of the pieces. That's Cyro FF, their extruded brand. You could use those pieces as templates for a nice cast acrylic refugium if you really like the design. (Then send it back; using the pieces as templates does not damage them in any way) Here's a hint; try taping the pieces together, at least the four outer walls, then set it on the bottom. If there's no overhang, i.e. if the bottom is not oversize, then you might have trouble getting a perfect joint between sides and bottom. The right way to do it is to cut the bottom oversize, set the sides/ends arrangement on it, glue, and flush trim off the excess on the bottom.

Richard makes a good point about the design. On my sump, the baffles are at the beginning of the flow, leading to a large area that the return bulkhead draws from. This is the part of the sump that the level will drop in due to evaporation. Also, remember that there is a direct inverse relationship between volume and water flow-through speed in different compartments of the sump. I like to get the water flowing fast through a few baffes, then end up in a nice big compartment where the flow is much slower before going to the return. I find this really cuts out the micro bubbles; they have time to float to the surface in the slower water. In the photo of the finsihed product, it looks like the sponge is there mostly to trap bubbles. Unfortunately, if you're going to use this as a refugium, it will also trap pods and any micro-life you wish to feed to the tank. Kind of defeats much of the purpose of a refugium.

PM me if you want some help. I'd tend to avoid a glass sump; a nicely built cast acrylic sump will last forever and you can machine for bulkheads, skimmer in-out, etc, easily.

Matt