Do I have to have baffles in a sump?

[ScubaSteve]

My sump is too small the use baffles and still fit my skimmer and pumps. I just aim the outlet of my skimmer away from the return pump to minimize bubbles. Works well enough.

You can easily add in baffles later by putting EPDM foam tape (weather stripping) on the vertical edges of a piece of glass. Stick the piece in your sump and turn it to pressure fit in place. Let you customize the baffles and play around with the set up.