Awkward Custom Aquarium

[Million]

Hi all,

I'm working on a project at the moment to make a small aquarium in an old TV. I've gutted the box and all that, and have got to the stage where I'm working out the cut list for the glass plates. I've seen a very useful website which provides a precise cut list for cuboidal aquaria, however the one I am envisaging building is awkward.

The shape of old CRT TVs means that the front is wider than the back, so as you can see in my crude diagram below, we have an odd little shape that I don't even know if geometry has named!

The rough dimensions are:
Front 37cm x 23cm
Back 34cm x 19cm
Distance from front to back 18cm

These are roughly worked out using a cardboard mock up, so I'm of course worried about the accuracy, especially when it comes to making the side pieces and the floor pice as they are not rectangular. I have seen people on this forum use CAD programs to come up with schematics for tanks - is there anyone out there who can help me with this?

Also, I know i'm a while off this, but when people paint the tank back, do they use special paint?

 

[BigC]

Lets collect some dims here
The back panel is 37x23 (length by height)
The front panel is 34x19 (length by height)

How wide is the Side piece in your sketch?
You'll only be able to fill the tank to the smallest height anyway, so why the 2 different heights.
Regards
BigC

 

[The-Wolf]

Also, I know i'm a while off this, but when people paint the tank back, do they use special paint?

Two-part epoxy paint for potable water tanks (NSF 61/USDA/ANSI/AWWA and FDA certified and
approved) or UK equivalent. go to wicks (other paints specialist are available) with the above and they will supply you with the correct paint.

 

[Million]

Lets collect some dims here
The back panel is 37x23 (length by height)
The front panel is 34x19 (length by height)

How wide is the Side piece in your sketch?
You'll only be able to fill the tank to the smallest height anyway, so why the 2 different heights.
Regards
BigC

Your understanding of the dimensions is correct. The size of the side panels is one of the problems with the awkward shape, since they are going to sit diagonally they will be longer than the front-back depth of the tank (I think I need to do a bit of the old pythagoras to work that out).

As for having the front taller - it's because I want the pane to fill the 'screen' area, however this is higher up than the highest part of the back, so if I were to build a simple cuboid, the glass would finish below the level of the top of the screen, sort of ruining the illusion. Hope i've explained that clearly enough! Will post pics soon

 

[5teady_2012]

why not just build it normal as a cube, but just the front piecs be higher than all the sides and back, saves sloping the sides.

 

[smithrc]

why not just build it normal as a cube, but just the front piecs be higher than all the sides and back, saves sloping the sides.

I'd be tempted to enclose the rear slope allowing the water level to be higher - ok there would be less surface area but thats nothing a good flow wouldn't resolve.
Hopefully you might be able to get the water line high enough to fill the screen...

 

[Million]

5teady, you're right, that would make it much easier, it's just that I wanted to get the largest possible volume out of what is quite a small TV.
The idea about the sloping 'roof' is interesting too, but I would be concerned that as I will probably be keeping a betta in there, it will want the maximum of surface space to pop up to

 

[5teady_2012]

5teady, you're right, that would make it much easier, it's just that I wanted to get the largest possible volume out of what is quite a small TV.
The idea about the sloping 'roof' is interesting too, but I would be concerned that as I will probably be keeping a betta in there, it will want the maximum of surface space to pop up to

Thing is m8, it dont matter how much you slope because the back will be basically your max level you can fill to, so sloping the sides is not relevant, plus the way i said, you will still get the same effect as the sloping sides cos your looking at it from a front view m8..

 

[5teady_2012]

Why not do this m8, build the tank as normal with the slope, then you can seal a piece of glass on the top of it, going to the front, but leave room to fill it and get ya hand in for feeding and moving stuff around in it, this way you can maximize the level..

here is a pic of what i mean, click view full image fro clear view.

(type on pic, 2nd of should be on the slope)



So your plan can stay same and just add a piece to plan for roof




Basically this is how your tank will be without the sides,




You dont need to fancy cutting, its all normal cut glass in rectangle peices, except the sides top need cutting on a angle for slope.