Building A Tank - A Basic Guide

[timmystood]

What about a lid? How will light the tank and make sure that any excitied fish, such as plecos, don't jump out?

Surely most tanks need a lid?

 

[BWBettas]

That's what the DIY Hood threads are littered all over the site are for

 

[Neal]

I'm young and this guide has inspired me to grow old quickly so I can make one, i'm only 13 and it's a pretty daft question but where do you buy glass from? (like I said, i'm only 13)

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

I'm young and this guide has inspired me to grow old quickly so I can make one, i'm only 13 and it's a pretty daft question but where do you buy glass from? (like I said, i'm only 13)

There are two places where you can get glass from.

1. From any place that makes windows. but this is expensive

2. If you find a place that recycles building materials, then you will probably find that they have plates of glass. This will be the cheapest but then you will need to get some one to cut the glass.

You may find it cheaper for a small tank to get the glass from a shop as they will cut it precise for you.
For large tanks you will need to use thicker glass. Check on the internet as there as some good calculators to tell you how thick the glass needs to be.

 

[Swandazi]

I'm looking to build my own tank, but i dunno where i can find any glass...

Does any one know where i can look at glass for fish tanks online or a good store to go to, to get glass???


Swandazi

 

[Suriliel]

I saw an earlier post about using plexi-glass instead of glass.. I'm curious about this as well. If there's already another thread about that or if it's been answered somewhere else could you please let me know? This looks like fun!

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

I saw an earlier post about using plexi-glass instead of glass.. I'm curious about this as well. If there's already another thread about that or if it's been answered somewhere else could you please let me know? This looks like fun!

Plexi glass is better than glas but.. yes i say but.. it is really expensive and you need to bond the plexiglas with special glue to get a good bond.

if you look on google for DIY acrylic tanks you may find an article I would say to find 5 or 6 different ways of how to do it then plan it good and make some small boxes. then test how strong they are.. basicly destroy them byadding pressure from the inside. you will then understand if you have done a good bond.

 

[samyboy]

...now i know what todo with the old green house glass, even got some spare glass in the garage, and even a glass cutter if i can find it

:edit:

my tank project has begun

 

[Stone Warior]

can you use fiberglass?

 

[Harif87]

could you use plexiglass instead of normal glass or is it to flexible?

Yeah you could but as it gets older it will get a yellowish tint to it. Also Silicone doesnt bond well with plexiglass so you would probably be ebst using solvent cement (Weld-on #4) or better yet ive heard success stories with Chloroform but i also hear you need a business lisence to purchase Chloroform. But eithr way will do for PLEXIGLASS.

As for the flexibility of plexiglass, if your building a tank higher than 12 inches your gonna need 3/8" thick plexiglass, and your going to have to have a support on the top side of the tank.

 

[Lord Zogat]

silvershark, I created two rectangle bubble towers with inter connecting pathways a while back. To seal the plexi glass towers, I used liquid glass. That stuff is not coming apart, but I don't know what its effect would be on the water and if any of the chemicals of the resin would leech into the water.

The product is called EnviroTex Lite Pour On. Its a resin based liquid glass. Just do a google image search to see what it looks like.

I just put them together and used masking tape on the corner edge (to hold any seeping liquid in), then I tilted the two pieces so that when I poured the material in slowly, it collected where the two edges joined, I then let it run the length of the two pieces. I then had to let it sit for a good few hours to harden enough to do the next corners.

The box is solidly held together by this material, and since it goes in as a liquid, its perfectly flat against the corners where it dried.

---------

Ok I dug out the box to get yah some pics....sorry its dusty. I should get this bad boy working again. I was using it as a joined bubble tank. The Hot glue seals on the bases (so they could be removed for cleaning) gave way from the pressure over time, but not the liquid glass that held the walls together. This liquid glass will work just as well on glass as plastic.

A few pics to give you an idea of how it flows and seals. It does yellow over time by the looks of it, but its base color is yellow. Due to the resins mixed.

I also have two 4 foot 6 inch clear PVC tubes that I used as bubble light tanks with plastic fish. Would work perfect for a large water bridge or a horizontal circular fish tank (although it would be under 10 gallons.

 

[ezrock]

Lord Z. I saw those pics on another thread too and I still can't figure out what the purpose of them is. Can you expand on it a little bit? You've peaked my interest now!

Thanks,

-Ian

 

[Lord Zogat]

Lord Z. I saw those pics on another thread too and I still can't figure out what the purpose of them is. Can you expand on it a little bit? You've peaked my interest now!

Thanks,

-Ian

It was a dual tower bubble tube where you put fake fish in and they float in the currents. Then put lights on top for a night display. Anyway, I inter-connected the towers with a circular tube and was quite suprised that if I started the fish all in one tank they would eventually make their way into the other tank over time so both tanks had fish.

The fish would then continue to move up and down in the bubble currents and go from one tank to the next.

But because it was a hot glue base and I had to move it once or twice the seals gave out and I had to drain it. The towers are not both perfectly level so this didn't help. I should clean it off and get it working again, as its a great visual piece when both towers are lit up with different colors.

 

[hoarp001]

Do you need special glass or will just normal window glass work? I have a freind who works in a picture framer and he could probably order me some 8mm thick big sheets for cheap. would tht work or does it have to be toughned or something?

 

[0x0000ff]

Any glass will work, it will just have to be strong enough.

Look around online for a tank-size calculator,
I would assume that a standard 4ft could easily and safely be made from glass of that depth.