Show us your DIY Aquarium

[Pro_builder]

We would like to see the Aquarium, with Pics and material lists and instructions, for others to get ideas from for there project.
TIA

[sailman]

Ok I havent done this but this is what I'm doing for a sump.

Tank Information:
Material = Glass
Tank Height = 12.75 "
Tank Width = 15"
Tank Length = 34 "
Glass Thickness = 1/4"
Approximate Gallons = 28



Cut List:
Bottom = 33 1/2 " x 14 1/2"
Front = 34 " x 12.75 "
Back = 34 " x 12.75 "
2 Sides = 12.75 " x 14 1/2"
Top Front/Back brace = 33 1/2 " x 2"
Top Sides brace = 14 1/2 " x 2"



Additional Materials
1. Tube of aquarium grade silicone
2. Tape or clamps for holding the peices in place
3. Solvent for clean up.
4. Rags/Paper towels for clean up.
5. 1/4 inch wooden dowels.

Getting Started

Lay bottom, front, back and side pieces out on a large flat surface.

Cut the 1/4 inch dowels slightly shorter than the length of the bottom. Place the dowels under the bottom piece of glass. It is important that the weight of the aquarium is supported by the front, back and sides. There should never be any support under the bottom glass as this could fracture it.

Run a bead of silicone along all edges of the bottom glass. (these are the edges that will seal with the front, back, and side glass)

Carefully place all pieces in place surrounding the bottom piece. All contacting surfaces should have a bead of silicone.

Use tape or clamps to hold the pieces in the correct position. When using silicone you will have plenty of time to make adjustments. Silicone can become a gooy sticky mess so you should keep the material and work area as clean as possible.

Once all pieces are correctly positioned, let the aquarium set for 24 hours.

After the silicone has cured, it is time to add the glass to the top. This piece of glass makes the sides stronger so the glass does not bow when the tank is filled.

Let the tank cure in a warm room for 72 hours before you fill it with fresh water. If there are any leaks you can apply an additional bead of silicone to the inside seam.

I got this off this site. Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation Home Page Look under DIY Pages, Tank Building.

[mps9506]

wow Troy! You started this thread in 2003 and finally got an answer!

[Woodstock]

Originally Posted by mps9506

wow Troy! You started this thread in 2003 and finally got an answer!

haha... nice resurection~

[BigAl07]

It's a Mircale!

[boozeman]

karma goes to sailman for ancient thread ressurection!!!

[Woodstock]

Sailman, sweet avatar.
Are you building a sailboat?? Pics Please!!

[rDr4g0n]

ive been curious about how to build an aquarium. now that i have an idea, horrible horrible things can happen.

i mean bad stuff. worse than ressurecting 4 year old threads.

[Saltwater Noob]

lets see the tanks

[sailman]

Originally Posted by Woodstock

Sailman, sweet avatar.
Are you building a sailboat?? Pics Please!!

Yes I dont have many picks. Ill see what I can find.

LENGTH: 14'-0"
BEAM: 6'-0"
WEIGHT: 165 lbs.
SAIL AREA: 85 sq.ft.
DRAFT: 6"

[sailman]

Ok i found some...
Picture005.jpg

Picture006.jpg

Picture007.jpg

Picture008.jpg

[Woodstock]

Sweet!!
My husband has the blueprints for a large sailboat that he plans on building one day....

[cheeks69]

If anyone is truly interested in building an aquarium our partner site has an excellent thread;

Como fazer um aquário - Page 2 - aquariofilia marinha - REEFFORUM

[vdituri]

Cheeks, was that supposed to be in a foreign language?
Is that portuguese? I was wearing my spanish hat and still couldn't make heads or tales. Good thing I was only looking at the pictures.

[cheeks69]

Originally Posted by vdituri

Cheeks, was that supposed to be in a foreign language?
Is that portuguese? I was wearing my spanish hat and still couldn't make heads or tales. Good thing I was only looking at the pictures.

Yes it is Portuguese, I forgot to say auto translator please