Creating your own fish tank is a challenging but rewarding project.
Building an acrylic/plexiglass aquarium is a challenging but rewarding endeavor for the ambitious aquarist. By undertaking this project, the intrepid fish keeper (that's you) leaves the world of standardized, premade, prefab aquariums and enters the realm of power tools, solvents and elbow grease. Such a tank can have a unique design but lacks a manufacturer's warranty. If an aquarist wants to take on the challenge of this project, he could be rewarded with the satisfaction of creating an aquarium from scratch.
Instructions
1. Seahorses usually require taller tanks.
Design your aquarium with your desired fish in mind. For example, territorial fish like African cichlids require wider aquariums to establish territories while fish like seahorses require a taller fish tank. At the same time, shorter fish tanks have higher surface area-to-volume ratios, meaning more oxygen. Some fish, like loaches, need this. One of the perks of a DIY aquarium is that you are not limited to standard tank sizes and shapes.
2. Choose the correct thickness of acrylic. Tanks up to 13 inches require acrylic 1/4 inch thick. Tanks 13 inches to 19 inches require acrylic 3/8 inch thick. Tanks 19 inches to 24 inches require acrylic 1/2 inch thick. An aquarium taller than 24 inches requires specialized techniques and is beyond the scope of this article.
3. Mark out the size of the acrylic panes on the acrylic sheet.
4. Cut out the acrylic panes with a table saw. Most brands of acrylic have a protective plastic coating. Remove 1/4 of an inch around the edge.
5. Use a table-mounted Dremel to polish the edges of the acrylic. The edges must be perfectly smooth to glue them together.
6. Using a ring-clamp and stand, position two pieces of acrylic at a 45-degree angle to each other.
7. Gently run a syringe with acrylic solvent along the joint. If you do this right, capillary action will pull the solvent into the joint and the joint will appear clear.
8. Allow the solvent to dry. Unlike glue, the solvent bonds the two pieces of acrylic together by melting both of them, then evaporating away, leaving a solid piece of acrylic. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for drying time.
9. Repeat on other joints until the entire aquarium is bonded together.
10. If desired, reinforce the joints with aquarium glue. This adds an optional extra layer of protection. Simply run a line of aquarium glue along the seams, then smooth with a gloved finger. Follow manufacturer's drying time for aquarium glue.
11. Leak-test the aquarium. To do this, fill the aquarium to the top and mark the level with a dry-erase marker. Then put a lid on the aquarium. Wait 48 hours. If no leaks occur, the tank is watertight.
Tips Warnings
It's best to glue the sides together first, then glue the bottom to the sides of the tank.
Take care not to get solvent anywhere on the aquarium other than the joints. It will mar the acrylic.
If you do get a small amount of solvent elsewhere on the acrylic, do not wipe it up, just let it dry.
Use eye protection while using powertools.
Use eye protection and gloves while working with acrylic solvents.
Only use acrylic solvent in a well-ventilated area.
Always leak test your aquarium.
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