DIY acrylic tank

eg6 vtec

Has anyone any experience in making an acrylic tank from scratch? if so do you have any personal tips?

its something i have looked into for a good while now and i might give it a go on a small scale to test out the method

m8

I tried before and made the mistake of cleaning it with white spirits only to find out that it forms a kinda skin after cleaning with spirits that silicone will not stick to very well.

All looked good for a few hours then came apart, some mess.

I would say use a frame and putty maybe.

m4r10

I had the impression that acrylic tanks are bonded with some kind of cement that fuses the panels together rather then just filling the gaps with silicone. The few youtube videos I watched recommend that the acrylic panels are cut straight and don't round the edges through filing, the rest comes down to a steady hand.

Mr Whirly

I think most acrylic tanks are heat bonded. I don't think silicone and acrylic work. Maybe some kind of glue on a smaller tank would work.

eg6 vtec

Silicone does not bond well with acrylic at all, you need acrylic welding glue as this melts into the surface of the parts and creates a very strong bond, I'm on the hunt for some at the moment to make a small tank just to practice the process

Sleepy

Can you really get the same kind of clarity in acrylic as you get with a glass tank?

eg6 vtec

You can with a lot of polishing and with my main job as a spray painter I have over 12 years of experience in fine polishing and restoration of metals like alloy wheel rims so I'd say I could do this

Bebo stunnah

I'd imagine you should get as clear, if not more clear of an image with acrylic. You have to sand/router down the 2 pieces you're 'gluing' with acrylic cement. The cement is quite like water (in terms of viscosity). I've only ever seen it being applied using a bottle with a needle on it. The cement literally turns your 2 pieces into 1 piece of acrylic and it's best to keep the clamped for 1-2days.

The main downside with it is that it scratches very easy, you may be able to buff put a scratch on the outside of the tank, but if some inconsiderate inhabitant decides to have a hissy-fit,or an ornament rubs it,you'll need to empty it to fix it! It is an awful lot lighter though, and you could make enormous tanks with it...

Here's what a quick google got me: http://www.wikihow.com/Glue-Acrylic

Sleepy

Where would you buy large sheets of acrylic to build the tank with? Never seen it in Woodies for example!

eg6 vtec

just by pure chance i had a customer in my garage yesterday, he is a sign maker so i got chatting to him about all this hes getting me prices on sheets and can cut and smooth out all edges to order and all at cost price he also said he has a friend who had a custom tank business back in the boom days and will get in contact with him for me for some advice

i will need 12mm for my future plans and even his supplier would have to ship it in as its not something they stock so i will have to see what that will be cost wise, i have a feeling i will be looked after as he needs a lot of body work done on his car so it might work out in my favor

Sleepy

A bit of bartering can go a long way alright!

acrylicgift

Exactually ,acrylic tank actualy consist of several piece of acrylic panel ,which is glued together .
Before doing this acrylic tank ,these acrylic panle need to be cut to size ,and then drilled ,polished ,glued .
As the question tht you said it don't roun the edge ,it depend. If you want the edge to be round ,actually it is very easy to do that ,and for some samll area ,it may need steady hand.

eg6 vtec

i got in contact with the lad who had a business doing custom tanks and he said glass would be much cheaper and better suited for my plan

my plan is to build a 400lt tank, i spent a few hours over the weekend doing up plans for the tank and stand i emailed off my cut list to my local glass place and got a price of 320 all in, i have a customer who owns a builder providers across from our garage and he can supply all my timber all cut to size and all the hard wear needed for 150

so my next question is.... is 470 a good price for a tank and stand, i know i will need fillters/ heaters and all other pluming bits but this will be a slow, very slow build so i can pick that stuff up over time or even 2nd hand

Sleepy

I tend to work off the basis of second hand tanks should cost €1 per litre including filters etc. and have rarely failed to get that.

I'd say when you add in the cost of sealant etc. it's going to cost you more than you'd buy a similarly sized tank for second hand. Then again, you don't get to tell any guest to the house that you've built the tank yourself that way!

eg6 vtec

Sleepy wrote: »

I tend to work off the basis of second hand tanks should cost €1 per litre including filters etc. and have rarely failed to get that.

I'd say when you add in the cost of sealant etc. it's going to cost you more than you'd buy a similarly sized tank for second hand. Then again, you don't get to tell any guest to the house that you've built the tank yourself that way!

the sealant from seahorse is 19.99 per tube and i say i will need 3 just to be safe, i know what you mean about getting a good 2nd hand tank for the same price but then there is the i built that factor

as said this is a long term project and i am a true and true DIY head so i will probably go this route and build it :cool:

Mr Whirly

You could pick up a Clearseal 5ft for about 650 new. These come with really nice cabinets in a range of colours, 10mm glass, good hoods. They are also a nice height in a decent sized room. On the cabinet they stand at about 5 foot.

The likes of Aquarium Solutions and Artane Aquatics do them. Seahorse don't as they make their own version. They're well worth having a look at and come with a guarantee. Far superior to the likes of Juwel and Aqua One.

Sleepy

If you're going the self-build route, make sure to read up on how to hold the glass on the cabinet. Even as small a thing as a grain of sand caught between the glass base and the cabinet surface can cause the glass to crack when the tank is filled. I'm no expert but I remember reading before that a thin neoprene/foam base can be useful in this regard.

Mr Whirly

Sleepy wrote: »

I remember reading before that a thin neoprene/foam base can be useful in this regard.

Pretty much essential if the glass will be sitting directly on the wood. The Clearseal aquariums need this too. It also helps even out any imperfections if the tank is not completely level. You can get sheets of it for cheap in Woodies.

Some aquariums like Juwel come with a floating base so it is not necessary.

eg6 vtec

Sleepy wrote: »

If you're going the self-build route, make sure to read up on how to hold the glass on the cabinet. Even as small a thing as a grain of sand caught between the glass base and the cabinet surface can cause the glass to crack when the tank is filled. I'm no expert but I remember reading before that a thin neoprene/foam base can be useful in this regard.

Mr Whirly wrote: »

Pretty much essential if the glass will be sitting directly on the wood. The Clearseal aquariums need this too. It also helps even out any imperfections if the tank is not completely level. You can get sheets of it for cheap in Woodies.

Some aquariums like Juwel come with a floating base so it is not necessary.

i have a thin sheet under my current tank came with it

m8

I used a sheet of polystyrene, you can get from 1\4" to 2" thick and it also saves some heat loss. Perfect for the job.

acrylicgift

Exactually ,glass tank is more cheap ,but glass tank is very heavy and not so convenien to move . And also it is easy to break .
470 is a little high ,but anyway reasonable for one custom made glass tank. :-)

eg6 vtec wrote: »

i got in contact with the lad who had a business doing custom tanks and he said glass would be much cheaper and better suited for my plan

my plan is to build a 400lt tank, i spent a few hours over the weekend doing up plans for the tank and stand i emailed off my cut list to my local glass place and got a price of 320 all in, i have a customer who owns a builder providers across from our garage and he can supply all my timber all cut to size and all the hard wear needed for 150

so my next question is.... is 470 a good price for a tank and stand, i know i will need fillters/ heaters and all other pluming bits but this will be a slow, very slow build so i can pick that stuff up over time or even 2nd hand

Mr Whirly

If you're not completely set on doing it yourself I found this Irish website with really good prices for plain glass tanks.

http://www.discus.ie/aquariums.html

Gryzor

Series of 6 videos here on building an acrylic aquarium. Really goes into detail on the various bits, like preparing the edges for welding etc...Something I'd love to have a go at, at some stage...

eg6 vtec

Seen them before he has some great how to vids on DIY filters and the likes as well

Gryzor

Some good stuff there alright...

Did you ever start your build??

flas

Mr Whirly wrote: »

If you're not completely set on doing it yourself I found this Irish website with really good prices for plain glass tanks.

http://www.discus.ie/aquariums.html

has anyone ever used this crowd before or heard anything about them!?in the market for a new tank!

eg6 vtec

Gryzor wrote: »

Some good stuff there alright...

Did you ever start your build??

no not yet im waiting until we move house and have the space for a few new tanks

flas

flas wrote: »

has anyone ever used this crowd before or heard anything about them!?in the market for a new tank!

anyone at all?!

Mr Whirly

I have heard good reports for his fish. Can't speak for his aquariums.

flas

Mr Whirly wrote: »

I have heard good reports for his fish. Can't speak for his aquariums.

thank you,might give it a whirl!